The Life of David Series: I Shot an Arrow Into the Air

Abner, general-in-chief of King Shaul’s armed forces, had grown used to awkward family dinners. When the king’s oldest son and heir to the throne was best friends with a man the king hated with the heat of a thousand suns, and when one of the king’s daughters was married to him…well…conversations tended to die out mid-sentence.

Still, the black cloud that hung over this particular New Moon feast seemed to Abner to be heavier than ever, and it was because of the empty space to Abner’s left. The seating order was supposed to be Shaul at the head, with Prince Jonathan at the other end, and Abner to Shaul’s left. David had a place of honor next to Jonathan. But David was nowhere to be seen.

Shaul’s eyes shifted constantly in the direction of the empty space, and each time they did his face seemed to contort into a further rage. At times he muttered something under his breath at times he seemed to look at Abner almost accusingly. Abner was half afraid that Shaul might lose complete control and go into a manic episode like the one a few weeks earlier that had embarrassed him in front of his men…and in front of the prophet Sh’muel.

After an agonizing wait the servants began to bring out the food, and the attention of the king and his guests turned to eating. Abner breathed a sight of relief, feeling that the danger was past. Prematurely, as it turned out.

With a mouth half-full of mutton, Shaul turned and asked something of Jonathan. Abner did not quite catch it, and neither did he catch the prince’s answer. Then, with no warning Shaul stood up and overturned the platter in front of him, sending roast lamb, assorted vegetables, and a goblet of wine flying in all directions.

“Traitor!” Platters and goblets bounced as Shaul slammed his fists on the table. Abner was relieved to see that Shaul was directing his ire at Prince Jonathan, and not at himself. All the guests who reclined around the table shrunk back, all except for Jonathan. He was having none of it. The crown prince stood toe-to-toe with his father as the king let out a stream of vile insults that cast aspersions on his son’s virtue, and that of his mother. When he had finished with this tirade paused for a moment, catching his breath. When he spoke again, his voice was eerily calm.

“Go and bring me David, so that I may kill him.”

There was a gasp from the gathered guests. Jonathan didn’t flinch. The man who had single-handedly attacked a garrison of heavily-armed Philistines was not about to be intimidated by his mad father.

“And what exactly has he done to deserve the death penalty?” he asked, ice in his voice.

Shaul gave no answer. Instead he reached for his spear, which was leaning against the wall behind him. Immediately Jonathan’s warrior instinct kicked in, and he leapt out of the way of the flying projectile. The spear missed him by inches and lodged itself harmlessly in the thick fabric of the dining tent. Sparing a look of scorn for his father. Jonathan strode purposefully towards the opening of the tent.

As Abner watched him go, he found himself longing for the day when Jonathan would be king over Israel.

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The next morning Jonathan woke early, dressed, picked up his bow and strapped on a quiver full of arrows. Then he stopped by the soldier’s mess to summon a boy who often served as his field assistant. Together the two of them went to a nearby field, ostensibly for archery practice. If the boy found it odd that Jonathan would want to shoot arrows so early in the morning, he said nothing about it.

The boy knew the drill. As soon as Jonathan notched his bow he took off running across the field, ready to pick up the arrows where they fell. His practiced eye caught the arrow as it sped through the air above him. Others followed. In no time the boy came upon the place where the arrows had landed. He was about to pick them out of the ground when he heard a shout.

“Don’t you think the arrows are beyond you?” Confused, the lad looked at the arrows sticking up out of the ground. He was unsure what his master wanted of him. Again came the voice from far away.

“Just hurry up and bring the arrows back here.”

Shrugging his shoulders, the lad yanked the arrows from the ground and ran as fast as he could back to Jonathan. The prince took the arrows from him, placed them in the quiver, then patted him on his head.

“Good job son. You can go home now.”

The boy glanced at Jonathan with a look that said “Really? That’s it?” But he knew better than to question a direct order from the king’s son, so he scampered off back towards the camp. If he heard the quiver in Jonathan’s voice or saw the moisture in his eye, he said nothing of it.

As the boy disappeared over the horizon, David emerged from where he had been hiding a short distance away. There were tears in his eyes as well.

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Jonathan is one of the most heroic, and one of the most tragic figures of the Old Testament. Born into a royal family, he exhibits all the qualities that would have made him an excellent king over Israel. He is bold, decisive, a man of action, yet a man of deep faith. With qualities like these, it is no wonder that he and David hit it off so well. Where David had killed a giant, Jonathan (with his shield-bearer close behind) had put a whole Philistine army to flight. They were both fearless warriors, and men like that can pick each other out in a crowd.

Here, unfortunately, it is going to be necessary to take a little detour to clear something up. There is absolutely no textual, contextual, cultural, or historical basis for claiming that David and Jonathan had anything remotely approaching a homosexual relationship. People who claim this are looking at the text through our own culture’s sex-colored glasses and seeing what they want to see in order to justify their own views on sex and sexuality. This does violence to the text and ultimately cheapens the deep friendship David and Jonathan did enjoy.

Now back to our story.

Jonathan’s problem was that his father was Saul, and Saul had squandered his kingly anointing, and, by extension, that of Jonathan. And by the time we get to this part of our narrative, Jonathan understands this. Indeed, it seems evident that Jonathan has understood this for some time. We see an indication of this understanding back in chapter 18, when Jonathan gives David his robe, his tunic, his sword and his belt…expensive items that were the prerogative of royalty. Later on, in chapter 23, Jonathan comes straight out and tells David that he knows his friend is destined to be king. And yet we see not one hint of jealousy in him. Indeed, he goes out of his way to befriend, elevate, and protect the man whom he knows will replace him.

And in this, I believe, we can see the true basis for the unlikely friendship that blossomed between the two men. David is often contrasted with Saul in terms of their respective relationships with God. Saul’s dealings with God were mercenary, contractual. Saul did certain things for God, and expected certain things in return. David worshiped God for God’s sake, and was ultimately concerned with God’s glory. Remember, we saw this in his motivation for standing up to Goliath.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (I Samuel 17:45)

Indeed, we see a similar God-ward focus on Jonathan’s part several chapters earlier as he contemplates attacking an army of Philistines…all by himself!

Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” (I Samuel 14:6)

And herein, I think, lies an important lesson from this text. Both David and Jonathan are motivated by God’s glory. This motivation will take David to the throne…and not Jonathan. Jonathan knows this, and is ok with it.

Indeed there are strong parallels between Jonathan’s attitude towards David, and John the Baptist’s attitude towards David’s Descendant, when people informed him that Jesus was baptizing more people than he:

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:27-30)

Many times we have the notion that, if we do everything to the glory of God, we will be the main character. The spotlight will be on us. But it often does not work this way. For Jonathan, glorifying God meant doing what he could to help his friend survive, and ultimately become king – a position he was once in line for.

The Apostle Paul understood well the need for this kind of selfless engagement in the ministry.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. (I Corinthians 3:6-9)

The work is God’s, the field is God’s, we are God’s. There is no room for ego.

For us today, it could be the pastor that steps aside for his younger successor, the person with a heart for missions who stays home and supports a friend who has been called to the field. I am reminded of an elderly woman I knew of who, when she had lost her mobility, filled her nursing-home room with missionary prayer cards and dedicated herself to praying for them.

I suspect that every Christian, sooner or later, will be called upon to stand aside while God uses someone else. And when that time comes, may we do so with the grace, loyalty, and love demonstrated here by Jonathan.

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