TO CHEW ON: "Jonathan said to David, 'Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord saying, "The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever."'” 1 Samuel 20:42
King Saul’s jealousy meant that the palace was no longer a safe place for David. Saul even told his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David if they got the chance. So David left to live somewhere else. This made Jonathan sad. He liked David a lot. In fact, you could say they were best friends.
One day Prince Jonathan asked his father, “Why are you trying to kill David? He doesn’t mean you any harm.”
“You’re probably right,” King Saul answered. He promised to stop trying to kill David. Then Jonathan convinced David to come back and live in the palace again. But no sooner had he moved back when again Saul tried to kill him and David had to run for his life.
Again Jonathan tried to get him to come back. “My Dad and I are very close,” he said. “He hasn’t said anything to me about killing you.”
But David refused to come back. Instead, he and Jonathan made a plan to test Saul’s real feelings. In a few days Saul’s family would gather to celebrate a festival. Though David was expected to come, he would stay away. Jonathan would watch Saul’s reaction. If Saul didn’t care that David was missing, everything was probably alright. But if he got angry, they would know that Saul really was planning to kill David.
The first day of the festival, Saul said nothing about David’s empty place. But on the second day, Saul asked Jonathan where David was.
“His brothers asked that he spend time with his own family,” Jonathan said.
Then Saul’s temper flared – this time at Jonathan. “Don’t you know that David has his eye on being king?” he asked. “If he doesn’t die, you’ll never get to be king yourself.” And then in a rage, Saul hurled his spear at his own son.
Jonathan knew now what Saul’s true intentions were. The next day Jonathan went to the place where he and David had agreed to meet. Even though it was dangerous for him to even be seen with David, he again risked his life for his friend to tell him the sad truth. Before they parted, they promised each other that whatever happened they would always be friends and would always treat each other’s families with kindness.
PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to be a good friend, like Jonathan was to David. Amen.
MORE: Friendship
1. What are some ways Jonathan and David were good friends to each other?
2. Who is your best friend?
3. What do you like about being friends with that person?
4. What can you and your friends learn about friendship from David and Jonathan?
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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