Why were Saul and Jonathan so different in their relationship with David?

Jonathan was occupied with David. Saul eyed him from that day and forward. To him he was an object of jealousy, to Jonathan of admiration. What caused this difference? The songs of the women put Saul in the second place. This the king could not endure. So jealousy took possession of the unhappy monarch, and urged him to a course, which his better judgment, at times, condemned, but from which he never really turned. From this time, till Saul's death, David experienced his bitter enmity, and the history which sets this forth divides itself into several distinct portions. From 1 Sam. 18:9 – 19:17 we have David as yet at the court and in the camp. From 1 Sam. 19:18 – 21:15, we see him a fugitive from his home. 1 Sam. 22 – 26 describe his life, trials, and escapes in the land of Judea, and 1 Sam. 27 – 31 exhibit him as an exile with the Philistines, dwelling at Ziklag, until Saul's death. Many must have been the lessons that he learnt of God's goodness in sustaining him and delivering him during these years, in spite of his failures. And during this period of his life many of his psalms were probably composed. Thus God has made his trials, as He did the imprisonment of Paul, to redound to His own glory, and to the instruction and comfort of His people in all succeeding ages.

The sense of the great service that David had wrought faded quickly away from Saul's spirit. And why? Because his object, his idol, was himself, and David's name that day interfered with it. "Saul had slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands." The women, having more particularly sensitive spirits, according to their nature, seized and uttered the simple truth. It was not that they failed to honour the king, but certainly they paid honour to the one to whom honour was due. They felt who was the instrument of the mighty deliverance in Israel. This roused the jealous susceptibility of the king, "and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." Yes, and it was an evil eye, nor did Satan fail to take advantage of what the occasion furnished. "And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand." But mark, the old remedy that soothed the king, music, had lost its effect now. When the evil spirit first came upon him, it yielded to the sweet sounds of David's harp and hand. It was no longer so. The progress of evil in presence of the good it hates is apt to be rapid and deep. "And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice." The king not merely disliked David, but was afraid of him, "because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people."

Very different were the feelings with which Saul regarded the person and work of David. He had not learnt to forget himself and rejoice to see the work done by another. It is the work of grace to be able to do this. We all naturally like to be or to do something — to be looked at and thought of. Thus it was with Saul; he was a self-important man, and was, therefore, little able to bear the songs of the maids of Israel: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul could not brook the idea of being second. He forgot how he had trembled at the voice of Goliath; though cowardly he would fain be counted brave and valiant. "And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." Terrible eye! — the eye of envy and bitter jealousy.

{It requires a very simple heart and single eye to be able to rejoice as unfeignedly in the fruit of another's labours as in that of our own hands. Had the glory of God and the good of His people filled Saul's heart, he would not have spent a thought upon the question as to the numbers attributed to him or to David. Alas, he sought his own glory. This was the secret of his envy and jealousy. Oh, what sacred rest, what true elevation, what perfect quietness of spirit flows from self-renunciation, such self-renunciation as results from having the heart wholly occupied with Christ! When we are honestly seeking the promotion of Christ's glory we shall not be careful as to the instrument.}

It may be well to note here, that no circumstances are so trying to nature, and certainly none which afford so great an occasion for the display of faith, as when we are called to accredit the man, the place, or the thing, with which God has connected Himself, and to disown as readily the house which is to be left desolate, according to His righteous decree. Jonathan when put to this test fails, though many a scene shows us that his convictions and attachments are with David, while in effect he lives with Saul, and at last falls with him. How touchingly does 1 Samuel 18 introduce them to each other — "It came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul … and Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." As for Saul, abandoned of God, a wicked spirit comes upon him; moreover, left to the workings of his own heart, in the midst of a scene where David was to be everything, the jealousy which is cruel springs up as he hears the women answering one another as they played, saying, "Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands, and Saul eyed David from that day and forward." The faith of Jonathan, in the declared purpose of God, and to set aside Saul, and the knitting of his soul with David by natural affection, and by the covenant they had made, are strong enough to shelter David from the anger and jealousy of Saul; but this does not identify Jonathan with David. In 1 Samuel 19, "Saul spake to his servants that they should kill David; but Jonathan delighted much in David, and he told him, saying, My father, Saul, seeketh to kill thee; now therefore I pray thee, take heed to thyself … and abide in a secret place and hide thyself till the morning." Moreover, Jonathan ventures to speak well of David, and rehearses his conquest of Goliath, "for he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel; thou sawest it and didst rejoice. Wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood to slay David without a cause?" Outwardly, Saul relents, and swears as the Lord lives he shall not be slain.

Up to this point Jonathan had the character of a young man, strong in faith, who had fought with the enemy; now he goes further: his soul is bound up with David's soul when he hears him speak. He appreciates the moral beauty with which his words are impressed more than his own outward advantages; he finds in David a soul to whom his own soul answers; suddenly a special bond of love and fellowship develops between them, produced by the charm of David's words.

The power of God having helped Jonathan, he might have been led to attribute some measure of strength to himself; he sees and hears David and immediately he realizes that he is nothing. Whatever he possesses is good only to present to the conqueror; he strips himself of that which he possesses in order to give it to David, the only one worthy in his estimation. Jonathan's robe and garments, tokens of his royal dignity, belong to David; his sword, the instrument of his victories, belongs to David; his bow and the belt of his strength belong to David, for all strength belongs to the son of Jesse (v. 4)!

That which distinguishes the faith of Jonathan most touchingly is his attachment to one who (to judge after the manner of men, as Saul did) eclipses his glory. But Jonathan is absorbed by his affection for the one whom God has chosen. He sees in him the true head of Israel — worthy to be so — who, however despised at the present moment, must prosper and reign as of God. It was also David's qualities which gained his affection. It was a personal attachment. He could appreciate David, and he forgot his own interests in thinking of him. The voice and the words of David sink deep into his heart, and bind him to the king whom God has chosen, while unknown, and in spite of everything. Saul, the professed head of the people, jealous of any one who might displace either himself or his descendants, is at enmity with David and forsaken of God; he is the instrument of the enemy against Jehovah's anointed. At length he falls by the more direct and open power of the enemy of God's people. Sorrowful end of that which had been a vessel of blessing and an instrument in the work of God, although but in a carnal way.

God causes David's true glory to outshine the official importance of Saul. The victories of the former are sung in such a manner as to excite the king's jealousy.

Saul believes he has rights over David; he “would not let him return to his father's house” (v. 2), whereas Jonathan who has the intelligence of faith makes a covenant with David (v. 3), seeks his protection, and recognizes that there is no security except with him. Faith is the basis of Jonathan's love; he shows this clearly by saluting David as the true king.

The continuation of this chapter presents the progress of David and of Saul; progress for good in the one, and progress for evil in the other. A feeling of animosity produced by Satan of necessity leads to other expressions of ill-will; it is enough that the tares are sown by the enemy in the wicked heart of the man for them to grow all by themselves and finally invade his entire being. “Saul was very wroth … and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed the thousands; and what is there more for him but the kingdom?” (v. 8). This is not yet irritation against David, but rather irritation against men's opinion which was elevating David and lowering the king at the very moment when Jonathan's faith was sacrificing everything for the beloved. This is because the flesh can never bear being nothing in Christ's presence.

Failure in obedience cost Saul the kingdom and it inevitably led to lowered thoughts of David, the man after God’s own heart. In the Valley of Elah, David had overcome Goliath with a sling and a stone. He proceeded to cut off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s own sword. All Israel rejoiced and the women came out of their cities and celebrated the victory, dancing and saying, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 17:7). Saul was “very wroth” and we read, “And Saul eyed David from that day and forward” (v.9). In his folly, he cast his spear against him and became his enemy continually. He even chased him and sought him as a flea, as “as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains” (1 Samuel 26:20). Striking language to show the length to which his enmity had gone. Needless to say, the Lord preserved David wherever he went and Saul went from bad to worse. What a sad end awaited him. The Philistines again attacked Israel and Saul, turning to the Lord, found that He answered him not. In desperation he sought a spiritual medium and it was only to learn his fate. It quickly followed him. He perished on Mount Gilboa, his sons with him, probably committing suicide. Sad end indeed, and Saul, as he reviewed his pathway (as we all shall have to do at the end of our days) uttered those sad, sad words, “I have sinned … I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly” (1 Samuel 26:21).

Jonathan was prepared to take the second place in the kingdom although he was Saul's heir, knowing that David would be king. He spoke well of David to his father, even although it made his father angry; and he was angry himself when he saw his father's evil disposition towards David. But great as was Jonathan's love for David, and great as was his devotion to him, one thing was lacking; he was not prepared for the place of rejection, he preferred the palace of Saul to the Cave of Adullam with David.

Many difficulties beset Jonathan's path through not taking the outside place with David. His delight in David was not enough to spare him the consequences of association with his father in the day of testing. Had he been in the place of rejection with David, he would have had to share David's hardships and disappointments, but he would have been spared the ignominious defeat of Mount Gilboa, which put an end to all his hopes of sharing David's place of honour when he came to the throne.

The test came for Jonathan when David was cast out and rejected; when the people forgot what they owed to him, and the stream ran strongly against devotion to him. Jonathan's feelings towards him did not change, he still loved him as his own soul, but he could not go beyond that. He gave him the first place. "Thou shalt be king," he said. He owned that only one head in the land was fit and worthy to wear the crown, and that head was David's. He was right and true in that, but he added: "I shall be next to thee." He exalted David, but he did not abase self, and that was the crux of the matter, he had not lost sight of himself in his love for David. He was prepared to say: "Thou shalt increase," but he thought of himself and claimed a place for himself, and there he failed. David did not despise his love, it was exceedingly precious to him, he cherished it ever as a most precious memory, but how different a story would have been told had he lost sight of himself and thrown in his lot with David, and gone out into rejection with him.