Reading 43 | The Bible in 100 Passages

Saturday, October 25, 2025  

Today's Scripture
1 Samuel 20:12–23

Jonathan said to David, “By the Lord, the God of Israel! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or on the third day, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? But if my father intends 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, so 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 faithful love of the Lord; but if I die, never cut off your faithful love from my house, even if the Lord were to cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” Thus Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord seek out the enemies of David.” Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him; for he loved him as he loved his own life. Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon; you will be missed, because your place will be empty. On the day after tomorrow, you shall go a long way down; go to the place where you hid yourself earlier, and remain beside the stone there. I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. Then I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, collect them,’ then you are to come, for, as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go; for the Lord has sent you away. As for the matter about which you and I have spoken, the Lord is witness between you and me forever.” (NRSV)

Reflection

There is quite a bit that has taken place since David’s surprise victory over Goliath just a few short chapters ago, so let’s catch up: King Saul, jealous about David’s popularity, attempts to kill him in cold blood, only to switch tactics and marry David to his daughter Michal (talk about a complicated relationship with your in-laws!). However, after being warned that Saul plans to have him killed in his sleep, David dramatically escapes in the middle of the night thanks to Michal hiding a goat-haired replica of him in their bed — setting the stage for civil war between the armies of King Saul and the allies of the newly anointed King David.

Adding to this complex situation is one of the great friendships in the biblical text, as David finds an unlikely ally in Saul’s son and heir, Jonathan. Jonathan has previously intervened on behalf of David’s safety, but in this passage we witness the depth of his loyalty to David, being told that “he loved him as he loved his own life” (1 Samuel 20:17). The mutual covenant they make with one another is beautiful and powerful — both reminiscent of the promise we saw Ruth make last week [“Where you go, I will go; … your people shall be my people” (Ruth 1:16)] as well as prescient, given all Jonathan will ultimately sacrifice to aid his friend’s rise to the throne.

We don’t often spend time at church encouraging friendship, but developing and maintaining those bonds is vital — particularly since the number of those reporting no close friendships has quadrupled over the past decades (per Harvard Center for Public Leadership). So, inspired by David and Jonathan, I encourage you to invest time in a friendship this week — via a call, coffee meetup, or whatever it may be — knowing that relationship is truly a gift from God.

Prayer

God, you have blessed us with so much — including friends whom we intersect with for seasons or lifetimes. Help us not take those relationships for granted but instead seek to grow and deepen them. Amen.

Written by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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