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Many remember Jonathan, the son of the first King of Israel – and thus his heir – as a dear and committed friend of David; the shepherd boy and giant-killer who would usurp Jonathan’s right to the kingship of Israel. But David did not betray his friend by forcibly taking the throne from his father or surreptitiously foment dissatisfaction among the people, thereby inciting his overthrow. Jonathan himself recognizing David’s greatness, at the root of which was his relationship with Jehovah, compared to the many less desirable attributes of his father.

Jonathan himself wasn’t very far removed from the life of a common farmer, sharing in the original trade of his father Saul. After the elders of Israel had gone to their last Judge and virtually demanded a monarchy instead of a theocracy by which to be governed (1 Samuel 8:1-4), Saul seems rather inexplicably to be chosen as their king. Tall, handsome and from the warrior tribe of Benjamin, he would at first glance appear to be an ideal candidate; but beneath the surface he was timid and insecure. Traits that often manifest themselves in fear, lack of confidence and distrust.

Neither man had been groomed for leadership on a “national” level, there being no focal point of government in Israel (outside of the tabernacle) nor institutional structure for governing. But Saul seemed to meet the need of the moment, which was to protect his people from their enemies. (1 Samuel 8:20 & 9:16) Besides, his father was “…a man of standing,…”, from the tribe of Benjamin, Saul himself being “…am impressive young man without equal... a head taller than any of the others.” 1 Samuel 9:2 Yet he was a man of maddening contradictions, at times bold in the Lord (1 Samuel 10:5-7), even filled with His Spirit (1 Samuel 10:9-11); while at other times fearful (1 Samuel 10:20-23), grossly presumptuous, rash and disobedient. (1 Samuel 13:1-15; 14:24-46 & 28:4-19) The end result being this unalterable verdict by Samuel, “You acted foolishly… You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure, the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people,…” 1Sam. 13:13,14That man was David, the youngest of a large family who had a, “…ruddy…fine appearance and handsome features.” 1 Samuel 16:12, but who none-the-less wasn’t Samuel’s first choice. The Lord cautioning Samuel however, to “…not consider his appearance or height,… (possibly in contrast to Saul or David’s older brothers) The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:6,7

With David revealed as a rival to his throne – the realization of which probably coming about gradually – Saul finally became completely unhinged; attempting to kill David on a number of occasions and chasing him about the countryside – wasting time, resources and energy that could have been expended fighting the real enemies of Israel. Jonathan too must-have felt confused, disconnected and disappointed, as God’s judgement on his father included him as well; his hopes, dreams and expectations – although still developing – irrevocably altered if not destroyed. But rather than throwing his hands up in frustration and quitting, or intriguing to change the course of events God had set in motion, he remained faithful and busy doing the business of a Prince of Israel. (1Sm. 14) In the process, he came into close contact with the very man destined to take his place on the throne and developed a deep and enduring respect, love and loyalty for him. (1 Samuel 17,18, 19,20 – especially 18:1-4) Accepting his place in God’s scheme of things he hoped and evidently intended to be at David’s side during his upcoming reign. (1 Samuel 23:16,17)

Incidentally, when David learned of Saul’s defeat by the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, where the king and his son were both killed, David lamented their deaths with heartfelt words; saying specifically of Jonathan, “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” 2 Samuel 1:26 Prompting some to claim David and Jonathan had a homosexual relationship. Which I don’t believe could be further from the truth, seeing no real evidence for this claim. Jonathan was married with at least one child, Mephibosheth, whom David took in and cared for after Jonathan’s death. (2Sam.9) David too was married, with a number of other women he kept as concubines if not full-fledged wives; and numerous children. (Which doesn’t entirely preclude the possibility of a homosexual relationship.) However, I believe this verse refers rather to the incredibly intense sense of admiration, respect and love that grows out of the shared experiences of interdependency, desperate hope, and exultant accomplishment shared by men on a battlefield. Besides which, David’s entanglements with women were often complicated and full of contradictions; thus his deep love and admiration for Jonathan may very well have surpassed any relationship he had with most of the women in his life. Which still would have fallen far short of anything “romantic”.

John MacArthur characterizing Jonathan as, “…the first prince of Israel, (who) functioned as both a foil to his father and a friend to his father’s successor. When Saul should have been initiating the attack on the Philistines, it was Jonathan who led the charge. When Saul was doubtful and disobedient, Jonathan operated in faith and courage. His level-headed response to his father’s violent mood swings and irrational behavior set him apart as a striking contrast to the reckless king.”1

So why wasn’t Jonathan allowed to succeed his father instead of David? Beyond punishing Saul for his rash disobedience, his errant example would have cast too large a shadow for his son to overcome, keeping his rule from being as effective as God ordained it to be under David. The family feuding, tribal rivalries and regional differences hindering the union of the Israeli people even more than they had already. As it was, it took David years to forge a cohesive unit out of the disparate people known as the children of Israel.

“Early into Saul’s reign, Jonathan learned that his father’s kingdom would never belong to him. A typical response to that kind of disappointment would include anger and resentment. But Jonathan’s response was far from typical – which is what makes him such an unlikely hero. Rather than fighting against his future, the prince embraced it – to the extent that he became a loyal friend to the man who would one day be king instead of him. While his father tried to destroy David, Jonathan valiantly protected David and defended his reputation – demonstrating heroic loyalty to him at every turn. Though Saul’s legacy is one of disobedience, distrust, and disappointment, the legacy of his son Jonathan is completely the opposite. He was a man who had every reason in the world to be threatened by David… yet let his crown go with no remorse and lived for the well-being of the one who would be king in his place, as God determined. A life lived with courage, passion and faith, in obedient selflessness to God and others; truly an exemplary model of, “…a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”2 Proverbs 18:24

1From John MacArthur’s, Twelve Unlikely Heroes, Thomas Nelson Publishing

2Same as above, subtitled, How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants To Do With You

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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