Heroes of Israel Part 30

Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

=--71. The Two Friends= (I Sam. 20:1-39)

A. THE COVENANT OF THE FRIENDS

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?"

And he said unto him, "G.o.d forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so."

And David sware moreover, and said, "Thy father knoweth well that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, 'Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved': but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death."

Then said Jonathan unto David, "Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee."

And David said unto Jonathan, "Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. If thy father miss me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.' If he say thus, 'It is well;' thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him. Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?"

And Jonathan said, "Far be it from thee: for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?"

Then said David to Jonathan, "Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?"

And Jonathan said unto David, "Come and let us go out into the field."

And they went out both of them into the field.

And Jonathan said unto David, "The Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, be witness; when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee? The Lord do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father. And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not: but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth."

And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said unto him, "To-morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. And behold, I will send the lad, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say unto the lad, 'Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee': take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the Lord liveth.

But if I say thus unto the boy, 'Behold, the arrows are beyond thee'; go thy way; for the Lord hath sent thee away. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord is between thee and me for ever."

B. SAUL'S DEADLY ANGER

So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but David's place was empty. Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day; for he thought, "Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean." And it came to pa.s.s on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, "Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?"

And Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: and he said 'Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren.' Therefore he is not come unto the king's table."

Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, "Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die."

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, "Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done?"

And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

C. THE PARTING OF THE FRIENDS

And it came to pa.s.s in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. And he said unto his lad, "Run, find now the arrows which I shoot." And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, "Is not the arrow beyond thee?" And Jonathan cried after the lad, "Make speed, haste, stay not." And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

234. When David returned victorious from the fight with Goliath, Jonathan, the king's son, made a fast friends.h.i.+p with him. Read --69.

What do you think each of these young men would admire in the other?

There was the beginning that day of a life-long friends.h.i.+p.

235 (--70A). It is still the custom among the Arabs for the women to go dancing and singing to meet the warriors returning from a fight. The women of Israel had the simplest musical instrument, the tambourine, such as the Salvation Army women use. They composed a little verse to sing: what was it? How did Saul feel when he heard it? Was it natural for him to have this feeling? It was a very sad thing connected with the Spanish War, that after the battle of Santiago there was a bitter jealousy between the two American admirals. It is a most pitiful thing when great men are jealous. Recall why we called Abraham "magnanimous."

What would have been magnanimous conduct in Saul? Was Jonathan jealous?

236 (--70B). There are a number of stories of Saul's enmity against David. We shall study a few of them. How did Jonathan try to be the peacemaker? How did he praise David to the king? What effect did it have? Evidently Saul had a better nature, to which Jonathan could appeal, but there was always danger that the fit of jealousy would return.

237 (--70C). David had been appointed to a high command in the army. He seems always to have been successful against the Philistines. But it made Saul jealous. Saul had been subject to fits of melancholy, which was explained in those days as caused by an evil spirit. David, who was a skilful player on the harp, had often been able to soothe the king.

So, when the jealousy made him moody, David tried to cheer him with music. But a sudden fit of rage came upon Saul. What happened?

238 (--70C). David had married Michal, the daughter of the king. What plan of Saul's did she discover? How did she help her husband to escape?

The teraphim was an idol about the size of a man: how did Michal use it to deceive Saul's messengers? But when Saul was determined to have David brought to him even if he were sick in bed, how was the deceit discovered? What did Saul say to his daughter? Notice that she told her father a falsehood, saying that David had threatened to kill her. Where did David flee?

239 (--71A). This is another story of how Jonathan helped David when he first found out his father's jealousy. Note that Jonathan feels sure that Saul will not do evil to David, but David is certain of his danger.

A plan is thought of to find out whether the king is really David's enemy. There was to be the regular monthly religious feast at the time of the new moon and it was David's duty to be present. What was the plan that he suggested to test the king? What appeal does David make to Jonathan? The two friends go out into the field where they can talk un.o.bserved.

240 (--71A). This is the story of the covenant or agreement. If Jonathan finds that Saul is well disposed to David, what does he promise to do?

If Saul is evil disposed, what does he agree to do? He is sure that David will succeed to the throne; what therefore does he ask of him in the future? We are glad to know that David remembered this promise long after and took care of Jonathan's lame son.

241 (--71A). Jonathan knows that it will be dangerous for him to tell David the result of his observation of the king as he would probably be watched, so he arranges to tell him by signal. Read the story carefully, and then tell in your own words how David was to know if he could return safely, and how he was to know if he must escape.

242 (--71B). Tell the story of the Feast of the New Moon. Notice that Saul did not object to David's absence the first day, thinking that there might be some religious cleansing that was necessary. What excuse did Jonathan make? The king thought that Jonathan could not understand that David would get the throne, and he was angry with him for being so foolish as to be friends with him. Do you think Jonathan knew that David was to be king? What was the end of the discussion between the king and his son?

243 (--71C). How did Jonathan inform David that the king was his enemy?

Why did he say to the boy, "Make speed, haste, stay not"? So these two friends parted, each trusting the other.

WRITTEN REVIEW

Have you known a friend who was magnanimous when he might have been jealous? Write about it in your notebook.

XXIII. DAVID, THE OUTLAW

THE STORY

=--72. The Band of Outlaws= (I Sam. 22:1, 2; 23:1-8, 13, 14; 25:2-42)

A. THE GATHERING OF THE BAND

David arose and fled for fear of Saul, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

And they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they rob the thres.h.i.+ng-floors."

Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and smite these Philistines?"