Read 1 Samuel 19:1-7
The background to this incident is that David is becoming more successful and more popular with the people and this makes Saul more and more jealous of him and even afraid of him.
Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. [1 Samuel 18:30 ESV]
The Philistines have lost their champion, but they have not been defeated. They keep on attacking Israel and sometimes Saul sends some of his servants - officers in his army to defend Israel against the attacks of the Philistines. Other times it is David who is in charge of stopping the attacks of the Philistines. It is obvious that David is more successful than Saul's officers and commanders. We are not told whether David was acting on his own initiative or whether he is following Saul's orders. These statistics are very worrying to Saul. He knows that Michal, his daughter loves David and he has allowed her to marry him. Saul knows that the Lord is helping David. His ruse with the bride-price or dowry of 100 Philistine foreskins was intended to provoke the anger of the Philistines and direct it against David. The Philistines were opposed to circumcision. It was only Israel who circumcised their boys in early childhood. So David had been used to shame the Philistines but their revenge and hatred of Israel as a nation did not lead to David's death as Saul had hoped nor did it reduce David's popularity with the Israelite people.
What Saul did next shows that he is becoming desperate. He has tried to kill David with a javelin and he will later on get his soldiers to attack the house with the newly-weds - David and Michal and arrest David. Of course, we know that Michal helped David to escape from her father's evil plans. But that comes later.
In this passage, we have another piece of evidence of God's sovereign rule over the life of David. It is strange that Saul decides to confide in Jonathan, his son. After all, Jonathan was open in his declaration of admiration and affection for David. After the battle Jonathan developed a real lasting bond with David. Saul rebuked Jonathan for his misguided loyalty and pointed out the reality of the threat David was posing to the continuation of the house of Saul. After all, Jonathan was the natural heir to the throne and should have been anticipating taking over on the death of his father. So for him to support his rival, he is renouncing his claim to be Israel's next king.
But Chapter 19 begins with this verse
And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.
1 Samuel 19:1 ESV
Is this evidence that Saul is getting desperate? Is he putting Jonathan to the test? Is he wanting to prove where Jonathan's loyalty really lay? If this is a test of loyalty, Jonathan has no hesitation in declaring his loyalty to David. He warns David of the plot to kill him and tells David to be on his guard. He suggests a plan of action to keep David safe. Jonathan is going to act as intermediary in the dispute between his father and his friend. He is prepared to risk Saul's anger and unpredictable behaviour by speaking to his father on David's behalf. Jonathan is using his relationship with his father to benefit David. He is hoping to end the hostility and to bring David back into Saul's trust. He is appealing to Saul's reasonableness. He is making a logical argument to convince Saul that David poses no threat to him.
Now there is an obvious problem here. Saul is not showing much evidence of clear thinking and a rational level-headed brain. Saul is using the amygdala part of his brain rather than his neo-cortex. The amygdala is the part of the brain where we act on impulse. It is the 'fight or flight' part of the brain - a basic instinct for survival. I used to see young people losing it and thrashing out or running away. They were not thinking the situation out with the part of the brain that we use to weigh up matters rationally and calmly. So Jonathan wants his impulsive and unpredictable dad to stop and weigh up the situation.
David is close enough to hear what Jonathan is saying. So Jonathan makes a powerful argument to the angry, jealous King.
David is not a threat to you.
He has risked his life against the Philistines.
He has proved he can be trusted.
His actions have not only benefited the nation - you personally have gained from his actions.
Jonathan is making a very valid point. If David had not stepped forward and taken on Goliath, Israel would have been humiliated and defeated by the Philistines. Saul should have been the one to act as champion and he had failed due to fear. He should be grateful for David's courage. In fact, it is due to David that Saul is still alive and still king of Israel.
The outcome of this intervention is surprising. Saul accepts what Jonathan has been saying and he calls off the death-threat to David. He allows David back to the Palace. This is a temporary reprieve. It is a short period of respite.
It is wonderful that God uses Saul's son to preserve David's life. He is sovereign. He can use the most unlikely people to do his will. Often when I pray, I suggest to God how to act. I present the problem from my perspective and then state what I want God to do. Sometimes he answers prayer but not the way I expected.
A.W. Pink makes a comparison with our Lord Jesus who intercedes for us in heaven with His Father. He compares Jonathan interceding with his father on behalf of David to our Lord interceding with the Father on our behalf. However, when Jesus represents us to the Father, he does not refer to our character to make his case on our behalf. Jonathan is claiming that David can be trusted. He is appealing to Saul to observe the evidence of David's good character. But when Jesus makes intercession for us before God, he appeals on the basis of a perfect sacrifice at the cross of Calvary. His intercession is permanent and lasting.
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