I Samuel Chapter
20
Memory verses for this week:
Joel 3:14 Multitudes,
multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is
near in the valley of decision.
Introduction: We continue
our study on Samuel this week. In last week’s lesson, we studied
about Saul’s third attempt to kill David. As before, God protected
him and kept Saul from harming David. David’s wife Micah helped him
to escape Saul’s attempts on his life.
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Jonathan Protects David
1 Sam
20:1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before
Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my
sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
1 Sam
20:2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold,
my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will
show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is
not so.
David asks
Jonathan why Saul was determined to kill him. Jonathan at this time
did not really believe that his father wanted to kill him. Due to
some of the other things Saul had said, Jonathan thought that Saul
would have told him his intentions if he did want to kill him. In
verse 2, he says “It is not so.”
1 Sam
20:3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly
knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not
Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD
liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and
death.
1 Sam
20:4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I
will even do it for thee.
David told
Jonathan the reason Saul had not told him of his plans was because
he knew they were friends. If he told Jonathan, then he would warn
him. David likened his life as just one step between him and death.
Jonathan agrees to do whatever David desired.
1 Sam
20:5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new
moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me
go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.
1 Sam
20:6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked
leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a
yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
1 Sam
20:7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but
if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
1 Sam
20:8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou
hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee:
notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for
why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
In these
verses we have the plan of David to know how determined Saul was to
put him to death. David’s plan was to be absent from the king’s
house for three days. The following day was the new moon and David
was supposed to sit at the king’s table and eat meat. The come up
with a plan that if Saul missed David, then Jonathan was to tell him
that David had requested permission to go to Bethlehem and it had
been granted. David supposedly went to Bethlehem to attend a yearly
sacrifice for he and his family. Of course this was not true, but
was a lie that they created. If Saul accepted their story, then all
would be well. If he became angry, Jonathan would then know that
Saul had intentions on killing David. David asked Jonathan to deal
kindly with him on account of the covenant that they had sworn by
the Lord one to another. David is so sure of his innocence that he
asks Jonathan to kill him if he found any iniquity in him.
1 Sam
20:9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly
that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would
not I tell it thee?
1 Sam
20:10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy
father answer thee roughly?
1 Sam
20:11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the
field. And they went out both of them into the field.
1 Sam
20:12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I
have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day,
and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto
thee, and show it thee;
1 Sam
20:13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my
father to do thee evil, then I will show it thee, and send thee
away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he
hath been with my father.
1 Sam
20:14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness
of the LORD, that I die not:
1 Sam
20:15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for
ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every
one from the face of the earth.
David
inquires how he might find the answer from Jonathan concerning
Saul’s attitude toward him. Jonathan swore by the name of the Lord
that he would sound out his father’s intentions concerning David. On
the third day he would inform him whether they were good or bad. If
they were evil, he would send David away in peace. Jonathan called
on David to swear that he would do good to Jonathan in his lifetime.
David and Jonathan swore to each other and each was willing to give
his life if necessary for the other.
II.
Jonathan’s Instructions to David
1 Sam
20:16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying,
Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
1 Sam
20:17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved
him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
1 Sam
20:18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and
thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
1 Sam
20:19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down
quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when
the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
1 Sam
20:20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I
shot at a mark.
1 Sam
20:21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the
arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on
this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to
thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.
1 Sam
20:22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are
beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.
1 Sam
20:23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of,
behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
Jonathan
explains the plan at Saul’s table and his message to David at the
end of three days. David was to go to the rock Ezel on the third day
and Jonathan would appear there to give the message. He would bring
three arrows and shoot them. He would then instruct a lad to fetch
them back. It Jonathan said they were on the left, then it would
mean that all was well with Saul. But if he said “The arrows are
beyond thee”, then David was to flee for Saul had evil intentions
against him. They parted with Jonathan’s statement, “The Lord be
between thee and me for ever.”
1 Sam
20:24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was
come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
1 Sam
20:25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a
seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side,
and David's place was empty.
1 Sam
20:26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he
thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is
not clean.
1 Sam
20:27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of
the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan
his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither
yesterday, nor to day?
1 Sam
20:28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me
to go to Bethlehem:
1 Sam
20:29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a
sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be
there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get
away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto
the king's table.
While David
hid in the field, Jonathan carried out the plan. He first day of
David’s absence, Saul did not say anything. He thought that David
could not come because of uncleanness in his body. On the second
day, Saul inquired of Jonathan as to why David had not attended the
meal and occupy his place at the table. Jonathan tells Saul about
the sacrifice that David went to make for his family at Bethlehem.
Saul became very angry. He accuses Jonathan of choosing David to
Saul’s own hurt and to the shame of his mother.
1 Sam
20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said
unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know
that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and
unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
1 Sam
20:31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou
shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and
fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
1 Sam
20:32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him,
Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
1 Sam
20:33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan
knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
1 Sam
20:34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat
no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David,
because his father had done him shame.
Jonathan
asks Saul why he should kill an innocent man. At this statement,
Saul seized his javelin and tries to kill Jonathan with it. Jonathan
was in shock and spent that day in great grief and fasting. On the
third day, he came with the little boy and sent the message to David
who was hid near by. David arose and bowed three times in respect to
Jonathan.
III.
David Is Sent Away by Jonathan
1 Sam
20:35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out
into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad
with him.
1 Sam
20:36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I
shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
1 Sam
20:37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which
Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not
the arrow beyond thee?
1 Sam
20:38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not.
And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
1 Sam
20:39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew
the matter.
1 Sam
20:40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto
him, Go, carry them to the city.
1 Sam
20:41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place
toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed
himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with
another, until David exceeded.
1 Sam
20:42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have
sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be
between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And
he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
The lad did
not know of Jonathan’s and David’s covenant. David is sent away from
the house of Saul. This began the wandering of David as he hid from
Saul for several years. In verse 42, Jonathan told David to go in
peace. The covenant that David and Jonathan made would remain
between their seed forever. Years later, David blessed the house of
Saul for Jonathan’s sake. Mephibosheth ate at David’s table.
2 Sam 9:1
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul,
that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
2 Sam 9:2
And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba.
And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art
thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
2 Sam 9:3
And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I
may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king,
Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
2 Sam 9:6
Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was
come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David
said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
2 Sam 9:7
And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee
kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all
the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table
continually.
2 Sam 9:8
And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou
shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
2 Sam 9:9
Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I
have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to
all his house.
2 Sam
9:10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the
land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's
son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall
eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty
servants.
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Prov 4:18
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Practice
Random Acts of Kindness. Each act spreads, and many will be blessed.
