INTRODUCTION

1. Jonathan was King Saul's oldest son and therefore heir apparent of the throne of Israel (1Sam. 14:49). However, he never reigned as king and did not live to see his hopes for the kingdom fulfilled.

2. Nevertheless, Jonathan is one of the greatest men in the history of the world.  Let us consider this man's life and glean some lessons from his story.

    

THE STORY OF JONATHAN

1. Jonathan gave Israel victory over the Philistines by his faith and courage.

   1. With 1,000 of Saul's 3,000 men, Jonathan smote the Philistine garrison at Geba and provoked the Philistines.  When the Philistines assembled for a counterattack with 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, most of the men of Israel went into hiding (1Sam. 13:2-6).

   2. The situation for Israel was bleak.  They were badly outnumbered with only 600 men remaining to fight (1Sam. 13:15), and they had no weapons other than sharpened farm tools (1Sam. 3:19-22).

   3. While Saul did nothing, Jonathan took it upon himself to secretly attack a Philistine garrison at Michmash (1Sam. 14:1-23).

      1. Saul's men and the Philistines were camped on opposite sides of a ravine when Jonathan resolved to make this attack with his armor bearer.  Notice verses 6-7:

         ⁶Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the LORD will work for us, for the LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few."  ⁷His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your desire."

      2. Consider carefully the attack that Jonathan made.  He was hopelessly outnumbered, he intentionally gave up the element of surprise (vv. 8-12), and he was attacking the high ground.  Strategically, this was a recipe for complete failure.

      3. However, Jonathan trusted in God and was not disappointed. Notice verse 13-14:

         ¹³Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him.  ¹⁴That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land.

      4. Because of Jonathan's bold actions, the Philistines were panicked, Israel was encouraged, and God delivered Israel that day (vv. 15-23).

      5. The people of Israel were so impressed by Jonathan that they rescued him from his father's own foolish vow, essentially preferring Jonathan over Saul (1Sam. 14:24-45).

2. Jonathan made multiple covenants with his friend David, which he kept faithfully.

   1. The same bravery, boldness, and faith that were present in Jonathan were also in David when he slew Goliath (1Sam. 17).  When these two men met, they became brothers.  Notice 1Sam. 18:1-4:

      ¹Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.  ²Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. ³Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.  ⁴Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt.

   2. Jonathan's covenants with David meant that he protected David even against his own father, Saul.

      1. When Saul became jealous of David, Jonathan pleaded for David's life, and Saul relented from killing David for a time (1Sam. 19:1-7).

      2. When Jonathan learned that Saul was again trying to kill David, he chose to side with David and made another covenant of mutual protection with his friend (1Sam. 20:1-42). Notice verses 14-17:

         ¹³"If it please my father to do you harm, may the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety.  And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.  ¹⁴If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die?  ¹⁵You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."  ¹⁶So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD require it at the hands of David's enemies."  ¹⁷Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.

   3. Understand what these covenants meant.  Jonathan was convinced that David was to be the next king of Israel according to God's will, and he selflessly surrendered his own claim to the throne.

      1. Saul rebuked Jonathan for this in 1Samuel 20:30-31:

         Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!  Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?  ³¹For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established.  Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die."

      2. Jonathan expressed this himself to David in 1Samuel 23:16-18:

         ¹⁶And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.  ¹⁷Thus he said to him, "Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also."  ¹⁸So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

3. When Jonathan was killed in battle, David mourned for his friend and kept his covenant with Jonathan.

   1. Jonathan did not live to see David's kingdom, for he was killed by the Philistines in battle (1Sam. 31:1-13).

   2. David mourned over Jonathan and Saul (2Sam. 1:17-27), saying, "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women" (v. 26).

   3. Rather than seeing Jonathan's son as a threat to his throne, David remembered his covenant, provided for Jonathan's son, and made a place for him at the king's table (2Sam. 4:4; 9:1-13).

       

LESSONS FROM JONATHAN'S LIFE

1. Have faith, for the Lord is not restrained (1Sam. 14:6).

   1. Jonathan's faith in God was not diminished by his circumstances. He boldly attacked the Philistines against the odds, and God gave him great success and blessed Israel because of him.

   2. Likewise, our trust must be in God and not in our circumstances. God has empowered many persons to overcome hardships, and He will do the same for us.  Remember, the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" (2Cor. 12:9).

2. Be a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

   1. The friendship of Jonathan and David is rightly described in these Proverbs:

      1. Proverbs 17:17 -- A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

      2. Proverbs 18:24 -- A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

   2. Such a friendship must be built on substance, just as Jonathan and David were bound by mutual faith in God and bold courage.  What is the basis of your friendships?

   3. To be such a friend, you must encourage your friends in God (1Sam. 23:16).  Just like Jonathan, go to your friends when they need help and do whatever you can for them.

3. Put God's interests above your own.

   1. Jonathan was in line to receive the throne, and he would have been a great king.  However, he willingly surrendered his claim in full support of God's will concerning David.

   2. Likewise, we must surrender our own personal ambitions when they do not align with the will of God (Phil. 2:3-8).  Remember how Jesus said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's" (Matt. 16:23). Where is your mind set?

4. Take action and demonstrate the traits of Jonathan.

   1. The life of Jonathan demonstrates the noble traits of love, honor, bravery, courage, and sacrifice.

   2. These traits are mostly lost in the world today, but they should be abundant among the people of God just as they were abundant in Jesus.

   3. These are not merely abstract concepts, but they are characteristics that exist only in action.  When the Scripture says, "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" (1Cor. 16:13), action is exactly what it meant. Jonathan took action; will you?