1 Samuel 20:5-7
Verse 5 So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.
David has escaped from Saul in Ramah and has run back to Gibeah to see his closest friend, Jonathan. Sadly his friend, though more loyal to David than his father, still can’t believe that his dad would want to hurt David. David knows that Jonathan will have to see the truth of his dad sooner rather than later and so comes up with an idea that will expose the truth.
With the New Moon festival coming the next day David asks his friend to lie to his dad. David wasn’t going all the way to Bethlehem for a sacrifice, instead he was deciding to spend the time hiding in the field until he knows the truth about the king and his intentions about David. Jonathan on the other hand is to go about life as he always did so the king would act truthfully.
The plan is set but it can only work because of the trust between these two friends. And as much as they care about each other they can’t seem to agree on what the truth is about the king’s heart towards David. As any son who loves their father, Jonathan couldn’t believe that his dad had evil intentions. It isn’t that Jonathan hadn’t witnessed Saul’s anger, or maybe even have had it directed at him in the past, he couldn’t believe that his dad would actually act upon his anger to the point of killing someone. Especially someone so close to his own son.
On the other hand David has experienced the hate Saul had towards him. How could he forget the traumatic events of recent days where the king’s anger had led to a spear being thrown at him? And David had more than just his experiences to draw from. David had the Spirit of God on him, meaning that the Spirit was a guiding force in David’s life. We know from how David responded to Goliath’s taunts that the Spirit’s work in David’s life gave him the ability to at least sense when a threat was being made against man and when it was being made against God. David may have, at least in part, understood that the spirit that controlled Saul was in direct opposition to the Spirit that David experienced and followed.
Making It Personal
How important is it to you to believe the best about your loved ones? Have you ever felt discernment about someone because of the Holy Spirit in you? How can you make sure you are aware of the Spirit’s presence in your life?
Making It Personal Kids
How good do you think your parents are? Do you think there are some bad people in the world? Is there a way you can know if Jesus thinks someone is a good person or bad person?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for Your discerning Spirit. Give us wisdom in dealing with people so we can know if we are trusting the correct people. And Father, thank You for true friends. In Jesus’ name, amen.