KING DAVID AND JONATHAN: A Love Story for the Ages

Daud (David) and Yehonatan (Jonathan): Biblical Shakespeare, a story of love of loyalty for the ages: “… the soul of Yehonatan (Jonathan) was knit to the soul of Daud (David), and Yehonatan loved him as his own soul”

This Biblical record preserves a noble tale of the gift of loyalty and what brings us to be loyal to some people, yet not loyal to others. Are we motivated to be loyal due to self-interest motivations so that when our interests are no longer served, we withdraw our loyalty to the point of holding great animus? Is it just genuine love for someone else? What happens when our loyalties conflict? How do we choose? This story is heavily loaded with people being overly loyal and people having no loyalty at all.

King Saul makes promises that he won’t try and kill Daud (David) and then tries to a number of more times to do so. Daud is loyal to Yehonatan; Yehonatan is loyal to Daud. Saul isn’t loyal to anyone. But a proper reading of all this, can only lead to the question of “why?” As we start to understand these characters and we get to know Daud a little bit better; especially I think we may perceive to see ourselves a bit clearer as well and it will begin to become clearer as to why it’s important to know what we are loyal to.

Daud has just killed Goliath, chopped off his head and Saul is wondering who in the world this kid was. The leader of his army doesn’t know who t kid is and Saul goes up to him and asks the boy who his father is? This is one of the more famous stories in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible; Old Testament) of this little shepherd boy killing the massive giant from their enemies. As soon as this Sheppard boy had finished speaking to Saul, Yehonatan in the witnessing found that the soul of Yehonatan was knit to the soul of Daud and Yehonatan loved him as his own soul.

Saul took Daud in that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. To Yehonatan greatest of delight, Yehonatan made a covenant with Daud, because he loved him as his own soul. And Yehonatan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to the Daud was knit to the soul of Yehonatan, and Yehonatan loved him as his own soul, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

If you’re familiar with the entire story, you understand how unusual this was. Daud went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; Saul set him over the men of war. This was good in the sight of all the people as to them, Daud was ascended, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. Saul clothed Daud in a similar fashion and what did Daud do? He took it off him and refused the extra armor. Now Saul’s son clothes him with armor and he has very different results. The true depth and nature of the covenant of love between Yehonatan and Daud is becoming acceptably understood, for all adored Daud.

We watch as Saul and Yehonatan intertwine with Daud and we see are very different attitudes from them both. It’s about Daud escaping the wrath of Saul and Yehonatan protecting Daud’s life and making sure no harm comes to him. So, I’m going to maneuver freely a bit, but we’ll see some key points that go on. As they were coming home, when Daud returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and Daud has ten thousand.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to Daud ten thousand, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Shaul eyed with a defensive supplication, Daud from that day on.

This must not really be viewed as an insult; it’s more of a celebration. Yet Saul choose to interpret this (and foreshadow a little bit) negatively for him that Daud is somehow after the throne by doing what he was asked to do and was needed. Saul’s soul was spoiled and all he craved reconviction of his self-perceived greatness. The next day…. a harmful spirit from HaShem (G-d) rushed upon Saul, and Saul madly raved within his house while Daud was playing the lyre. Saul had his spear in his hand; and Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin Daud to the wall.” Daud evaded him twice. Saul was afraid of Daud because the L-rd was with Daud, but had departed from Saul. So, Saul removed Daud from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand that Daud would remain out of Saul’s sight.

Sometime later, Daud went out before the people; Daud had success in all his undertakings, for the L-rd was with him. When Saul begrudgingly witnessed that Daud had great success, Saul stood shaking in fearful awe of him. However, as all Israel and Judah loved Daud, surely they love Saul too! Saul with a false bravado \went out and came in before them. This is where it all starts to unfold. Saul goes to keeping an eye on him and continues hurling spears. I find it so fascinating that Daud is merely sitting in the corner of a palace playing music. We are must note…. would Saul’s demise or Daud’s slow growth into kingship? In this little bit here we have a harmful spirit from HaShem rushed upon Saul, but then also that the L-rd departed from Saul.

Then Saul said to Daud, “Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” And Daud said to Saul, “Who am I, and who are my relatives; my father’s clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to Daud, instead she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife. Daud is not interested in Merab and has no aspirations it seems for the throne. It seems that he is content and Okay waiting for HaShem’s timing on this. For Yehonatan and Daud’s covenant yet remained strong.

Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved Daud. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. Saul thought “Let me give her to Daud, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore, Saul said to Daud a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.” And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to Daud in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.'”

Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of Daud. And Daud said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?” And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did Daud speak.” Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to Daud, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.'” Now, Saul thought to make Daud fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told Daud these words, it pleased Daud well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired, Daud arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines.

Victoriously, Daud returns to the palace displaying the prize of his challenge…. And more, two hundred of their foreskins, (evidence of the murdered enemies), which were given in full number to the king that Daud, might become the king’s son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. In our L-rd’s plan however, when Saul saw and knew that the L-rd was with Daud, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of Daud. So, Daud was Saul’s continual adversary.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Saul speaks to Daud about the first daughter, and then second, he gets his servants to speak to him in private. This is the only spot in the entire Hebrew Scriptures where it says a woman loves a man. I’m uncertain what kind of story can set up such a drastic expectation and great fear. Saul, who just witnessed his entire kingdom saved at the hands of a small boy, then thinks for some reason that the Philistines are going to take Daud away? Daud comes back to the king and actually kills double the amount of Philistines that he was supposed to and throws a bag of foreskin at Saul’s feet that his servants count out in front of him.

The essence of this story is that Saul wants to kill Daud but Saul l’s son, Yehonatan, is constantly working on behalf of Daud to protect him and give him signs when to run or when to come back. At one-point Yehonatan even got Saul to swear that he would not put Daud to death. You can see Yehonatan here as the peacemaker trying to calm everyone down and reassure everyone. He’s reassuring Saul that Daud has done nothing wrong and he has nothing to fear and he’s trying to convince Daud that it’s not all that bad. Then more battles happen and Daud is more successful and then Saul throws more spears. At one point even Saul’s daughter, Daud’s wife, Michal has him take off out a window to run away because Saul was on a rampage to kill him. She put a statue in the bed with some goat hair to try and delay even longer. There is one other weird scene where Daud goes to where Shmuel (Samuel) is and Saul keeps sending messengers to retrieve him but they all stay and start prophesying. So, Saul goes himself to get him and then he starts prophesying and now his robe and armor is gone and he lied there naked all day.

In chapter twenty we find more of the same, of Yehonatan trying to find out how serious Saul is about killing Daud, so they do a little Mission Impossible sign to alert the other person in case Saul is serious about killing. The sign is given that involves a child running and collecting arrows that alerts Daud to the fact that Saul is in fact a raging maniac and wants to kill Daud. This is how chapter twenty ends.

In the morning, Yehonatan went out into the field to the appointment with Daud and with him a little boy. And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Yehonatan had shot, Yehonatan called after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” And Yehonatan called after the boy, “Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!” Yehonatan boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. Though the boy knew nothing. .. Only Yehonatan and Daud knew the matter. Yehonatan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.”

As soon as the boy had gone, Daud rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, Daud weeping the most. Then Yehonatan said to Daud, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the L-rd, saying, ‘The L-rd shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.'” And he rose and departed, and Yehonatan went into the city.

Now, we are left with a messy scene. The king of Israel is a raging lunatic who wants to kill the lowly little boy because the boy is successful at whatever he sets out to do. Not only that, his son is defending him and his daughter is married to him and defended him and was hiding. It’s really not looking good for Saul. So throughout this story so far like I’ve said at the beginning we have people that have been fiercely loyal and others that have continually gone against their word. But what I want to do right now is dig a little bit deeper and asks why people are being loyal? I can’t help but get skeptical about the idea of loyalty and what makes someone loyal. Let’s think about this a little bit. Do Michal (Michael) and Yehonatan maybe know about Daud’s anointing and know that they better get him on their side? Do they see some sort of power in him because he did what their father couldn’t? Do they yet see safety?

After all, as soon as Daud finished telling Saul that Yehonatan knew he loved him. Do you see any mixed motives in this story so far about who is loyal to whom? This all should get us thinking about the idea of loyalty and who/what we are loyal to. The more we know about someone and their story the more their loyalties start to creep up and you start to see what really drives them as a human. I think this is because we are all loyal to something. Whether it is a person, a job, an ideology, a way of life; life carries on just peachy as long as our loyalties don’t conflict. Though, when they conflict it gets quite difficult to get through. Yehonatan and Michal are examples here of two people who were loyal to more than Saul would have expected. Saul expects everyone is loyal to him… the king. Everything is fine, of course until new loyalties are uncovered that conflict with them and then things get messy really quickly.

This remains the importance for us as the faithful to think about what we are loyal too. What we are loyal to affects all of our relationships and our entire lives. If we don’t know and determine where our loyalty lies then we will constantly be having and losing conflicts of clashing loyalties. For Yehonatan it was clear. His loyalty was with HaShem’s plan and his relationship with his friend. For Saul, it was clear; he had no problems toying with other people’s lives to control his own fate. His loyalty was not with HaShem and His plan; it was with himself and his own ego. As Believers, we are called to be loyal to one thing and one thing only. We find in the Book of Lukos/Luke 14: Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

There remains a question of loyalty. Where do your deepest loyalties lie? Do they lie with the success of your family? Or getting a job or happiness for yourself, or entertainment, Or luxury? Its where your deepest loyalties lie that will always dictate how the rest of your life will be lived because eventually there is a confrontation where they clash together. For Yehonatan it was when his loyalty to his father conflicted with his loyalty to being a friend. What is it for you? We can read a story about people a long time ago and see HaShem’s plan unfolding and think that it is easy to be loyal to Yehoshua and his plan when times get tough, but I think we would be surprised at how quickly true loyalty to Yehoshua will take a lot out of us. It could exhaust and eventually kill us. By the sounds of it, we could even hate our own family. So, where does our loyalty lie?

What does it look like for our loyalty to lay in Yehoshua? Is it just something nice that we say or is it something more? It is said that there was once a King who fell deeply and hopelessly in love with one of his subjects. Despite the king's power and success, he knew that only now had he found his true meaning and purpose, and it was her. He no longer considered anything his own but offered it all freely to her. She was given the Castle Keep as her own and servants to wait on her every need. It was obvious that the beautiful young woman was deeply touched by the Kings Passion and generosity, yet he felt unable to truly touch her heart. Then, to make matters worse, she soon fell ill. First with sleeplessness and then with a fever that would not ease. Despite the best efforts of the king’s personal doctors the illness grew steadily worse. And so, in desperation, he sent out a decree that the one who could cure his beloved of this affliction would receive anything that lay in the power of this great king to bestow. As one might expect from such an offer people with a variety of motives came from all over the known world with prayers, potions and pills that promised a cure. However, nothing worked.

Soon the king fell into a deep and cavernous despair. However not all was lost, for one afternoon he received word that a travelling sage of great renown sought an audience to discuss his beloved’s worsening illness. The king agreed to meet the sage and was soon greeted by a kindly old man who looked deep into his eyes, “My friend, I have no need of treasure, for the heavens above are my blanket and the people I meet on the road feed me as I feed them, but I am deeply moved by your plight and think I may be able to help. For I have seen such an affliction before, a very long time ago, in the one who I deeply loved and think I might now know the cure. Please may I meet this woman who has stolen your heart so that I might confirm my suspicions?”

The old man spoke with a voice that sounded ancient and he uttered each word as if it had been mined from the very depths of human experience. And so, the king began to feel hope well up within him once more. “Please, go now to see her and hurry back with any news” So the sage went and sat with the king’s beloved for a full day before returning with his diagnosis. “It is just as I thought” said the sage, “and there is a cure that will have immediate effect” “This is wonderful” replied the king, “let us waste no more time” “But wait, before I continue you must know that the cure is a profoundly painful one that will leave deep and lasting scars”

“So be it. She will understand that the best cures are often painful and she will be able to live with any scars, all I care about is that she be cured” “But you fail to understand my friend” said the sage with a heavy heart, “the suffering and scars will not be hers, they will be yours. Before you came along, her heart was already intertwined with another. In all of your generosity and kindness you took her away from him. Give her your blessing to leave and she will heal” – {Book of Lukos/Luke 24} Alright, so we know in faith loyalty takes many forms in many situations… each more challenging than the pervious. The test of our “metal”, our strength, our fortitude is always what is in our faith.

Let us keep our hearts and minds true to Holy loyalties. What is your level of loyalty… to anything? In faithful loyalty we abundantly reap blessings of grace,

Pastor Mark