Proverbs 27:10 has some interesting advice concerning how we
interact with family members and with friends. This chapter is an illustration
of how the wise principles are applied.
Jonathan and his father were not getting along so well. But, Jonathan
and David were closer than ever to one another. It was a confusing hodgepodge
of loyalty conflicts. Yet, God was at work accomplishing His purposes in the
situation.
Essentially David wasn't sure if he was in the king’s good
graces, or if he was in his crosshairs. He feared that the latter was the case.
So, he and Jonathan devised a little test intended to discover Saul's
intentions. And, at the risk of losing his own life, Jonathan did find out what
they wanted to know. When David failed to show up for supper at the kings table
and Jonathan made an excuse for him, the king became so infuriated that he
threw his javelin at his own son.
Understandably, Jonathan was then even more irate than his father and so
he went out and warned David to get out of town.
The interchanges between David and Jonathan in the fields
(as they planned the test for Saul and then as they parted ways) are among the
most precious scenes in the Bible. Here were 2 godly men willing to sacrifice
themselves for one another. David asked Jonathan to kill him if he was guilty
of any crime against his father. Jonathan gladly agreed to protect David but
also asked David to promise to be kind to his family even after his
(Jonathan's) death. David readily agreed and (as we will discover later) was
very serious about that agreement.
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