Ancient Israel and Judah didn’t handle transitions of power well.
At one point, the chain of coups and assassinations wrapped the kingdom in so much instability, a certain King Zimri ruled for a mere seven days. But perhaps the most explosive candidate to wage war for the throne never took the opportunity. His decisions would baffle political strategists today and disgust self-anointed alphas everywhere.
Was the eldest son of Saul just a hapless simp, a good-goody-two shoes, or something more?
Jonathan lacked nothing in bravery or popularity. In 1 Samuel 13:2, Saul puts the heir to the throne in command of a thousand Israelite warriors ahead of an expedition against the Philistines. His authority wasn’t just a token title. Jonathan inspired devotion among the troops. Without keeping his father in the loop, he took his armor bearer to a Philistine garrison at Geba and climbed the rocky crags. Together, they killed twenty of the enemy. A panic broke out in the Philistine camp, and following a future pattern, they slaughtered one another. (It’s likely Yahweh intervened and ordered up some friendly fire among them.)
While Jonathan waylaid the Philistines, Saul dictated a draconian oath. “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” Without food rations, the Israelite troops spent the day routing the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, leaving them on the brink of physical exhaustion.
Unaware of Saul’s newfound affection for intermittent fasting, Jonathan revived himself with honey. A compatriot tells him about the king’s decree. Jonathan didn’t mince words about the king:
“My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey.
How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”
1 Samuel 14:29-30
The mark of solid leader is dedication not just to the mission but also to those who serve it. Jonathan recognized Saul’s foolishness had hampered the troop’s battlefield effectiveness. Although the Israelites fought their way to a lopsided victory, they couldn’t press the advantage due to lack of provisions. Later, when Saul determined to kill Jonathan for violating the oath, the rank and file spoke up on the prince’s behalf:
“Then the people said to Saul, ‘Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.’ So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die.”
1 Samuel 14:45
So much for nice guys finishing last. Jonathan may have been the prince, but the troops treated him like the real king. He had all the makings of an excellent leader: commanded respect, concerned for his troops, bold in battle, and measured in decision-making.
Saul lost his kingdom because of insecurities and disobedience. You’d expect his son to be a viper’s nest of insecurities. Quite the opposite, Jonathan possessed supreme confidence in Yahweh’s will. Later, after David drops, kills, and beheads Goliath, Jonathan does something extraordinary. He hands over his robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt to the shepherd boy from Bethlehem. Even Jonathan hadn’t taken on the giant, but instead of immersing himself in envy, he initiates a covenant with David.
Jonathan was no doubt aware of Samuel’s prophecy that Saul and his lineage would no longer occupy the throne. Yet Jonathan recognized God’s anointing on David’s life.
From then on, the house of Saul took divergent paths. Saul resented David and sought opportunities to kill him. Jonathan, the heir, did everything possible to preserve David’s life and smooth the transition to power. The court politics that followed are fascinating.
Saul ordered Jonathan and his servants to kill David. Jonathan talked him out of it, then met with David to warn him. Saul then swore on oath that he wouldn’t harm David. The tormenting spirit later returned to Saul, and he sent henchmen to assassinate David in his own home. David escaped and linked up with Jonathan once again.
If there was ever a time when Jonathan could have “turned heel” and decided to take out David, this particular rendezvous would have been it. David brought the reality of the situation up. “If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?” (1 Samuel 20:8).
Jonathan never showed a glimmer of greed and reaffirmed his covenant with David. He even agreed to pass along secret information about Saul’s plans:
“And Jonathan said to David, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you?
But should it please my father to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety.
May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.’
And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ‘May the Lord take vengeance on David’s enemies.’ ”
1 Samuel 20:12-16
To keep his kingdom, Saul needed a son who was not only compliant but also resentful toward David. At every turn, Jonathan spoke in bold overtones to the king, which showed a lot of moxie, considering Saul’s demonic torment and violent temper.
In a last-ditch effort, Saul read Jonathan the riot act at the dinner table, egging him on that he’s a disgrace and allowing an upstart sheep-herder from Bethlehem to sweet talk him out of the throne:
“You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.”
1 Samuel 20:30-31
Saul harbored hopes that Jonathan would take the throne and possibly even redeem the family name. Jonathan’s refusal devastated Saul, because it ultimately reminded the king of his own disobedience. His son would follow God’s will, even if it meant a lifetime of shame as the “Would-Be King,” not to mention the eldest son of Israel’s disgraced monarch.
Saul hurled a spear at his son, missing the mark. The prince stormed off and found David, knowing it may be the last time they would see one another alive. They parted on these words:
“Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.”
1 Samuel 20:32
David’s days as a fugitive would span for years, his kingship caught in limbo. Jonathan, although well-equipped to become a king, couldn’t ascend to the throne because of Saul’s sins. Both men found themselves in the thick of events yet stuck along the edges of achieving their objectives.
Jonathan never gave up his role as peacemaker. Even while Saul led raiding parties to arrest David, his son slipped away to collude with David in the wilderness.
“While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ he said. ‘My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.’
The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.”
1 Samuel 23:15-18
You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. If Jonathan had been incompetent, cowardly, or simply a carouser with little regard for responsibilities, it would be easier to attribute a motive for stepping away from the throne. But there he was at the height of his powers, a bona fide warrior who would abdicate out of respect for Yahweh and his rulings.
Jonathan would not live to fulfill his dream of serving in David’s administration. The prince later fell in battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. Israel’s enemies hung Saul and his sons, including Jonathan, on the wall at Beth Shan. The men of Jabesh Gilead later made a covert run to Beth Shan and pulled down the bodies and buried them.
Like another John in the Bible—John the Baptist—Jonathan decreased while God’s anointed increased. Both men died gruesome deaths as their counterpart rose to accomplish Yahweh’s ordained purpose. John the Baptist had the far grander role considering the Messiah followed him. But Jonathan gave up much in the realm of worldly spoils. And the reality was that he had to go. The heir of a forsaken king can’t stick around if a new dynasty gets established. The people would always whisper in times of discontent, “What if we raised up the son of Saul?”
So as he bled out on Mount Gilboa, staggered by the Philistines, Jonathan could never have imagined his best friend David would become a critical link in the Messianic line. But that’s the thing about Israel’s Would-Be King. He put the kingdom in a better place, even if the crown never rested on his head.
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Kevin Cochrane is the creator of Replenish, the site to resupply your faith with overlooked insights from Scripture-based stories. Share your thoughts by commenting below or dropping a line to kevin@replenishstories.com.
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