1 Samuel 18-26. Jonathan, Saul, David - Friendship, Betrayal, Loyalty and Respect

1 Samuel 18-26. David, Jonathan, Saul

David	Johnathan	Saul
Anointed to be king Had the Spirit of the Lord Trusted the Lord Courage Leader Wise Loved by the people Humble Sought the prophet Loved Johnathan and respected Saul as King	Son of Saul Good friend to David Humble Warned David of fathers plots Advocate for David	King Jealous Sought to kill David Fearful Deceptive Enemy of David

The relationship between David and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 18:1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was ^aknit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
 3 Then Jonathan and David made a ^acovenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

 1 Samuel 19:2 But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:

 4 ¶And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:

  1 Samuel 20:1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? 2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but trulyas the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. 4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul ^adesireth, I will even do it for thee.40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 41 ¶And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
 42 And ^aJonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

1 Samuel 23: 16 And aJonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul myfather shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, andI shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father aknoweth.

 18 And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. 

 Why do you think there was such a powerful friendship between David and Jonathan?

Johnathan was a righteous man and could see the unjust way his father was treating David. David won the respect of Johnathan by his righteous ways. Johnathan won the respect of David by his defending and helping David even though the natural thing for Johnathan would have been to treat David as a rival and want him to disappear. This shows the power righteousness can have even between two who might be natural enemies.

Saul’s treatment of David:

1 Samuel 18:10-11 (note JST of verse 10)

 10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit ^afrom God (JST 1 Sam. 18:10 … which was not of God …) came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.
 11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

19:9-12

 9 And the evil spirit ^afrom the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. 11 Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain. 12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.

24:1-2

 1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

David’s treatment of Saul:

Chapter 24

David finds Saul in a cave and spares his life—Saul confesses that David is more righteous than he—David swears that he will not cut off the seed of Saul

4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the ^askirt of Saul’s robe ^bprivily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
 6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the ^aanointed of the Lord.
 7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
 8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.
 9 ¶And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? 10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye ^aspared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the ^bLord’s anointed. 11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. 12 The Lord ^ajudge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. 13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, ^aWickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
 14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
 15 The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.

Chapter 26

David again spares Saul’s life—He again refuses to stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed—Saul and David separate.

 5 ¶And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the ^atrench, and the people pitched round about him. 6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And ^aAbishai said, I will go down with thee. 7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at ^ahis bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. 8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for ^awho can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless? 10 David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to ^adie; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. 11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. 12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a ^adeep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them. 13 ¶Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: 14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? 15 And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. 16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 17 And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. 18 And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? 19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods. 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. 21 ¶Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was ^aprecious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 22 And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. 23 The Lord render to every man his ^arighteousness and his faithfulness: for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand ^bagainst the Lord’s anointed.
 24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all ^atribulation.
 25 Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

  1 Samuel 24:10. “I Will Not Put Forth Mine Hand against … the Lord’s Anointed”

This chapter exhibits an aspect of David’s character that is much to be admired. Although anointed by God’s prophet to be king of Israel, and although Saul constantly sought his life, this chosen servant of the Lord still would not lift his hand against Saul so long as Saul lived (see vv. 5–6). David understood an important priesthood principle, that is, that one has loyalty to those called by the Lord to preside even when they may not function perfectly in their calling. Saul was failing miserably, but David knew that it was the Lord’s responsibility to remove Saul, not his. OT Manual

What does David’s statement in 1 Samuel 26:23 tell us about his actions?

23 The Lord render to every man his ^arighteousness and his faithfulness: for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand ^bagainst the Lord’s anointed

David understood that it was not his place to seek vengeance for the unjust way the king was treating him. Instead he respected Saul’s position as King and left the judgment up to the Lord.

Write a paragraph explaining who the Lord’s anointed are today. Then explain how you could apply David’s example toward the Lord’s anointed in both word and deed.

The Lords anointed today is our prophet and president of the church, Thomas S Monson. It also includes the apostles and other church leaders including our local leader, the bishop of our ward (congregation). We may struggle from time to time with the counsel our leaders give us or with the way they handle an issue that may affect us directly. Especially when it comes to our bishop, we may see him as an imperfect person and think that things should have been handled differently or that he should not be acting in a particular way. We still have an obligation to respect the office of his calling and respond accordingly. If we have issue with the bishop, we can take it to him and discuss it and if we see glaring unrighteousness, we have a responsibility to take it to higher authorities. Then it is put in the Lord’s hands and we need to let go of the outcome and continue to respect the authority of the calling. The Lord who sees a greater perspective than we do will handle the situation in the most appropriate way. And if we are hurt in the situation, then we have the comforting power of the atonement to heal us. David is an excellent example of this. His life was threatened by his priesthood leader, yet he still honored the authority of the calling and left the judgment to the Lord. More specifically; we can honor those callings by not taking offense, continuing our church attendance, accepting callings and fulfilling those callings to the best of our ability. We also need to speak of our leaders with positive and encouraging words instead of criticism for the things we don’t think they are doing right. Focusing on the positive will help both us and them become better people.