1 Samuel 19:4-5 Envy and Jealousy

 ”Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you. For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭19‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Now Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father: Jonathan did more than secretly help David with information, he also spoke well of David to Saul his father. Jonathan let Saul know, “Father you have a certain opinion of David. But I don’t share that opinion. I love and support David. You should also.” That took a lot of courage, and it was the right thing for Jonathan to do.

i. “Jonathan spake good of David, which he could not do without hazard to himself. Herein therefore he performed the duty of a true friend, and of a valiant man.” (Poole)

b. Let not the king sin against his servant: Jonathan was bold enough to tell his father that his anger and jealousy against David was sin, and to say, “he has not sinned against you.” Saul felt that David had sinned against him in some manner and he felt righteous in his cause. Jonathan delivered a needed word of correction.

c. For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel: Jonathan reminded Saul of these events because Saul colored them with a meaning that justified his jealous desire to murder David.

i. Saul knew that David killed the Philistine, but he could not believe that David did it for a righteous reason. He thought, “David did it just to become famous and to take my throne. He’s a grasping traitor. I’m justified in killing him because I have to kill him before he kills me.”

ii. Jonathan tried to bring Saul back to reality. He reminded his father: “You saw it and rejoiced.” It was as if Jonathan said, “When David first killed Goliath, you rejoiced just like everyone. Now Satan has filled your mind with envy and jealousy. Go back to how you thought before.”

d. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause? In Saul’s mind, there was a cause. In Saul’s mind, David was not innocent. But the truth was that David was innocent, and there was no cause to kill him. Jonathan calls Saul back to reality. (Guzik)

Envy and Jealousy 

These are two of Satan’s tools that start us down a slippery slope! In Saul’s case he envied David’s popularity with the people and became jealous!

”The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.“ ‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Remember you are a child of God, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and walk in His footsteps with His armor of light. Be satisfied and joyful in everything as you have a reward in heaven!

Blessings