seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Samuel 20:24 So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. 25 He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26 Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” 27 But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”
28 Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”
30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”
32 “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.
35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36 and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” 38 Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”
41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.
42 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.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
This is the link to the commentary I use.Is not the arrow beyond you: It took courage for Jonathan to communicate with David, even secretly — because he knew that if his father became aware of it, he would focus his murderous rage against Jonathan again. Jonathan had a noble commitment to David as a friend.
Jonathan and David knew of the matter: A small thing — the signal of a single arrow — told David his whole life was changed. He would no longer be welcome at the palace. He would no longer be welcome among the army of Israel. He could no longer go home. David was now a fugitive on the run from an angry, jealous king determined to destroy him.
Sometimes our life turns on a small thing. One night of carelessness may change a girl’s life forever. One night with the wrong crowd may give a boy an arrest record. It often does not seem fair that so much in life should turn on small moments, but a lifetime is made of nothing but many small moments.
So he arose and departed: David will not return to “normal life” until Saul is dead, and David is king. This was a pretty bleak road for David to walk, but it was God’s road for him.
This is the end of the chapter I started yesterday. This morning the Bible Gateway site didn't want to load up. As a matter of fact, the Blue Letter Bible site with David Guzik's study didn't want to load either. I got them though... So, let's go on with the story.When we left Jonathan and David yesterday, the cousins made an alliance. A plan was developed that Jonathan hoped would prove his best buddy David was mistaken. Jonathan hoped the plan would prove his dad, king Saul, didn't want to kill David.
Jonathan's dad, king Saul, swore that David would not die. Swearing, making an oath, was a serious matter in those days. Breaking an oath was punishable by death.
David, on the other hand, knew king Saul was out to get him. He not only threw spears at David, trying to pin him to the wall, but he sent troops to kill David.
Jonathan, however, wanted to give his dad the benefit of the doubt.
Poor Jonathan! His dad was so furious with David, he was about to kill Jonathan because David wasn't across the table for the king to sneer at.
You gotta give king Saul some credit though. He knew David could steal the throne. David stood up to Goliath. That gave him a huge reputation. If the people wanted David as king, that would depose his son, Jonathan. Saul knew he had to get rid of David.
David was just too popular. He would have to go.
Saul was insane. He would even run a spear through his own son.
The plan worked out. Jonathan found out just how insane his dad was. David found out king Saul really wanted him dead.
Now, David would leave. He will be in hiding for about 20 years.
David wouldn't be trained to be the next king.
David just couldn't go home. He had to hide.
All this because some cat named Samuel called him away from the flock to pour oil on his head.
David had to hide.
