JONATHAN – THE MAN WHO WAS CONTENT TO BE SECOND
SCRIPTURE: I Samuel 13:15 – II Samuel 1:27
INTRODUCTION: One of the most unusual men in the Bible is Jonathan. (His name means “the Lord gave.”) He was the eldest son of Saul, first king of Israel. The most unusual aspect of Jonathan’s life is his close friendship with David, who was chosen of God to succeed Saul. The normal human reaction to this turn of events would have been great jealousy and even hatred on Jonathan’s part. (After all, Saul was insanely jealous of David and tried for years to kill him!) Even though he knew he would never succeed his father as king, with true humility Jonathan could say to David, “I shall be next to thee.”
After his lamentable death, he is only mentioned as the father of Mephibosheth. Also, is it not strange that Jonathan does not appear among the heroes of Hebrews 11; especially since he personified all the Christian graces Peter wrote about (II Pet 1:5-7)? Now let us consider some of the things that made Jonathan great.
JONATHAN WAS PREPARED FOR BATTLE – I Sam 13:22
How important it is to be ready when opportunity and responsibility come! In this band of 600 men, no one had a sword or spear except Saul and Jonathan. Young people need to prepare themselves to the fullest to serve the Lord. On a day-to-day basis, every Christian should prepare for service to the Lord by 1) Bible study, 2) prayer, and 3) yielding himself to the Holy Spirit.
JONATHAN HAD GREAT FAITH – I Sam 14:1-6
For a Samson this single-handed attack on the Philistines would have been child’s play; but for a mere man like Jonathan, this was an act of great faith–an utter and total dependence on God, believing He can do anything! Compare this with the faith mentioned in Heb 11:7, 30, 33-34. Although Jonathan had never read it, he certainly believed Jer 32:27 with Jer 33:2-3 !
JONATHAN’S COURAGE MATCHED HIS FAITH – I Sam 14:7-14
There is quite a difference between believing God can do something and believing He will do it! When you are personally facing a vastly superior enemy, that difference is courage. By the way, courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the determination to move ahead in spite of fear. Jonathan believed in his cause (against the uncircumcised Philistines, the enemies of God) and he believed in Almighty God Jehovah. So he fully committed himself to the battle. There is a great need for Christians today who, like Jonathan, will say, “Here am I, Lord, send me – use me.” Too many today are quick to say, “Send somebody, Lord, but not me or mine.”
JONATHAN WAS A FRIEND TO DAVID – I Sam 18:1-4, 19:1-7
There was a rare spark of divine inspiration in the love-bond between David and Jonathan. You will notice that it began before Saul became jealous of David. Jonathan’s love for David was certainly self-sacrificing, but make no mistake about it, David had a great love for Jonathan as well. This relationship surely equaled that between Ruth and Naomi.
The friend relationship is perhaps the most underrated of all human relationships. Friendship is a high and noble relationship. Few ever know its depth. Most people never have a true friend, and certainly, most are never a friend to someone else. The weighty nature of this relationship is evident from these two verses: “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Pro 18:24) & “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) From this we can see that the word “friend” ought to be added to the words father, mother, son, daughter, and husband, wife.
Happy indeed is the man who has a friend. Happier still is the man who is a friend. And most blessed of all is the man who has a friend and is a friend! True friendship, as defined in the Bible, involves abiding love and endearment as typified by Jonathan and David. Our main concern should be being a friend rather than having a friend. (See Pro 18:24a) Thus, the place to start is by doing sacrificial things for others–learning to live for others. There is a great message for us in the song “Others” — first verse and chorus go like this:
“Lord, help me live from day to day In such a self-forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray My prayer shall be for others.
chorus: “Others, Lord, yes, others, Let this my motto be,
Help me to live for others That I might live like Thee.”
DAVID EULOGIZED HIS FRIEND UPON HIS DEATH – II Sam 1
There is nothing else in the Word of God comparable to David’s lament when he heard of the death of Saul and Jonathan in their last battle with the Philistines. Words like this come easy in describing a man who lived like Jonathan!
Of course God is not limited to means, but, humanly speaking, David owed his life to the intervention of Jonathan with Saul. In fact, on at least two occasions, Saul became so angry with Jonathan’s protection of David that he tried to kill him!!!
David never got over Jonathan’s sacrificial love for him, and after becoming king, he befriended Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake.
It is to be regretted that so few people ever experience such a relationship as that between Jonathan and David.
LESSONS:
o It is always right to do right, regardless of the consequences! Someone said, “It is better to be right than to be President.”
o No doubt, Jonathan will share in the rewards of David. Jonathan strengthened David’s hand and helped him escape the wrath of Saul.
o It is a great accomplishment in life to be a friend.