David, Jonathan, Saul

In reading 1^st Samuel, chapters 18-26, I have found the following character traits for - -

David: loving, obedient, trusting, accepted, loved, wise, skilled, kind, and merciful.

Jonathan: loving, generous, honest, and loyal.

Saul: jealous, angry, without God, deceitful, afraid, conniving, dishonest, not loyal, vengeful, and relentless.

What was the relationship between David and Jonathan?  David killed Goliath and he was anointed by Samuel the prophet to be the next king.  Jonathan was the son of King Saul and a great soldier.  The son of a king probably would expect to be next in line to the throne.  David and Jonathan’s relationship could have been one of jealousy and contention.  But it was not.  1 Samuel 18:1-3, “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. . . Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.”  Jonathan was a prince.  Not threatened by David, he took off his princely robe and placed it upon David. 1 Samuel 18:4, “And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”  King Saul was jealous of David, but Jonathan never failed to praise David in the eyes of Saul.  1 Samuel 19:4, “And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father.”  Why was there such a powerful relationship between these two men?  I believe it was because they were both righteous, God loving men.

Saul was jealous of the success and popularity of David.  And he continually sought to take his life, even though David was anointed of God.  By contrast, Saul had also been anointed of God.  Yet, David twice had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he did not.  Saul was not living as to find favor in the eyes of the Lord now.  But David refused to Kill Saul because the Lord had appointed him.  David left the life of Saul in the hands of God. 1 Samuel 26:23 David says, “The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed.”

Today we have the opportunity to be led by the Lord’s anointed.  All of our leaders in the church have been called and anointed by the Lord.  David is a great example to each of us on respecting those anointed of the Lord.  If we are critical of the Lord’s anointed, the Lord will not be with us.  We are guided by the Lord’s anointed and we should follow that guidance and have faith in their words.  We should pray for them and also pray that we may have an understanding of their words and counsel.