ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Sapate Tisema 19, 2021

Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David.

Sonatane foha ‘o Saula na‘a ne manako lahi kia Tēvita

 

1 Samiuela 19 (1 Samuel 19)

(v. 1-3) PEA lea ‘a Saula ki hono foha ko Sonatane, pea ki he‘ene kau tamaio‘eiki, ki he tāmate‘i ‘o Tēvita. Ka ko Sonatane foha ‘o Saula na‘a ne manako lahi kia Tēvita. Pea tala ‘e Sonatane kia Tēvita, ‘Oku feinga ‘a ‘eku ‘eiki ko Saula ke tāmate‘i koe: ko ia, ke ke tokanga mu‘a kia koe ‘apongipongi, pea nofo ‘i ha potu lilo, ‘o toi: pea te u ‘alu atu au ‘o tu‘u mo e tangata‘eiki ‘i he vao ‘oku ke ‘i ai, pea te u talanoa mo e tangata‘eiki ‘iate koe; pea u vakai pe kuo fēfē, pea te u tala kiate koe.

(v. 1-3) Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David. So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you.”

Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Saul’s enmity toward David grew, while the friendship between Jonathan and David increased. Saul did all in his power to set both Jonathan and the people against David. He even went so far as to charge them to slay David.

For a while he was persuaded by Jonathan to cease his unholy persecution of David. However, the underlying enmity quickly broke out again, and this time in a direct attempt on David's life.

These were indeed days of bitter testing for the young man anointed to the kingly office, and it was perfectly natural that in the stress and strain of such experiences he should flee to Samuel.

Here he was protected by direct divine intervention of the most remarkable kind. Three companies of Saul's messengers, and at last Sad himself, journeying with the express purpose of capturing David, were taken possession of by the Spirit of God and compelled to prophesy.

David Guzik :: Study Guide for 1 Samuel 19

a. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David: Without doubt Saul and many on his staff criticized David. They looked for anything they could to bring against him, and if they could find nothing, they made something. Jonathan got an earful of this, but it didn’t change his opinion of David. He still delighted much in David.

b. So Jonathan told David: This made Saul furious, but Jonathan knew he did right. He should not kill David because his father and king told him to do something that was clearly disobedient to God. Jonathan knew the Bible said, You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13). The Bible was clear, and Saul was on record as saying that they should kill David (1 Samuel 19:1).

i. We are under authority, and commanded to submit to God’s order of authority in many different arenas. There is a Biblical submission from children to their parents, from citizens to their government, from employees to their employers, from Christians to their church leadership, and from wives to their husbands. But in all these relationships, we are never excused from sin because we obeyed an authority that told us to sin. In this case, it would be wrong for Jonathan to obey his father and kill David.

ii. This was a case where Jonathan could say what the apostles said when they were told to stop preaching the gospel: We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). But Jonathan also had the heart of the apostles in Acts 5; they were beaten severely, and were willing to suffer for what was right before God, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name (Acts 5:40-41). Jonathan was willing to take his lumps for obeying God, and he did not whine about it.

c. My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide: Jonathan did more than refuse to help Saul. He helped David. Jonathan could have said, “Look, I want no part of this. I’m not going to help my father do something I know is wrong. But I won’t try to stop it either. I’ll just be neutral and let God work it out.” But Jonathan didn’t take that attitude.