1 Samuel 20:1-42
“Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, ‘What Have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?’” (1) David make sense of Saul’s attempts to kill him and pleaded his case to Saul’s son Jonathan. Jonathan is unaware and insists, “…’It is not so!’” (2d). Though their was a conflict of perceptions between friends, they were united in finding the truth. Jonathan committed to do whatever David said. Because a new moon occurred the next day David normally would attend, but when Saul noted his absence, Jonathan would give an explanation testing his response. If Saul’s response was good, then Jonathan would be right and David would be safe. If his response was in anger, Jonathan would be wrong and David would need to flee for his life at the expense of their personal relationship. Saul not only became angry, but when Jonathan defended David, Saul tried to kill his own son. In their final meeting, Jonathan and David expressed kissed each other and wept together, “…but David wept the more.” (41d). Jonathan remained loyal to both his father and his friend [he would eventually die in battle by his dad’s side]. This example of friendship and love in scripture inspires us to pursue friends even when the cost to do so is high. Friends are friends forever!
