Faithful Friendship


1 Samuel 23:15-29
15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” 18And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home. 19Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” 21And Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. 23See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” 28So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

While Saul pursues David with murder in mind, Jonathan finds David with loyal friendship in his heart. It would appear both David and Saul have spies in their ranks who are able to tell them of the other’s movements. But in the midst of these maneuverings, we find Jonathan, who is able to find David without a problem. And we are made privy to the last meeting they would have. As we learned from the last time they met on the archery range, their friendship remains strong despite Saul’s wrath. This last meeting sustains the truth of their relationship. They are faithful to one another as best friends and brothers in the Lord.

It’s interesting that Saul is unable to locate David, but Jonathan knows exactly how to find him. God’s hand is at work.

Saul was unsuccessful in finding David because “God did not deliver him to him”. This short statement colors the rest of the chapter, since it prompts us to read these events as governed by God even if some of the participants are ignorant of, or even hostile to, God’s constant blessing on David for the sake of his plan to provide salvation for the whole world. Jonathan came to encourage David in God. The Hebrew expression translated as “encourage” is literally “to strengthen [someone’s] hand”. Although it is a frequent idiom in the OT, this is the only place where someone encourages someone “in God,” highlighting Jonathan’s role as a fellow believer in Yahweh who brought the comfort and power of the Gospel to David. Jonathan’s encouragement included the assurance that Saul’s hand would not find David—a way of stating that God was watching over David and would not deliver him into Saul’s clutches. Jonathan also pointed to God’s promise, given at David’s anointing, that David would be king of Israel. This was to encourage him that Saul would not succeed in eliminating David as a rival for the throne. Moreover, Jonathan pledged his continued support for David after he became king, stating that he would serve as David’s “second”. Judging from Esther 10:2–3 and 2 Chronicles 28:7, this position appears to have been the king’s chief of staff or prime minister. Finally, Jonathan stated that Saul was aware of all this—not only David’s divinely appointed succession to the throne but also Jonathan’s unwavering support for David.
Steinmann, A. E. (2016). 1 Samuel. (p. 449). Saint Louis, MO: CPH.

I continue to stand in awe of God’s divine protection over this precious relationship. For me, it solidifies God’s love and support for the gifts that He gives is in one another. Our Christian friends are beyond special. They are important. They are the ones that God uses to get us through life. Just as Jonathan and David were gifts to one another, so too are the friendships that God gives to each one of us. I am reminded to thank Him for those blessings and cherish each of those friends. They are beyond important.

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