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PART
4
David, exiled from King Saul's court with a price on his head, flees for his liJe into the wilderness.
Constantly on the move.from cave to cave to avoid capture, David is sought out by others who are
distraught with Saul's government. Even Jonathan, Saul's son, makes a personal and political
covenanl with David. Davidfinds himse!fforced into a guerrilla movement far difieren! from those we
are familiar with today. Rather than fighting against the government of Saul, David seeks to protect
himse!ffrom that government while fighting the enemies of Israel because Saul is too busy seeking
David's death to fight them! David, in this strange political situation, even finds himse!f in league
with the king ofGath, whose Phi/istine champion, Goliath, he had so recently and dramatically slain!
avid and Jonathan, Saul's son ,
met in secret in Naioth where
David had fted for his life. "What
have 1 done? Why is your father
. so determined to kili me?" David
demanded of Jonathan.
"That's not true! It just isn't so! My father tells me
everything, and surely he wouldn' t hide this from me!"
exploded Jonathan.
"Jonathan, you know better than that- your father
hides his intent from you because he knows of our
friendship. Believe me,
J
am just a step away from
death!" David reasoned.
Wi.th no further a rgument, Jonathan then offered to
do whatever he could to aid David.
In a complicated plan resembling a subplot of a mod–
ern spy thriller, David and Jonathan work out a scheme
to determine once and for all Saul's true intent towards
David.
Jonathan's a id to David was not an act of mere friend–
ship, but one which carried política! overtones affecting
the entire nation of Israel. The plan was sealed with a
powerful oath , a vow, a covenanL Jooathan was heir ·to
the throne of his father. David was a popular figure in
the eyes of the nation. Saul had been told by Samuel
36
that God had rejected him from being king of Israel.
Saul sought to maintain and expand his power, and to
ensure it for his son Jonathan. All this and much more
was comrnon knowledge. Many knew David had been
chosen to replace Saul, and many were in favor of
revolution, confrontation, and force to make the cbange.
Knowing aU this, and being personally convinced of
David's destiny, Jonathan told David: " l promise by the
Lord God of Israel that about this time tomorrow,
or
the
next day at the latest, I will talk to my father about you
and Jet you know at once how he feels about you. If he is
angry and wants you ki lled, then may the Lord kili me if
I don't tell you, so you can escape and live. May the ·
Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.
[Jonathan recognized that Saul was no longer in 09(i 's
favor.] And remember, you must demonstrate the !ove
and kindness of the Lord not only to me during my own
Ii fetime, but also to my children after the Lord has
destroyed aH of your enemies." (Jonathan wished to
forge a treaty, as it were, to ensure · that no political
purge of the family o.f Saul would be part of David's
policy once he was in power.)
"So Jonathan made a covenant with the fami ly of
David (binding on the family of David who would suc–
ceed him on the throne of Israel], and David swore to it
The
PLAIN TRUTH December 1978