1 Samuel 20, What Is a Covenant?, Dr. John B. Carpenter

1 Samuel 20 and the Meaning of a Covenant

1st Samuel chapter 20. Be reading the entire chapter hear the word of the Lord. Then David fled from Naoth in Ramah and came and said Before Jonathan, what have I done? What is my guilt and what is my sin before your father that he seeks my life.

And He said to him far from it. You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so. But David vowed again saying your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes.

And he thinks do not let Jonathan know this lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord lives and as your soul lives there is but a step between me and death. Then Jonathan said to David whatever you say I will do for you.

And David said to Jonathan behold tomorrow is the new moon and I should not fail to sit at table with a king but let me go that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening. If your father misses me at all then say David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city for there is a yearly sacrifice There for all the clan.

If he says good it will be well with your servant. But if it he is angry then know that harm is determined by him. Therefore deal kindly with your servant for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you.

But if there is guilt in me kill me yourself for why should you bring me to your father. And Jonathan said far be it from you if I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you.

Would I not tell you then David said to Jonathan? Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly. And Jonathan said to David come let us go out into the field. So they both went out into the field and Jonathan said to David the Lord the God of Israel be witness when I have sounded out my father.

About this time tomorrow on the third day behold if he is well disposed toward David. Shall I not send then and disclose it to you? But should it please my father to do you harm? The Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away.

That you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father if I am still alive. Show me the steadfast love of the Lord that I may not die and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth and Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David saying may the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies.

And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said to him tomorrow is the new moon and you will be missed. Because your seat will be empty on the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself.

When the matter was in hand and remain Beside the stone heap and I will shoot three arrows to the side of it as though I shot at a mark and behold I will send the young man saying go find the arrows if I say to the young man Look, the arrows are on this side of of you.

Take them then you are to come for as the Lord lives it is safe for you and there is no danger. But if I say to the youth look the arrows are beyond you. Then go for the Lord has sent your way and as for the matter of which you and I have spoken behold The Lord is between you and me forever.

So David hid himself in the field and when the new moon came the King sat down to eat food. The King sat in his own his seat as at the other times on the seat by the wall Jonathan set opposite and Abner set by Saul's side.

But David's place was empty yet. Saul did not say anything that day for he thought something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean. But on the second day the day after the new moon David's place was empty and Saul said to Jonathan his son Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today and Jonathan answered?

David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. He said let me go for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now if I have found favor in your eyes Let me get away and see my brothers for this reason.

He has not come to the king's table. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said to him you son of a perverse rebellious woman. Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me for he will surely die. Then Jonathan answers Saul his father. Why should he be put to death?

What has he done? But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death and Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month.

For he was grieved for David because his father had disgraced him in the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David and with him a little boy and he said to his boy run and Find the arrows and that I shoot and as the boy ran He shot an arrow beyond him and when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot Jonathan called after the boy and said is not the arrow beyond you.

And Jonathan called after the boy hurry be quick. Do not stay. So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. But the boy knew nothing only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and Said to him go and carry them to the city.

And as soon as the boy had gone David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground had bowed three times and they kissed one another and Wept with one another and David weeping the most.

Then Jonathan said to David go in peace. Because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord saying the Lord shall be between me and you and between my offspring and your offspring forever and he rose and departed and Jonathan went into the city.

May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word on December 8th 1941 the day after the day of infamy. President Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech to Congress. It took him only six and a half minutes.

It was only five hundred and twenty words long of those five hundred and twenty words.

150.

Decried broken promises. The nation that attacked the USA the day before. Had broken their word. I think what's going through their mind it sure we understand. They sank our battleships. They bombed our bases and they killed over 2 ,400 people, but he was also shocked that they quote deliberately sought to deceive Americans at 1941 couldn't understand.

The treachery. We were negotiating for peace and they acted like they were for it. They even gave us the USA Peace medals, you know medals like in the military, but were for tokens of peace and we thought.

There were expressions of their earnestness that they were serious and all that time they were planning the attack. It was all a ruse. He Roosevelt and the rest of the country was so appalled by that.

Nearly 30 of his speech is about that. I Think if that happened today.

You know.

We were negotiating for peace with some other nation or a terrorist group and they used that as an opportunity to attack us. I think we'd be mad about the attack. But not about the treachery. We would kind of understand that we'd think of course they broke their promise.

We never took their word seriously anyway, but four score and four years ago Americans were so enraged by unfaithfulness that when the next April Americans launched a bombing raid on Tokyo. They took those peace medals that the Japanese government had given us and they strapped them to the bombs.

Giving the back like saying well, here's your peace medals back. American Christians say a lot now about how America has declined. Mostly all true declined morally. There's so much divorce. There's so much sexual immorality.

There's even a celebration of the pride in sexual immorality, especially this month. There's a decline in church membership and attendance, but they hardly notice Promise breaking that is making commitments and then just walking away from them.

They hardly notice that that is now Acceptable. It's kind of normal. We've enshrined it in law with our no-fault divorce now think about that. You make a commitment before God in this congregation to love honor and cherish until death do us part but then According to our law if either one of you just feels like you don't want to keep that vow any longer.

You can break it with no fault. According to the law covenant breaking is so now normal. The idea of covenant keeping is Strange and that seeped into the church. I had one Christian leader tell me by email that I was quote over interpreting Jesus's words to let your yes be yes.

You know what Jesus saying? Oh, but when you say something, it's your word is your bond. You keep your word. I was told I was over interpreting that which I still haven't figured out what that means. I think it means but that's just excessive.

You don't really take that literally to you. Well, yes. Well, the result of this has been the decline through the 20th century until today of the church covenant. Originally congregational and Baptist churches were founded on and they were held together By their covenant when other churches claimed that they were a church.

Because Christ founded them with the Apostles and that status has been passed down to them through what they called apostolic succession by their denomination. With something I find very unconvincing.

Unconvincing, I mean just biblically because there's no scripture to say that. There's as many scriptures teaching apostolic succession as there are teaching infant baptism. It's a round number put that way.

But not only on the scripture, but we all know that organizations drift away from what they're founded on it's particularly over thousands of years, but Congregational as a Baptist they did not found their churches based on that.

They said whether what makes us a church what like what Jesus said in Matthew 18 is what we gather in His name that is our commitment to be a gather. You're not just a chance you happen to meet in a coffee shop and you're gathered two or three meet together.

No, it's in his name you commit to be a gathering that is to be members. Committed to walking together in Christian love. That commitment is expressed by The Covenant and the Covenant then becomes the constitution of the church that is the church is constituted based on made up made by The Covenant that Covenant gives us the right then to be a church that is to preach the word.

To minister the Lord's Supper and to baptize but now in this culture when keeping your word Even when it hurts like Psalm 15 says and that seems strange. Church covenanting has become rare many older churches may have a Copy of their church covenant.

Sometimes I've seen huge like big copies of it Framed hanging on the wall, but they don't really pay it much attention. It has placed no part of the life of the church. Probably most new churches don't have one at all after all when no one feels bound by their word when formal commitments seem Confining and oppressive and living together.

Well a covenant that is a marriage that is normal. What's the covenant about? What's this covenant about? As someone asked me once For about the church. Why have a covenant? Why not just have a vision statement?

What is a covenant? We see the importance the vitality the power of a covenant here in three Conversations three conversations characterized by first Jonathan's faith second solves rage and third David's tears.

Jonathan's Faith in David the Lord's Anointed

What is a Covenant, perhaps no one better shows what a covenant is Than Jonathan who first made a covenant by his own initiative with David after David had killed Goliath. He recognized that David was anointed by the Lord that he was an anointed one a small M Messiah.

That's a Greek a small C Christ. And so when you see who the Christ is You want to commit to him to attach yourself to him? To covenant now here are David. He's bewildered. He's breathless. He's agitated.

And he calls on that Covenant. David fled from Naoth and Rama as Saul was incapacitated by the Spirit. He had first fled there because that's where the Word of God was. Now he flees to Jonathan because.

That's where the covenant is. You can hear David's Desperation in verse 1. What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is the sin? Before your father that he seeks my life. Jonathan doesn't know what David is talking about.

He's scratching said what are you talking about? Jonathan had interceded with his father Saul for David before and Saul had vowed in the name of the Lord. Using the name of the Lord to pledge he pledged.

Calling on the name of God that he would not kill David. Here he imagines no. Jonathan imagines that Saul he could not be going back on his word on his vow. That's that's impossible in verse 2 far from it.

Jonathan says you shall not die. It can't be true. It would be treacherous of Saul to have vowed to not kill David. To now be seeking to do that very thing. Jonathan naively believes that his father Saul will keep his oath.

He gave covenant medals. Well, maybe We don't really know that I'm making that up. He'll keep his promise Jonathan. It's assuming. Besides he says my father does nothing either great nor small without disclosing it to me.

And why should my father hide this for me? It is not so. Notice how sure he is. There's no doubt in Jonathan's mind. This cannot be. He can't imagine that his father would break his commitment. He can't imagine that.

Because he never would. But David still breathless agitated in verse 3 he vows he makes a vow he swears. This is true. It's true. Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes and things don't let Jonathan know this lest he be grieved.

That explains why Jonathan has been kept in the dark about the plot to kill David. It doesn't really explain why Saul has broken his promise. David can't explain that promise breaking. Doesn't really make any sense.

At least if you're a Truthful person a person of an integrity now untruthful people do it. To be a ruse to fool people to make them vulnerable and then take advantage of them. But the whole purpose if you have integrity of a promise of a commitment is to keep it.

You make commitments when you feel like making them so that you'll keep them when you don't feel like keeping them. That is other words. If you're an honest person you make this commitment now, you're saying I'm holding myself accountable.

If there's a time later on when I don't feel like doing this. I'm saying to myself in the future time. No, you will do this. Even if you don't feel like doing it, that's when you make a commitment. If you vow at your wedding I will love honor and cherish until death do us part and then when it's not fun anymore and say I want a divorce.

Well, why did you vow it in the first place? You just like the sound of the words. Why did Saul vow in the name of the Lord not to kill David if he was gonna go back on his vow. Was it just to put Jonathan off?

Placate him for a little while. David doesn't know why Saul has broken his promise, but he knows that he has and so he insists. Truly is the Lord lives and as your soul lives. There is but a step between me and death.

In other words David's saying I'm a hunted man. I'll make the wrong step. I'm dead. Jonathan replies in verse 4. Whatever you say I will do for you. That is I'll do whatever you propose. To prove if Saul has really broken his vow and if he's really seeking to kill you.

Oh, what do you what are you proposing here David? What's your plan? Well, David knows it. We know it after chapter 19, but Jonathan isn't convinced yet. How are you going to prove it David? Well, David has an idea.

Tomorrow's the new moon feast which they have every month it actually consisted of whatever for two days kind of like we have to meet each month to eat and David is expected to be there as part of the Kings court.

Now we know that Saul has been sending hit squads to David. But but all outsiders can see is that Saul sent messengers. Maybe they're just conveying a message. You know just giving them a piece of information or maybe they're an escort to bring him to the Kings court.

And so he has an entourage. Their bodyguards who knows Saul doesn't know that David knows that he's trying to kill him. And so he's going to expect him to be at the monthly meal. The test is how Saul will react when David doesn't show up if Saul is plotting to kill him there.

All right, he's been plotting to kill him before. So I can track him down. And so if his plan now is aha David's gonna be at the meal. I'll catch him there and kill him there and if that's his plan. Well, first of all, he'll be sure to notice that I'm not there because he's planning to kill me.

Now if he misses me at all, David says maybe now we got to understand. Maybe he'll miss me for an innocent reason. Maybe just wants to talk. But then tell him if that's the case tell him about the our yearly sacrifice and Bethlehem.

We have our big festival there and my family wants me to be there and if he says good. Well, that means that he's not really seeking to kill me after all and I'm okay, maybe McCall Had bad information.

Maybe she was deceived. Who knows but if he's angry. That is his plot to kill me is once again foiled. Well, he's gonna get angry then it's gonna he's being frustrated again. That's the case that he shows anger then know that harm is determined by him so that's the plan.

How will Saul react when David does not show up and then in verse 8 the appeal to the Covenant David pleads.

Therefore.

Because of your commitment the Covenant you made it first and the promise just now when you said whatever you say I'll do for you.

Deal. Kindly.

Is the English translation here on the English which I woefully insufficient I think but deal kindly with with me your servant. Kindly is the translation of the Hebrew word chesed usually translated as steadfast love and One verse at loving-kindness is the word repeated in the first four verses of Psalm 118.

The steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. It's on that wall over there from Chronicles same verse actually same phrase the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. Chesed it expresses the warmth of God's mercy and The security of God's faithfulness.

It is one of and perhaps the most important words in the Bible Except of course for the name of God. I'm not sure how better to translate it. I kind of criticized kindly, but I've got a simple that if you're a translator What's the better word if you got to have one word?

He said David is saying because of our Covenant deal with me steadfast lovingly. You know loyally, yeah, but loyally does it get the does it convey affection the warmth.

Covenantally.

Do that because you have brought your servant in to a covenant with you. We have a covenant. So act like it he expects Jonathan to he expects it. But just in case he's appealing to the covenant. Remember your covenant Jonathan how Jonathan responds depends on his faith and his faithfulness.

If he believes that David is a Christ He's the Lord's anointed one. Then he'll keep its covenant with him. If he doesn't really believe that if he looks around and thinks, you know, it's better for me.

If I go along with the king, you know, dad, it's Father's Day after all. I go along with dad. Probably went Father's Day there, but but he thinks you know, I'm gonna grasp the throne for myself. Count equality with the king a thing to be grasped in his time.

Of course if that's the way he thinks Then he won't keep its covenant. It all depends on Jonathan's faith. And then David says at the second half of verse 8 if I'm guilty of anything deserving death, then you execute me now.

Don't bother handing me over to your father's men. You do it yourself. In other words, you have to take sides either me and Dave, you know David saying, you know me. I can't offer you anything now. I'm a fugitive from the law.

I have nothing going on for me. Nothing on my side except the Lord's anointing. Well, the only reason to side with me David saying is because of your covenant or with your father. Who can give you the kingdom?

So you can continue your life of royalty you can have your dynasty. What does Jonathan believe? If he has faith in David Christ He'll be faithful to him. If not He'll let his father take care of him. Jonathan said Far be it from you.

He doesn't believe David has done anything deserving death now. He's not convinced yet That his father's out to kill him, but he's sure that David hasn't done anything that he deserves to be killed for.

If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you. What did I not tell you? I'm not doing a ruse here. I'm not trying to fake you out here. I don't say I have heard nothing about this.

What you're talking about. He doesn't know and so David asked you verse 10. How are you going to get word to me if you find out that I'm right and he's plotting to kill me. How are we going to communicate?

Jonathan might be followed by Saul's men after all. We've seen Saul has despised around his agents and they may make it impossible for Jonathan to get word to David. They're sitting in apparently they're sitting in Jonathan's living room.

They go. Hmm looking around come to think of it. There may be a servant or someone. He's dropping around the corner someone listening in so they say let's go outside. So they go out in the field where they're sure no one is he's dropping in verses 12 to 17 and Jonathan declares the Lord is Yahweh the God of Israel be witness.

He's using the name of the Lord and calling on the Lord to hold him to this promise. If Saul is okay with you, he's well disposed. This has all been one big misunderstanding. It's all just his paranoia things got misunderstood and Went from one extreme to another the those guys who came to your house.

Oh, they weren't a hit squad David. They were just messengers. Saul didn't go track you down and nail the Rama to kill you. He went there to prophesy if that's the case, then I'll send word to you. You know, then you're not in trouble, but if you're right verse 13 should it please my father to do you harm and.

Then.

He kind of cuts himself off the middle of sentence. Because he's talking about how to communicate but before getting to the practical matter of how to get word to him. He deals with The Covenant. The Covenant intrudes here.

He's made a covenant with David. If he's going to keep it then this this supposed plot against David means that he has to choose. Jonathan has to choose between his father and David a Christ. He has to choose between his father and Christ as Jesus said in Matthew chapter 10 verse 37.

Whoever loves.

Father.

More than me is not worthy of me. Your faith in Christ Must be greater than your faith in your father. Who can give or deprive you of an inheritance? Of course for Jonathan, that's a big inheritance. That's the situation Jonathan's in which one Jonathan chooses depends on his faith.

He promises first. Well if his bad news, I'll get word to you so that you may go in safety. He promises in the name of the Lord the Lord do so to Jonathan speaking of himself in the third person. May the Lord bring on me the death Saul has plotted for you if I do not disclose it to you.

He's binding himself to get word to David to warn him that the plot is for real if it is. And then second at the end Of verse 13 may the Lord be with you as he has been with. My father my father the king expressing faith that David is the next king when that happens.

When you're enthroned as King and you're blessed and you're reigning like Saul was then in verse 14 if I am still alive Jonathan speaking show me. The steadfast love there's that word again of the Lord.

And before in verse 8 it was David appealing to that covenant now is Jonathan when you are a king. Show me the Lord's chesed that loyal Affectionate Covenant love the warmth of God's mercy and the security of his faithfulness have that for me.

Do that. That I may not die. Now is the common practice in the ancient world that when a new dynasty took over that is a new family came to power. That the old dynasty would be purged that everyone from the previous ruling family would be killed generally so that.

No one would be left from the old dynasty who could claim the throne. From that old regime who could say the power rightly belongs to us. You know what's a way to keep them from power where you just kill them all and that was just like common practice.

And Jonathan is here. So sure that David will be the next king that is asking David to promise. Because of their covenant that when he takes over when you take over David don't purge me or my family. Show me the steadfast love that chesed that coveted love of the Lord that I may not die.

And in verse 15 Do not cut off your steadfast love the same coveted commitment from my house. That is from my family.

Forever.

Promise me Jonathan the same. To this desperate man. We kind of look tend to look back on it was King David. Of course, you're gonna do that at this point. David is nothing but a man on the run. He has no house no dynasty to speak of.

All he has is a wife. He's no children is nothing and yet Jonathan can see that he's the Lord's King. And he says when notice that when. Not if but when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David from the face of the earth.

Have mercy on me. So certain is Jonathan that David will reign. He pleads for a covenant To save him when that time comes. And Without a verse 16 Jonathan made a covenant says now with the house of David verse 16.

Notice that with a house of David not just with David himself as in chapter 18 But with his dynasty here before. David has had too many children. David's house right now Consists only of himself and his wife McCall which is who is Jonathan's sister.

But Jonathan has so much faith and the Lord's blessing is promised to David that he commits himself.

To that.

Family that doesn't even exist yet and he covenants then to the son of David and he pledges May the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies. He said this now in the context of his own father Saul Allegedly being one of David's enemies.

Now if so if you're right David Then may the Lord take vengeance on him even on my own father. And with this Jonathan is a picture of the believer. He could inherit the treasures of the world. He could inherit Kingdom, but he chooses rather to trust a Christ David even the house of David thus the son of David.

Thus.

The Christ. Jonathan has faith in Christ. Well back to the practical matter of communication. Maybe Saul's agents will have him shadowed and he won't be able to see David again. And and so he devises a little code with the arrows.

David will hide where he had before. And Jonathan will go out for target practice with a boy if he shoots short and tells the boy the arrows on the near side. Well, it's safe. If he shoots long and he tells the boy look the arrows are beyond you.

Then you're right. Saul is out to get you notice the verse 22. If it's bad news Jonathan says go. For the Lord has sent you away. The Lord is in control of this too. Saul in his derangement is not out of God's control.

This this betrayal Jonathan is saying if it's true is God's way of sending you. He's in control of it all. And Jonathan keeps his covenant because in verse 23, he believes the Lord is between me and you.

Forever.

Covenants are made in the presence of God Such as Jonathan's faith. And the second conversation over dinner we see Saul's rage. David hides the next day and Saul has his new moon celebration and Saul sits down by the food.

Jonathan is across the table. Abner the general is at Saul's side. And so David's place is Empty now. Saul notices that the first day and Just assumes David is ceremonial unclean So that he can't come to the meal, but that only lasts ceremonial and cleanness only lasts one day.

And so when the next day David still isn't there He asked Jonathan. Where's he at? And Jonathan gives this long a polite. It's full of royal etiquette. Excuse of why David is it there and it sounds plausible enough?

They have this big to do in Bethlehem this time of year and his brother insisted he be there and Jonathan puts it. So.

Respectfully.

If I have found favor in your eyes That kind of language so nothing about the excuse or the way it is put should be offensive. But Saul is still enraged by it. Exploding it Jonathan insulting him you son of a perverse rebellious woman.

Which I don't think he's meaning to insult his own wife. Which is what I found just a weird insult, but it means you Jonathan you are perverse and rebellious which of course we know is not true and.

Then he.

Shouted him you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame. Well, it's true. He's chosen David. But it's to his own glory. As we're admiring his faith today Saul screams at him in verse 31 as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth.

Neither you nor your kingdom shall be established and that's what matters to Saul. That's what it's all about to Saul. You didn't care about the Lord or the Lord's anointing or anything for Israel. Our family our dynasty our kingdom that we can rule.

The kingdom for himself and his family his dynasty that David must die because he gets in the way of us reigning. Jesus was crucified because of the religious leaders figured that if people believe in him.

Then the Romans will take the land and the temple away and they were thinking we'll lose our kingdom. We have to he has to die because we will lose our kingdom. People today forsake Jesus the Christ. He gets in the way of their little kingdoms.

Maybe he gets in the way of their family being united or he gets in the way of them making more money and so if they have to choose. They choose their kingdoms. They choose their money or their family or their reputation.

This answers the question what Jonathan would not at first believe. When David told him that Saul has broken his vow and is out to kill David, but Jonathan still can't believe it. It's just so Mind-boggling for him.

So in verse 32 we ask Why should he be put to death. Why is he done. Is there a reason behind all this and Saul answered him and in his rage. By throwing a spear at him knows how deranged that is. I mean just insanity in his derangement.

He's so crazy. He claims that he has to kill David to ensure that Jonathan gets the throne and yet he then tries to strike him with a spear which of course if you hit the target Would have deprived Jonathan of ever sitting on the throne.

Jonathan had sided with David and so is now treated like David if we side with Christ. We shouldn't be surprised when the world treats us like it treated Christ. Thankfully Jonathan Dodges like David had before and so in the middle of verse 33 finally Jonathan sees that his father was determined To put David to death.

He finally understood That Saul had broken his oath. He responded with a righteous rage of his own rising from the table eating nothing grieved for David who is now a fugitive Though innocent and his father in his rage.

David's Tears and the Peace of Covenant Love

Had put himself to shame. The third conversation is marked by David's tears. In verse 35 Jonathan goes out into the field to do his target practice with a boy who fetches arrows. He shot the arrows beyond him.

He called out to the boys so that David could hear him and his hiding place is Not the arrows beyond you. Then hurry. Jonathan wanted to get this over with and then he sent the boy back to the house who never really knew what was going on and Looking around ensure that no one else is watching.

David comes out of hiding prostrates himself on the ground three times and Sees Jonathan prostrate himself and gets up and does it again and then again as he approached Jonathan whose most extreme display of respect and.

Love.

For the nobility of the king. King Jonathan Jonathan had proven his true nobility. He's a covenant keeper. They finally embraced the kiss on the cheeks and I got a Middle Eastern way and wept. They wept because the house of Saul was now determined in opposition to the house of David as in Psalm 2 the nation's rage the people's plot in vain.