Jonathan asked David to wait near the stone pile in the field where he was hiding.
He said that he will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as if he was shooting at a target.
Then he would send a boy to bring the arrows back. If he said that the arrows are on this side, then it is that all is well, and there is no trouble.
But if he said to go farther—the arrows were ahead of him, then it meant that he must leave immediately, for the LORD is sending him away.
Jonathan said that the LORD would help them keep their promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.
When the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. He noticed that David was not present but he said to himself that David must have been ceremonially unclean.
But when David’s place was empty the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, that why David was not present.
Jonathan replied, that David asked permission to go Bethlehem to attend a family sacrifice.
Saul boiled with anger at Jonathan since he understood that Jonathan was trying to make David the king instead of him.
He said that by doing so he was only shaming himself and his mother.
So he ordered Jonathan to kill him.But Jonathan asked his father, what did David do that he should deserve such punishment.
Saul immediately hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. Then at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
So Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that day, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.
To Ponder:
Many times we too get angry when we are helplessly crushed in our spirit.
When our loved ones behave shamefully, we would have tried our best to make them understand and realize things, but to no avail!
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