PEACE PACT BETWEEN SAUL’S SON AND ANOINTED ONE
At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peaceH7965,
for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name.
The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.”
Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.
1 Samuel 20:42 (NLT)
We need a little background to understand the magnitude of this peace agreement. Jonathan was the eldest son of Saul, the first king of Israel, and heir apparent to the throne. However, we read in 1 Samuel 15 that Saul disobeyed God’s instruction to completely annihilate the Amalekites and even their cattle. Therefore, the Lord chose not to continue the kingship through Saul’s heirs.
1 Samuel 15:26b & 28 “For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel” . . . And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.”
In 1 Samuel 16, the Lord has Samuel anoint David as the next king, but David does not take the throne immediately. In Chapter 17, we have the famous confrontation between Israel and the Philistines in which David slays the Philistine champion, a nine- foot tall “giant” named Goliath. Saul’s son, Jonathan, and David who would take his place as the future king were drawn together by God.
1 Samuel 18:1 (AMPC) When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own life.
Jonathan went on to make a covenant with David in which he gave David his own robe, armor, sword, bow, and belt. In essence, he was dressing David like a prince, an heir to the throne.
In the current passage, Saul has determined to kill David, but Jonathan warns him of Saul’s anger. When Jonathan tells David to “go in peace,” he is giving his blessing on David as the future king. They have renewed their covenant to stand for each other and that one would take care of the children of the other if anything happened to one of them. This bond, this covenant of peace, was to last between their heirs forever. In 2nd Samuel, we read that David remembered this vow of friendship and found that Jonathan had a surviving son named Mephibosheth who was lame in both legs. Most kings of that era would kill all heirs of the previous king. Instead, David took Mephibosheth under his wing in peace, had him eat at the king’s table, and returned to Mephibosheth all that had belonged to Saul and his household. He commanded Saul’s servants to work the land to give Mephibosheth his own means of support, giving him standing and dignity.
Peace (shalom) with others is not just an absence of conflict. It is truly desiring each other’s wellbeing and wholeness. We can only have this kind of peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ when we already have peace with God and the peace of God. Then the Holy Spirit enables God’s peace to flow through us and into our relationships. If there is conflict between you and another member of God’s family, ask the Holy Spirit to replace chaos and conflict with calmness and the ability to seek peace. Pray for the other person’s peace (wellness and wholeness) and allow the Lord to replace any animosity with true brotherly/sisterly love.
Father, the Lord Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9 NLT). May Your Holy Spirit enable us to seek peace with others.