1 Samuel 20

By now, David was firmly aware that his life was not safe in Saul's hands. He still respected Saul as the Lord's anointed, but even when Saul pledged to be David's friend, David knew that Saul might soon turn against him again.

Jonathan had not been able to grasp this yet. He had convinced his father in the past that David was not his enemy. He could not believe that Saul would actually kill David.

David had come to realize that Saul was hiding his intentions from Jonathan. Saul knew of Jonathan's devotion to David and did not want his son standing in the way of his plans.

Jonathan and David agreed on a plan to test which one of them was correct about Saul. That plan relied upon the Lord to show them both the truth by Saul's reaction to David's absence before the king. God would reveal Saul's secret.

Jonathan had great hopes for David's coming reign that the Lord would cut off “every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” That prophesy would have to wait for the second coming of David's greatest descendant, Jesus. Yet Jonathan seemed to see Jesus in David and ascribed to David all that would come with the gift of the Messiah.

It took two days for Saul to break, but he soon displayed the hatred that was in his heart. Saul was more than ready not only to kill David, but also anyone allied with David, even his own son.

Jonathan was faithful to his promise. He knew that Saul intended to kill David, and he did not hold back that information from the one he loved.

These two men were so different from all those around them. They saw the kingdom of God, and they bowed before the King of that kingdom long before He was born as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. For everyone else, there was no room at the inn for Jesus. But for those who would receive Him, for those who believed in His Name, He gave them the right to be sons of God in Him.

This was the true source of the unusual bond between Jonathan and David. They were sons of God in Jesus. See how they loved one another?