I Samuel 20
Friday, 4th August 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
V1 ‘Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”’ David was protected by God and by the servant of God, Samuel, but he chose to run away. When we follow God, but when we face troubles, a lot of times we choose to run away from the presence of God. David left the protection of Samuel and went back to Jonathan. David was a godly man, but there was a process, he didn’t start to be a godly man, on the other hand, he was also afraid and faithless.
V3-4 ‘Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”’ Jonathan wanted to show David how serious he was to their relationship, he became like David’s god, he thought he could help David with his own strength. Let us not become other people’s idols. We thought we are helping them but we are actually making people coming to us instead of going to the one true God.
V12-13 ‘Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, may the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.’ When Jonathan helped David, he actually sacrificed his relationship with his father, and his kingship. He thought he was being committed to their friendship but he didn’t actually help David to seek God. When we help others, do we let them see the God behind us or do we only show our own capability for people to come near to us not near to God?
V17 ‘Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.’ What is our attitude when we help people? Do we draw people to us or to God? Jonathan was using his own strength to help David. There was no God in his interaction with God.
V30 ‘Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?’ Saul was angry at Jonathan, because Jonathan helped David without seeking God. Saul was Jonathan’s authority on earth, but he chose his own way and make his own decision. He not only betrayed his father and his authority, but he also shamed his mother. He didn’t seek God for wisdom when helping David because he thought he could deal with everything with his own strength.
V32-34 ‘And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?” Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.’ Jonathan rebelled against his father for David, even though he wanted to help David, but as his son, he didn’t really seek his father’s heart and see things from his father’s perspective. Saul knew David would eventually threaten Jonathan’s kingship in the future, it was a father’s love for his son, but Jonathan did not see this. Jonathan acted base on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he was judging his own father.
V41-42 ‘As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.’ David knew he couldn’t rely on Jonathan anymore. He ran away from Samuel for Jonathan, but at the end, David still had to run away. When we chose people instead of choosing God, it will lead us to despair. And when we help people with our own flesh and strength, we don’t seek God, we don’t bring people to God, then we can not bring peace and light into people.
What is our attitude when we face difficulties? The further we run away from God, the more despair we will be experiencing. God’s Will is for us to have peace, only He knows everything happens to us, and only He can deliver us completely from our difficult situation.