Daily Devotional on 1 Samuel 20
Faithful Love in a Hostile Palace
“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 for
ever.”’”
—1 Samuel 20 : 42 (New International Version)
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Setting the Scene
David is a fugitive inside the royal court. Saul’s jealousy has shifted
from simmering irritation to murderous rage. Into that danger steps
Jonathan—prince of Israel, heir to the throne, and David’s covenant
friend. Chapter 20 opens during the two-day New-Moon festival, a monthly
sacrificial banquet required by Torah (Numbers 10 : 10; 28 : 11). At
such gatherings nobles sat by rank; the empty seat of a warrior would be
noticed immediately. Jonathan uses the occasion to test his father’s
heart toward David, then signals the verdict with arrows shot beyond a
boundary stone called “Ezel” (Hebrew root ’āzal, “to depart”, perhaps
“Stone of Departure”). Archaeologists have recovered flint and bronze
arrowheads from Iron-Age I sites near Gibeah, a reminder that Jonathan’s
signal was more than poetic—it was military and deadly.
Covenant: More than Friendship
Twice in this chapter (vv. 8, 16) the narrator uses the Hebrew term חסד
(ḥesed), a word richer than “kindness.” It speaks of loyal love rooted
in covenant. In Scripture ḥesed describes God’s bond with Israel (Exodus
34 : 6). Jonathan mirrors that divine steadfastness: he ties his own
future to a man the royal court now brands an outlaw. Early church
writers saw here a hint of Christ’s self-emptying (Philippians 2 : 6-8):
the rightful heir lays aside privilege for God’s chosen king.
Cross-References
• Ruth 1 : 16-17 – covenant loyalty across family lines
• John 15 : 13-15 – “Greater love has no one than this…”
• Proverbs 18 : 24 – “There is a friend who sticks closer than a
brother”
Truth in the Open Air
Jonathan’s plan is almost liturgy: three arrows, a coded sentence, a boy
retrieving them. Secrecy protects David, yet their final meeting is
painfully honest—“Both of them wept, but David wept the most” (v. 41).
Mature faith does not hide lament. Augustine noted that tears here are
“a sacrament of love”—the outward sign of inward grace. When jealous
powers close in on us, God often provides a Jonathan: one who speaks
truth, risks safety, and weeps openly.
The Hidden King and the Surrendered Prince
Jonathan’s actions foreshadow a kingdom reversal. He chooses alignment
with God’s anointed over his own claim to the throne. Centuries later
John the Baptist echoes the same spirit: “He must increase, but I must
decrease” (John 3 : 30). In broad biblical theology, Jonathan becomes a
witness that true royalty is measured by surrender to God’s purpose, not
by grasping power.
Cultural Notes Western Readers Might Miss
• New-Moon feasts were not optional; absence implied ritual impurity or
rebellion (cf. Isaiah 1 : 13). David’s empty seat raised a theological
question as well as a political one.
• Oaths were made “cutting a covenant” (Hebrew kārat berit). Animals
were often sacrificed, though the text is silent here. The covenant
formula “The LORD be between you and me” calls God as invisible witness
and enforcer.
• In the honor-shame world of the Ancient Near East, Jonathan publicly
confronting his father (vv. 30-34) was shocking. The spear hurled at him
was not merely anger—Saul’s gesture declared Jonathan’s loyalty
treasonous.
Literary Design
The narrative uses repetition of “the third day” (vv. 5, 12, 19) forming
a triad that builds suspense. Spears are also a motif: the weapon Saul
hurls at David (18 : 11; 19 : 10) now flies at Jonathan, showing that
hatred, once unleashed, strikes indiscriminately.
Voices from History
• John Calvin read Jonathan as a model of lawful obedience: he honors
his father until obedience would mean sin.
• Charles Spurgeon celebrated this friendship as “a diamond of steadfast
love shining in a dark mine of court intrigue.”
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, reflecting on David and Jonathan while hiding
from a tyrant, wrote that Christian community is sustained by covenant
faithfulness, not shared comfort.
Worship Response
Consider singing “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” (John Fawcett, 1782). Its
gentle melody and words—“Our hearts in Christian love”—echo the ḥesed
that bound David and Jonathan.
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Prayer
Faithful God,
You bind Yourself to us with steadfast love that never fails.
Teach us to practice the courage of Jonathan—
to value Your will over our advancement,
to speak truth even when spears fly,
to weep with those who must go into hiding,
and to keep covenant beyond our lifetime.
May the Lord be between us and those You give us to love,
now and for ever.
Through Jesus our King we pray. Amen.