1
Samuel 20
Holman
Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Jonathan Protects David
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| Jonathan & David |
1
David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I
done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he
wants to take my life?”
2
Jonathan said to him, “No, you won’t die. Listen, my father doesn't do
anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this
matter from me? This can’t be true.”
3
But David said, “Your father certainly knows that you have come to look
favorably on me. He has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will
be grieved.’” David also swore, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you
yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”
4
Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”
5
So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I’m supposed to sit
down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I’ll hide in the field
until the third night. 6 If your father misses me at all, say, ‘David urgently
requested my permission to quickly go to his town Bethlehem for an annual
sacrifice there involving the whole clan.’ 7 If he says, ‘Good,’ then your
servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions.
8 Deal faithfully with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with
you before the Lord. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why
take me to your father?”
9
“No!” Jonathan responded. “If I ever find out my father has evil intentions
against you, wouldn't I tell you about it?”
10
So David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
11
He answered David, “Come on, let’s go out to the field.” So both of them went
out to the field. 12 “By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will sound out my
father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is
favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you3? 13 If my father
intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I
do not tell you and send you away so you may go in peace. May the Lord be
with you, just as He was with my father. 14 If I continue to live, treat me
with the Lord’s faithful love, but if I die, 15 don’t ever withdraw your
faithful love from my household—not even when the Lord cuts off every one of
David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” 16 Then Jonathan made a covenant
with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord hold David’s enemies
accountable.” 17 Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him,
because he loved him as he loved himself.
18
Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; you’ll be missed because
your seat will be empty. 19 The following day hurry down and go to the place
where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel. 20
I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I’m aiming at a target. 21 Then I
will send the young man and say, ‘Go and find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly
say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you—get them,’ then
come, because as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem. 22
But if I say this to the youth: ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you!’ then go, for
the Lord is sending you away. 23 As for the matter you and I have spoken about,
the Lord will be a witness between you and me forever.” 24 So David hid in
the field.
At
the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal. 25 He sat at his usual place
on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place
beside Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26 Saul did not say anything that day
because he thought, “Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially
unclean—yes, that’s it, he is unclean.”
27
However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still
empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why didn't Jesse’s son come to the
meal either yesterday or today?”
28
Jonathan answered, “David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem. 29 He
said, ‘Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the town,
and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if you are pleased with me, let
me go so I can see my brothers.’ That’s why he didn't come to the king’s
table.”
30
Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, “You son of a perverse and
rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you are siding with Jesse’s son to your own
shame and to the disgrace of your mother? 31 Every day Jesse’s son lives on
earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to
me—he deserves to die.”
32
Jonathan answered his father back: “Why is he to be killed? What has he done?”
33
Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father
was determined to kill David. 34 He got up from the table in fierce anger and
did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved
because of his father’s shameful behavior toward David.
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| Jonathan Signals David |
35
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointed meeting with
David. A small young man was with him. 36 He said to the young man, “Run and
find the arrows I’m shooting.” As the young man ran, Jonathan shot an arrow
beyond him. 37 He came to the location of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but
Jonathan called to him and said, “The arrow is beyond you, isn't it?” 38 Then
Jonathan called to him, “Hurry up and don’t stop!” Jonathan’s young man picked
up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 He did not know anything; only
Jonathan and David knew the arrangement. 40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to
the young man who was with him and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”
41
When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone
Ezel, fell with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then he and
Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.
42
Jonathan then said to David, “Go in the assurance the two of us pledged in the
name of the Lord when we said: The Lord will be a witness between you and me
and between my offspring and your offspring forever.” Then David left, and
Jonathan went into the city.
Key: Bold - Verse of the Day
Reflection: A story of friendship. A story of putting yourself, your future and your life aside for the sake of a friend. Jonathan was willing to risk it all to ensure that his friend David was safe.
Discussion Topic: Todays story is a remarkable show of friendship and loving a friend enough that you are willing to lay down your life for them. How are you laying down your life for your friend? How could our community help?
Prayer: Father in Heaven, thank you for your loving kindness. Thank you for not only being our Creator, but loving us enough to lay down Your Life for us. For walking before us, walking beside us and walking behind us. We owe it all to You. Even our lives. In your Holy name, the Name of Our Lord and Savior, the object of our affection, Jesus Christ. Amen!
Acknowledgements: Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork (Jonathan & David): http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/M003090/David-and-Jonathan?search=David%20and%20Jonathan&cat=&bool=phrase, Artwork: (Jonathan Signals David): http://biblelessonsite.org/images/davjon.jpg
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