1 Samuel 20 Foundations Commentary

Big Idea

God often strengthens and preserves His people through faithful relationships rooted in covenant love. Jonathan shows us that genuine friendship seeks another person’s good even at personal cost, while ultimately pointing us to the greater love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

Introduction

When Faithfulness Costs Something

Some friendships are built around convenience.

Shared interests.

Common experiences.

Similar seasons of life.

But the deepest friendships are revealed when loyalty becomes costly.

That is where David and Jonathan find themselves in 1 Samuel 20.

David is running for his life.

Saul wants him dead.

Jonathan stands between his father and his friend.

And the situation forces Jonathan to make a difficult choice.

Will he protect his own future?

Or will he remain faithful to David?

Jonathan chooses faithfulness.

Not because it is easy.

Not because it benefits him.

But because he loves David and has made a covenant with him before the Lord.

First Samuel 20 gives us one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of faithful friendship.

True love does not simply remain when relationships are convenient.

True love remains faithful when faithfulness costs something.

David Turns to Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:1–4)

After escaping Saul at Naioth, David immediately went to Jonathan.

David was confused.

Afraid.

Emotionally exhausted.

He wanted to know what he had done wrong.

Why was Saul determined to kill him?

Jonathan initially struggled to believe that Saul still intended to murder David.

After all, Jonathan had already confronted his father.

Saul had sworn that David would not die.

But David understood something Jonathan did not.

Saul was hiding his intentions from his son.

David’s words reveal just how desperate the situation had become.

There was only a step between him and death.

Jonathan listened.

Then he made a remarkable commitment.

Whatever David needed, Jonathan was willing to do.

Jonathan did not dismiss David’s fear.

He did not minimize his concerns.

He stood beside him.

Sometimes one of the greatest gifts we can give another person is simply to take their struggle seriously.

Faithful Friends Listen Before They Act

David needed more than advice.

He needed someone who believed him.

Jonathan listened.

He stayed.

Then he acted.

Faithful friendship does not always begin with having the right answer.

Sometimes it begins by being present when someone feels alone.

David Develops a Plan (1 Samuel 20:5–8)

David proposed a test.

The New Moon celebration was approaching.

David would normally be expected at Saul’s table.

Instead, he would hide in the field.

If Saul asked about him, Jonathan would explain that David had requested permission to return to Bethlehem for a family sacrifice.

Saul’s reaction would reveal the truth.

If Saul responded peacefully, David might still be safe.

If Saul became angry, there would no longer be any doubt.

He wanted David dead.

But David’s concern went deeper than the plan.

He appealed to the covenant Jonathan had made with him.

If David had somehow sinned against Saul, Jonathan should deal honestly with him.

David wanted truth.

Even if the truth hurt.

That is another mark of genuine friendship.

Faithful friends do not merely tell us what we want to hear.

They help us face what is true.

Jonathan Renews His Covenant with David (1 Samuel 20:9–17)

Jonathan assured David that he would never knowingly hand him over to Saul.

Then the two men went into the field together.

There Jonathan renewed his covenant commitment.

Jonathan promised that if Saul intended to harm David, he would warn him and help him escape.

But Jonathan also asked something of David.

He asked David to continue showing faithful love toward him and his family.

Jonathan appears to understand where the story is heading.

David will eventually rise.

Saul’s house will fall.

And when kings established new dynasties in the ancient world, surviving members of the previous royal family could become threats.

Jonathan asked David to remember their covenant.

And David would.

Years later, after Jonathan’s death, David would seek out Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake.

Jonathan was surrendering more than friendship.

He was surrendering his claim to the future.

David was the man God had chosen.

Jonathan would not fight against God’s plan simply because that plan cost him something.

Jonathan Chose God’s Will Over Personal Ambition

Jonathan could have viewed David as competition.

Instead, he loved him as a brother.

He could have protected his claim to the throne.

Instead, he submitted to what God was doing.

That is spiritual maturity.

Faith asks more than,

“What do I want?”

It asks,

“What does God want?”

And sometimes faithfulness means releasing something we wanted because we recognize that God’s plan is better.

The Signal of the Arrows (1 Samuel 20:18–23)

Jonathan and David needed a safe way to communicate.

If Saul’s response revealed murderous intentions, Jonathan could not simply walk up to David publicly.

So they developed a signal.

Jonathan would shoot arrows near the place where David was hiding.

A servant would retrieve them.

Jonathan’s instructions to the servant would secretly communicate whether David was safe or needed to flee.

But beneath the practical plan was something deeper.

Jonathan reminded David that the Lord Himself stood between them as witness.

Their friendship was not merely emotional.

It was rooted in their shared relationship with God.

They had made promises before the Lord.

That gave their friendship weight.

Godly Relationships Are Built Around God

The strongest Christian relationships are not merely built on shared interests.

They are built around shared faithfulness to Christ.

When God stands at the center of a relationship, love becomes more than affection.

It becomes commitment.

Grace.

Truth.

Faithfulness.

And a willingness to seek another person’s good.

Saul’s Anger Reveals the Truth (1 Samuel 20:24–34)

The New Moon celebration arrived.

David’s seat was empty.

On the first day Saul said nothing.

Perhaps David was ceremonially unclean.

But when David was absent again the next day, Saul questioned Jonathan.

Jonathan gave the explanation they had planned.

Saul exploded.

His anger revealed everything.

He insulted Jonathan.

Shamed him.

Accused him of choosing David over his own future.

Then Saul exposed the real issue.

As long as David lived, Jonathan’s kingdom would never be secure.

Saul understood the situation entirely through the lens of power.

Jonathan saw it through the lens of covenant faithfulness.

Saul wanted to preserve his kingdom.

Jonathan was willing to surrender his.

That contrast reveals the spiritual distance between father and son.

Saul was desperately grasping what God had already taken away.

Jonathan was willingly releasing what he recognized God had given to another.

Then Saul’s rage reached its breaking point.

Jonathan asked the obvious question.

Why should David die?

What had he done?

Saul responded by hurling his spear at his own son.

The same weapon once aimed at David was now aimed at Jonathan.

At that moment, Jonathan knew the truth.

David could not stay.

Sin Eventually Damages More Than We Expect

Saul’s jealousy began with David.

But it did not stay there.

His bitterness damaged his leadership.

His judgment.

His relationship with David.

And now his relationship with his own son.

Sin rarely remains contained.

Unchecked anger spreads.

Bitterness spreads.

Pride spreads.

Jealousy spreads.

What we refuse to surrender to God eventually begins affecting the people around us.

Jonathan Warns David (1 Samuel 20:35–40)

The next morning Jonathan went to the field.

He brought a young servant with him.

He shot the arrows.

Then came the message David feared.

The arrow was beyond the servant.

David needed to run.

Everything had changed.

The palace was no longer safe.

Saul’s hostility was settled.

David’s life as a fugitive was beginning.

Yet Jonathan’s words also carried a quiet reminder.

The Lord was still directing the story.

Saul might force David into exile.

But Saul could not remove David from God’s plan.

David was leaving the palace.

He was not leaving God’s care.

Sometimes God’s Direction Leads Through Painful Places

We often assume God’s will should make life easier.

David’s experience reminds us otherwise.

He had been anointed.

God was with him.

God had promised a future.

Yet obedience now led into uncertainty.

Sometimes God’s path takes us through places we never would have chosen.

That does not mean He has abandoned us.

The wilderness may actually become part of His preparation.

David and Jonathan Say Goodbye (1 Samuel 20:41–42)

After the servant left, David emerged from hiding.

He bowed before Jonathan.

Then the two friends embraced.

And wept.

They knew this goodbye might be final.

Their lives were moving in different directions.

Jonathan would return to the palace.

David would enter the wilderness.

Yet their covenant remained.

Jonathan reminded David that the promises they had made were before the Lord.

Their circumstances were changing.

Their commitment was not.

It is one of the most emotionally powerful scenes in 1 Samuel.

Two friends standing at the edge of an uncertain future.

Neither knowing exactly what would happen.

Both trusting the Lord who stood between them.

Jonathan and David would meet only once more before Jonathan’s death.

But David never forgot his promise.

Years later, when David became king, he showed covenant kindness to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth.

Faithful love remembers its promises long after circumstances change.

1 Samuel 20 and the Gospel

Jonathan’s friendship with David gives us a beautiful picture of costly love.

Jonathan had much to lose.

David’s rise meant Jonathan would never inherit his father’s throne.

Yet Jonathan did not cling to his position.

He loved David.

Protected him.

Defended him.

Warned him.

And willingly placed David’s good above his own advancement.

His friendship points us toward an even greater Friend.

Jesus Christ.

Jesus told His disciples,

“No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.”

Jonathan risked his future for David.

Jesus gave His life for us.

Jonathan stood between David and Saul’s wrath.

Jesus stood in the place of sinners and bore God’s righteous judgment against sin.

Jonathan made a covenant of faithfulness with David.

Through His blood, Jesus established the new covenant that secures forgiveness and eternal life for everyone who trusts Him.

And unlike every human friendship, Christ’s faithfulness never fails.

Friends may be separated.

Circumstances may change.

People may disappoint us.

But Jesus remains faithful forever.

He is not merely an example of friendship.

He is the Savior whose covenant love holds His people securely.

Theological Themes

Covenant Faithfulness

Jonathan’s commitment to David demonstrates loyal love that remains faithful even when circumstances become costly.

Godly Friendship

Biblical friendship seeks another person’s good, speaks truth, protects the vulnerable, and remains faithful under pressure.

Submission to God’s Will

Jonathan willingly accepts that God’s purposes for David are greater than his own claim to the throne.

The Destructive Nature of Sin

Saul’s jealousy continues spreading until it damages his relationship not only with David but also with Jonathan.

God’s Sovereignty

Although David is forced to flee, God’s purposes for his life remain unchanged.

Christ’s Covenant Love

Jonathan’s costly friendship points beyond itself to Jesus, whose sacrificial love establishes an eternal covenant with His people.

Truths and Lessons for Today

1. Faithful Friends Are Willing to Pay a Price

Jonathan’s loyalty to David threatened his relationship with Saul and his own future claim to the throne.

Application: Ask whether your friendships are built primarily around convenience or genuine Christlike love.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” (Proverbs 17:17)

2. Faithful Friends Tell the Truth

Jonathan was willing to discover the truth about Saul even when that truth was painful.

Application: Love people enough to be honest with them while speaking with grace and compassion.

“Speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

3. God’s Will Matters More Than Personal Ambition

Jonathan could have viewed David as a threat.

Instead, he submitted his future to God’s purposes.

Application: Hold your plans loosely enough to surrender them when God directs differently.

“Not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

4. Unchecked Sin Damages Relationships

Saul’s jealousy eventually turned against his own son.

Application: Deal honestly with bitterness, envy, anger, and pride before they begin hurting the people closest to you.

“Make sure that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.” (Hebrews 12:15)

5. Difficult Seasons Do Not Mean God Has Abandoned You

David left the security of the palace and entered years of uncertainty.

God was still with him.

Application: When life moves in an unexpected direction, trust God’s presence even when you cannot yet understand His purpose.

“I will never leave you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

6. Jesus Is the Faithful Friend Who Gave Himself for Us

Jonathan risked much for David.

Jesus gave everything for sinners.

Application: Rest in Christ’s covenant faithfulness and allow His sacrificial love to shape the way you love others.

“No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Conclusion

First Samuel 20 closes a chapter of David’s life.

The palace is behind him.

The wilderness is ahead.

Saul wants him dead.

His future appears uncertain.

And one of his closest friendships is about to be separated by circumstances neither man can control.

Yet David does not leave empty-handed.

He leaves knowing he has a faithful friend.

Jonathan loved David enough to protect him.

Enough to confront uncomfortable truth.

Enough to risk his father’s anger.

Enough to surrender his own ambitions.

Enough to remain faithful when friendship became costly.

And beneath their friendship stood something even stronger.

The faithfulness of God.

Jonathan and David did not know what tomorrow would bring.

But they knew the Lord stood between them.

That truth carries us beyond their friendship to Jesus Christ.

Jonathan loved David at great personal cost.

Jesus loved us at the cost of His life.

Jonathan promised covenant faithfulness.

Jesus established an eternal covenant through His blood.

Jonathan could accompany David only so far.

Jesus promises never to leave His people.

The road ahead for David will be difficult.

But he will not walk it outside God’s care.

And neither do we.

Memorable Summary Statement

1 Samuel 20 reminds us that true friendship remains faithful when faithfulness becomes costly, and Jonathan’s covenant love ultimately points us to Jesus Christ—the faithful Friend who gave His life for us and will never leave us.

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