(JONATHAN’S EXAMPLE)

By:          Emakpor, Jeremiah (Deacon)

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King Saul and King David were two notable personalities in the Bible. However, hidden in the background of the encounter between these two characters was Jonathan.

Jonathan, by way of introduction, was King Saul’s eldest son. He was an heir to the throne of Israel (I Sam. 20: 30-31). The much recognition or remembrance of Jonathan today is people being named after him. Not much is said about him. But here was a man who was on the side of truth by saying and doing what was right no matter whose ox was gored.

Jonathan’s father rejection by God after his disobedience brought about the anointment of David to succeed him. Following Saul’s rejection was his torment by an evil spirit from God (I Sam. 16: 14). David was engaged to play a harp to calm King Saul any time the evil spirit came up to torment him (I Sam. 16: 23).

The killing of Goliath by David popularized him among the Israelites (I Sam. 18: 6-7). This raked up a strong hatred for David by King Saul (I Sam. 18: 8-9). King Saul sought for several occasions to kill David (I Sam. 18: 10-11, 19: 8-10).

Nevertheless, his father’s hatred for David did not deter Jonathan from saying and doing what was right (I Sam. 18: 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.” (I Sam. 18: 4).

Jonathan did not only reveal to David of his father’s plot to have him killed, he also came up with a plan to avoid the death (I Sam. 19: 1-3).

 Even Michal, Jonathan’s sister, King Saul’s daughter, who was later given to David as wife with an ulterior motive by Saul (I Sam. 18: 20-25), equally loved David to the point of saving his life from the plot of her father to kill David (I Sam. 19: 11-18).

Jonathan condemned his father for his desire to kill David and spoke glowingly of David before his father (I Sam. 19: 4-5).

Jonathan equally supported David’s plan of avoiding King Saul’s plot to kill him (I Sam. 20: 1-7).

In one occasion, Jonathan sworn on oath to have David saved from his father’s murderous acts (I Sam. 20: 8-13).

Jonathan eventually came up with a strategy to avoid the killing of David by his father (I Sam. 20: 18-29, 35-40).

Jonathan defended David before his father, even at the expense of losing his future kingdom to him (I Sam. 20: 30-34).

Jonathan recognized that David was the Lord’s anointed and went into a covenant with him (I Sam. 20: 14-17, 41-42, 18: 3).

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