Jonathan's Faith

All my life I've heard the story of David and Jonathan's friendship. When we read the story in 1 Samuel 20, the moral of the story was usually about deep friendship and loyalty. Sometimes Sunday School teachers even pointed out that Jonathan was a dear friend of the man who had been anointed to be the next king, the man who would be depriving Jonathan of his kingdom.

But when you start looking at the conversations between David and Jonathan, you realize it's about more than this.

Why does Jonathan love David? Because he believes in Yahweh, and he desires that God's will be done. He loves and reveres the anointed one. Not only does David's coming kingship mean that Jonathan will not be king, but as Jonathan looked to the future, he probably knew David's kingship was likely to bring about his own death. A change of dynasty seldom goes well for the princes. And yet, he loved David and protected David. I don't think this was so much an example of loyalty to a friend, but it was an example of a man taking seriously what we say in the confirmation vows: we will be faithful to this confession even if it costs us our life.

Sure enough, Jonathan's dad, the king, tried to kill him for his faith in Yahweh and his love for the anointed one. Eventually Jonathan would be killed in a battle with the Philistines -- not by David's followers. I suppose it shouldn't be amazing to me how Jonathan could embrace what God said about David being the next king. How big a fraidy-cat would I be with a future like that stretched out in front of me? But God sustained him through it all.