”but Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David. So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you.”“ I Samuel 19:1-3 NKJV
a. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David: Without doubt Saul and many on his staff criticized David. They looked for anything they could to bring against him, and if they could find nothing, they made something up. Jonathan got an earful of this, but it didn’t change his opinion of David. He still delighted greatly in David.
b. So Jonathan told David: This made Saul furious, but Jonathan knew he did the right thing. He should not kill David because his father and king told him to do something that was clearly disobedient to God. Jonathan knew the Bible said, You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13). The Bible was clear, and Saul was on record as saying that they should kill David (1 Samuel 19:1).
i. We are under authority and commanded to submit to God’s order of authority in many different arenas. There is a Biblical submission of children to their parents, of citizens to their government, of employees to their employers, of Christians to their church leadership, and of wives to their husbands. But in all these relationships, we are never excused from sin because we obeyed an authority that told us to sin. In this case, it would be wrong for Jonathan to obey his father and kill David.
ii. This was a case where Jonathan could say what the apostles said when they were told to stop preaching the gospel: We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). But Jonathan also had the heart of the apostles in Acts 5; they were beaten severely and were willing to suffer for what was right before God, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name (Acts 5:40-41). Jonathan was willing to pay the price for obeying God, and he did not whine about it.
c. My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide: Jonathan did more than refuse to help Saul. He helped David. Jonathan could have said, “Look, I want no part of this. I’m not going to help my father do something I know is wrong. But I won’t try to stop it either. I’ll just be neutral and let God work it out.” But Jonathan didn’t take that attitude.
Conscience
Saul was being disobedient to God and his conscience was being seared because of his disobedience.
”This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.“Acts 24:16 NKJV
The Bible has a lot to say about our conscience:
“The New Testament concept of conscience is more individual in nature and involves three major truths.”
“First, conscience is a God-given capacity for human beings to exercise self-evaluation.”
“Second, the New Testament portrays the conscience as a witness to something.”
“Third, the conscience is a servant of the individual’s value system. An immature or weak value system produces a weak conscience, while a fully informed value system produces a strong sense of right and wrong.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/conscience.html
Recently during a Bible study a person in recovery said they were traveling to visit an old high school friend. I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me to warn him to be careful with old friends and associations as he was in recovery. I didn’t act on it. When he returned, he confessed that he “fell” out of recovery. I apologized for not warning and praying for him.
I should have been like Jonathan and said something instead of keeping my mouth shut. Iron sharpens iron and as brothers or sisters in Christ we have a duty to be obedient to God and strive to have a conscience without offense.
Blessings
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