Still in Hiding
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we left David in the town of Naioth. We saw king Saul losing all of his dignity—his dignity as king, and his personal dignity as he lay naked all day and all night in front of Samuel. And David is still there.
So it should come as no surprise that when we come to chapter 20, David is on the run.
If you have your Bibles, turn with me to 1 Samuel 20 and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.
Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?”
David Runs to Jonathan
David Runs to Jonathan
David goes to his good friend—and the king’s son—Jonathan.
He asks:
—What have I done?
—What is my crime?
—How have I wronged your father?
Finally, he states outright that Saul is trying to kill him!
The problem is that Jonathan doesn’t believe David.
“Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”
Jonathan can’t believe that king Saul is really trying to kill David.
He goes on to say, that his father doesn’t do anything without letting him know!
And Jonathan can’t believe Saul would not tell him what was going on.
Jonathan wants to know why his father would hide his plan from him.
David answers his questions:
But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
David takes an oath—we would say, “I sware. . .”
Saul knew about the deep friendship between Jonathan and David.
Saul also know that Jonathan favored David, and thus he would do what he could to protect David.
So Saul decided that Jonathan should not know because it would grieve him too much to know Saul’s real intent.
David tells Jonathan that as surely as the Lord lives and Jonathan lives, David is just a step or two away from death!
Jonathan Believes David and Responds
Jonathan Believes David and Responds
Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”
What can I do to help?
I’ll do anything to help.
The thing is they need a plan! If Saul really does know about the strength of Jonathan and David’s friendship, Saul may use Jonathan to uncover David’s whereabouts.
The Plan
The Plan
So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the Feast of the New Moon—or the New Moon Festival.
David says he is supposed to dine with king Saul.
David wants to go into hiding for a couple of days.
If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’
If Saul misses David, Jonathan is to tell him “David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.”
If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me.
If Saul says, “Very well” then I’m safe.
But if Saul loses his temper, then Jonathan will know for sure that Saul wants to kill David.
As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”
David asks Jonathan to show favor toward him.
David wants an agreement—a covenant—with Jonathan before the Lord. David tell Jonathan that if he is guilty of doing anything to Saul, then Jonathan can kill him.
But if he’s not guilty, then Jonathan needs to sware that Jonathan won’t hand him over to Saul!
“Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”
Jonathan replies that he would NEVER turn David over to his father.
And if Jonathan had any idea that Saul would really harm David—he would tell David!
David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
David needs to know who will tell him what Saul is up to. So they begin discussing part two of the plan, but first. . .
The Reaffirmation of Their Relationship
The Reaffirmation of Their Relationship
“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.
So Jonathan takes David out to field where they can be alone.
So here’s the second part of the plan.
Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?
Jonathan promises to find out what his dad is up to.
He will work to find out something for David by the day after tomorrow.
If David has nothing to worry about, then Jonathan will send word to David that he’s safe.
But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father.
But if Saul intends to kill David and Jonathan doesn’t tell David and send him away in peace—the Jonathan expects that Yahweh will deal harshly with him.
Finally, Jonathan prays that Yahweh will be with David like he used to be with Saul!
Now Jonathan wants something from David!.
But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
Jonathan wants David to show him unfailing kindness as long as he is alive.
But he also wants David to extend that unfailing kindness to his family.
And Jonathan wants this unfailing kindness to continue even when David’s enemies have all been wiped out!
Jonathan wants a lasting agreement with David!
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.”
So Jonathan agrees to help David and calls for Yahweh to remove all of David’s enemies.
And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
Then Jonathan and David reaffirmed their oath. And David reaffirmed his love for Jonathan.
The Second Part of the Plan
The Second Part of the Plan
Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
Jonathan brings them back to the New Moon Festival.
He tells David that he is sure that David will be missed—after all his seat will be empty.
The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel.
So the day after tomorrow—toward evening—go the place where you hid when the trouble all began.
David is to wait by the stone of Ezel.
I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.
David is going to shoot three arrows toward the Rock of Ezel, like he is shooting at a target.
Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger.
He is then going to send a boy (a youngster).
He’s going to tell the boy to find the arrows.
If Jonathan says, “Look the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here.” Then David will know he is safe from harm.
No Danger!
But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away.
On the other had, if Jonathan says, “Look, the arrows are beyond you” then you must get out of town, because Yahweh has sent you away.
Translated—it is NOT safe!
Now Jonathan is going to remind David of the promise that he made to Jonathan!
And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever.”
Remember that Yahweh is the witness between the two of them!
The Next Move
The Next Move
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat.
So David stays hidden in the field.
While the king sat down for the New Moon Festival.
The New Moon Festival was a monthly festival that Israel celebrated. It was especially popular during the times of the kings.
He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.
The king goes in and sits in his normal place against the wall. Abner—the commander of the army sits beside him, while Jonathan sits across from Saul.
But avid’s place was empty!
Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
Saul didn’t say anything because he thought David may have been ceremonially unclear. You can look at the Levitical law, it was pretty easy to be considered ceremonially unclean.
But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”
The problem came on the second day of the month—when David didn’t show up again!
So Saul asks Jonathan, David’s best friend, what is going on!
Some commentators have suggested that the fact that Saul doesn’t use David’s name rather calls him “the son of Jesse”attests to his hatred of David!
Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem.
Jonathan tells Saul, that David asked “earnestly” could be translated “urgently” to go to Bethlehem. Look at verse 29, and Jonathan expands on his explanation.
He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”
Jonathan says that David, asked to go to Bethlehem to observe a sacrifice in the town with his brothers.
Jonathan explains that is why David is not at the king’s table.
Now this is the moment we’ve been waiting for! Will Saul accept the explanation, or will he blow up!
Okay, I know some of you have cheated and you’ve read ahead. So everyone else, look at verse 30!
Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?
Saul blows up at Jonathan.
He calls him “you son of a perverse and rebellious woman.” The NET2 translates it harshly, calling Jonathan the son of an unmarried woman (bastard).
Saul then says he didn’t know that Jonathan had sided with David. And his siding with him was to Jonathan’s disgrace, and to the disgrace of his mother.
As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”
Saul is still trying to exercise his plan and is ignoring God’s plan!
As long as David is alive—Jonathan will NEVER be king and Jonathan’s sons will never be king!
So Saul orders Jonathan to have someone go and get David and bring him to king Saul!
The final openly says David must die!
“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father.
Jonathan asks Saul why David should be put to death? What’s the reason?
But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
But when Jonathan questions his father, Saul hurls a spear at Jonathan to kill him. Saul intended to KILL Jonathan! I’ve got to confess, I’ve read this passage more times than I can count, but I never noticed this fact—Saul tried to kill his own son! I knew he vied David as a traitor, but I didn’t realize (until this week) that Saul truly saw Jonathan as a traitor!
When this happened—Jonathan knew what his father intended to do, and he was convinced.
Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.
Saul’s unrighteousness, and his attempt on Jonathan’s life angered Jonathan!
So he gets up from the table and leaves.
Jonathan leaves for two reasons:
—First, he was angry and deeply hurt by his Father’s reaction.
—Secondly, Jonathan was grieved by Saul’s shameful treatment of David!
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him,
So in the morning, Jonathan goes out to meet with David.
Jonathan tool a small boy with him.
and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
Jonathan told the boy to run and find the arrows that he shot.
As the boy ran out, Jonathan shot the arrows beyond the boy.
When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
When the boy came to where the arrow had fallen, Jonathan yelled to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” You may remember that was the signal for David to leave because his life was in danger.
Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.
So Jonathan yelled out, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!”
So he picked up the arrows and returned with them to Jonathan.
(The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.)
The boy had no idea that Jonathan was really talking to David.
Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on.
Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”
Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and sent him back to town.
After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.
After the boy left, David came out from hiding, and David and Jonathan said their good-byes.
The wept because they were both hurt by Saul’s action.
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
Jonathan sent David off in peace.
They had already sworn their friendship to each other.
And they had sealed their friendship with an oath where Yahweh was the witness.
And it was an “everlasting” covenant.
Then David left and is now really on the run.
While Jonathan returned to town.
So What?
So What?
Saul is trying to make Saul’s plan work despite what God had already said would happen.
Jonathan sees God’s plan unfolding, and wants to be a part of what God is doing.
But following God will cost Jonathan dearly!
—His dad called him a traitor.
—His dad tried to kill Jonathan with a spear!
—Saul had called him an illegitimate child.
The question that you and I must face is who’s plan are we following?
—Are you following God’s plan for our life?
—Or are you trying to make our own plans work?
The thing is, when I try to make my own plan work, people around me end up getting hurt. In our story today lots of people are going to get hurt.
—David is getting hurt.
—Michal, David’s wife is getting hurt.
—Jonathan, David’s best friend it getting hurt.
—Ultimately, Saul is getting hurt.
—And if we want to be totally honest, all of Israel is being hurt because God won’t honor their leader, King Saul.
I want to challenge you this morning, to stop and think about who’s plan are you following?
If you are following God’s plan for your life—then great! Keep up the good work!
If you are following your own plan, then I want you to think about who is getting hurt—caught in your crossfire?
When I work my own plan, I am actually playing into Satan’s plan. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
The truth is Satan wants to devour you, and he wants to devour all the people around you!
When I put this verse together with last week’s memory verse we get a powerful picture of “But God!”
You may remember that last week’s memory verse was Proverbs 3:5-6.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Add this week’s memory verse, 1 Peter 5:8,
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
. . .and we have a powerful way to live our lives.