Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?"  Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.” 1 Samuel 19:4-6

Jonathan was on a mission to convince his father that the decree requesting the death of David was not good for Israel. It was a difficult task for Jonathan to accomplish, but he had to try because he had assured his friend David that he would do his best to know the truth of what his father wished to do. Jonathan decided to appeal to reason and allow his father to think through the facts as the whole of Israel saw them.

He wanted to emphasize the fact that David was still a servant of the King and not an aspiring candidate for the throne. So, he spoke well of David to the King and added: "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.” Jonathan pointed out that David had been innocent of any wrong. He went on to indicate that the success of David did benefit the King and the nation.

Then Jonathan moved the whole conversation away from the two personalities. It was not about the King, and it was not about the King’s servant. It was God who gave the victory. Too often we pay attention to the personalities involved in conflicts and take our eyes off what the ultimate goal is. The victory that was won by David over Goliath was not just for the King or for David. It was for the whole of Israel. In other words, God had a bigger plan for what was happening if Saul would stop and look beyond his interest.

Jonathan concluded that killing David would be for no reason because the young man was innocent. It seemed for a moment that the words of Jonathan had convinced his father. The King went a step further by making an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.” This must have been very encouraging for Jonathan. He believed that his father would keep the oath he had made in the name of the Lord.

It is rewarding to be a peacemaker in the name of the Lord.

Blessings,

Brother Seth