The Sanity of Loyalty in a Mad World Text: 1 Samuel 19:1-7
Introduction: Two Kingdoms in Conflict
We come now to a passage that lays bare the fundamental conflict of two kingdoms, a conflict that runs through all of Scripture and, consequently, through all of human history. This is not merely a palace drama about an aging king and a rising star. This is a collision of worldviews, a clash between the kingdom of man, which is built on envy, paranoia, and raw power, and the kingdom of God, which is built on covenant loyalty, righteousness, and divine anointing.
King Saul represents the first kingdom. He is the man God gave Israel in His anger, a man who looks the part but whose heart is rotting from the inside out. He is a picture of the flesh. He is driven by what he sees, what he fears, and what he wants. His entire world is horizontal. David's success is not a blessing to the kingdom; it is a threat to his ego. The songs of the women, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands," were not just a catchy tune; they were the death knell of his pride. And when a man's pride is his god, any threat to that pride is blasphemy, and the blasphemer must die. This is the logic of every tyrant, from Saul to Caesar to the petty tyrants in our modern HR departments.
In the other corner stands David, God's anointed. He is not yet on the throne, but he is the true king. He operates according to a different set of principles. He serves faithfully, he fights courageously, and he trusts God's timing. But caught in the middle, acting as a hinge of providence, is Jonathan. Jonathan, by all worldly logic, should be David's chief rival. He is the heir apparent. Every victory for David is, in a zero-sum political game, a loss for Jonathan. But Jonathan is not playing by the world's rules. He is a man of covenant, a man whose loyalty is vertical before it is horizontal. He loves David, not because David is charming, but because he sees the anointing of God on him. Jonathan's loyalty to David is, therefore, loyalty to God Himself.
This chapter forces us to ask ourselves a fundamental question: to which kingdom do we belong? Are we governed by the paranoid, self-serving spirit of Saul, always measuring, comparing, and fearing? Or are we governed by the covenant-keeping spirit of Jonathan, who risks everything, even the throne, to honor God's anointed? The world is full of Sauls. The church is meant to be full of Jonathans, who recognize and love the true King, the Lord Jesus, and who will speak truth on His behalf, even when the powers of this world are raging.
The Text
Then Saul spoke with Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David. So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. So now, please be careful in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 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; what I perceive, I will tell you.” Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his works have been very good for you. For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh brought about a great salvation for all Israel; you saw it and were glad. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?” And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.” Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as formerly.
(1 Samuel 19:1-7 LSB)
The Murderous Command and the Loyal Heart (v. 1)
The scene opens with the raw, unvarnished insanity of a king consumed by envy.
"Then Saul spoke with Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David." (1 Samuel 19:1)
Saul's private paranoia has now become public policy. He is no longer just throwing his own spear; he is trying to arm the entire court. He commands his son and his servants to become assassins. This is what sin does. It is never content to remain private. It seeks to implicate others, to normalize its own wickedness by making accomplices. Tyranny requires the consent, or at least the silent compliance, of those under its authority. Saul is trying to make his personal vendetta a state-sanctioned murder.
Notice the bluntness: "to put David to death." There is no pretense of a trial, no charge of treason, no evidence presented. This is the raw exercise of godless power. When a man rejects God as king, he inevitably sets himself up as a god, and his will becomes the ultimate law. Saul's word is, "Let David be dead."
But immediately, the text presents the antithesis. The fulcrum on which the whole narrative turns is the second half of the verse: "But Jonathan, Saul’s son, greatly delighted in David." The contrast could not be more stark. Saul, the father, wants to murder David. Jonathan, the son, greatly delights in him. This is not a matter of mere personal affection. The word "delighted" points to a deep, principled joy. Jonathan sees in David the blessing of God, the character of a true Israelite, and the future of the kingdom. His delight is a reflection of God's delight. While Saul is possessed by a spirit of envy from the Lord, Jonathan is filled with a spirit of loyalty from the same Lord. This is a spiritual battle being fought in the heart of the king's own son.
Covenant Friendship in Action (v. 2-3)
Jonathan's delight immediately translates into decisive action. True loyalty is not a sentiment; it is a verb.
"So Jonathan told David saying, “Saul my father is seeking to put you to death. So now, please be careful in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 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; what I perceive, I will tell you.”" (1 Samuel 19:2-3 LSB)
Jonathan does not hesitate. His loyalty to his covenant friend, and more importantly, to God's anointed, overrides his natural loyalty to his father and king. This is a crucial biblical principle. All our loyalties are nested, and our ultimate loyalty is to God. When a lower authority commands what God forbids, our duty is clear. Jonathan chooses to obey God rather than his father. He does not do this rebelliously, but with wisdom and courage.
He gives David three clear instructions. First, he gives him the unvarnished truth: "Saul my father is seeking to put you to death." He doesn't sugarcoat it. Second, he gives him practical advice: "be careful... stay in a secret place and hide yourself." This is not a lack of faith; it is prudence. God's providence ordinarily works through means, and hiding from a man who wants to kill you is a very good means. Third, he promises to act as an advocate and an informant: "I will speak with my father about you... what I perceive, I will tell you." Jonathan is about to become a mediator, standing between the wrath of the king and the object of that wrath.
The Righteous Appeal (v. 4-5)
Here we see the substance of Jonathan's mediation. His defense of David is a masterclass in speaking truth to power. It is not based on emotion, but on objective facts and theological reality.
"Then Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you, and since his works have been very good for you. For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh brought about a great salvation for all Israel; you saw it and were glad. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?”" (1 Samuel 19:4-5 LSB)
Jonathan’s argument has four prongs. First, he appeals to Saul's own self-interest and his duty as king. He frames the issue not as an offense against David, but as a sin for Saul: "Do not let the king sin." He reminds Saul that he is under a higher law. Second, he establishes David's innocence and positive contribution. David has not sinned against Saul; on the contrary, "his works have been very good for you." David has been a loyal and effective servant. Third, he reminds Saul of the key event: David's victory over Goliath. He notes that David "took his life in his hand," highlighting his courage. But crucially, he gives the ultimate credit where it is due: "Yahweh brought about a great salvation for all Israel." David was merely the instrument; God was the savior. To attack David is to show contempt for God's salvation. He even reminds Saul of his own previous reaction: "you saw it and were glad." He holds up a mirror to Saul's own hypocrisy and inconsistency.
Finally, he brings it to a sharp, convicting point: "Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?" This is a direct appeal to God's law. The shedding of innocent blood was a capital offense that polluted the land (Deut. 19:10). Jonathan is not just defending his friend; he is defending the rule of law and the honor of God against the arbitrary, murderous rage of his father. He is calling the king back to his senses, back to his covenant obligations.
A Temporary Reprieve (v. 6-7)
Jonathan's wise and courageous appeal has a surprising, albeit temporary, effect.
"And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death.” Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these words. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as formerly." (1 Samuel 19:6-7 LSB)
For a moment, the truth breaks through the fog of Saul's paranoia. "Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan." The Hebrew implies that he heeded him, he obeyed him. The clear, logical, God-centered reasoning of his son momentarily shames him into sanity. And he backs up his change of heart with the most solemn oath an Israelite could make: "As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death."
Now, we must be careful here. An oath is only as good as the man who swears it. Saul is a man whose heart is not right with God. The Spirit of the Lord has departed from him. This oath is not the fruit of true repentance; it is a moment of emotional concession. It is the kind of promise a man makes when he is cornered by logic, but whose heart remains unchanged. We know from the subsequent verses that this sanity is short-lived. As soon as David has another military success, the evil spirit, and the envy it feeds on, will rush right back in.
But in the moment, Jonathan takes his father at his word. He is a covenant-keeper, and he acts in good faith. He reports the good news to David and brokers a reconciliation. "And he was in his presence as formerly." For a brief time, things go back to normal. The storm has passed, but the atmospheric conditions that caused it have not changed. This is a fragile peace, a ceasefire in a war that is far from over.
The Greater Jonathan
This entire episode is a beautiful, shadowy picture of a much greater reality. It points us to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We, like David, are innocent in Christ, yet we are hunted by a malicious accuser. The prince of this world, the great Saul, Satan, has spoken to his servants, "Put them to death." He stands before God accusing the brethren day and night (Rev. 12:10). He wants to see us destroyed.
But we have a greater Jonathan, a better mediator, who stands between the wrath we deserve and our own souls. The Lord Jesus Christ is the King's Son who "greatly delights" in His people. He did not simply risk his position for us; He laid down His life for us. He stands before the Father, not to appease a capricious rage, but to satisfy perfect justice.
And what is His appeal? It is not based on our works, for unlike David, we have all sinned. His appeal is based on His own work. He says, "Do not let them sin, for I have not sinned. My works have been very good for you. I took My life in My hand and struck the great Philistine, Satan, on the cross. And Yahweh brought about a great salvation for all of His people. You saw it and were glad. Therefore, do not sin against My innocent blood, which I shed for them without a cause."
And the Father listens to the voice of His Son. Not temporarily, but eternally. And He makes an oath, not a fragile one like Saul's, but an unbreakable one: "As I live, they shall not be put to death." Because of the mediation of our great Jonathan, we are brought back into the presence of the King, not "as formerly" in a state of probation, but forever, as beloved children. Jonathan risked his life for his friend. Christ gave His life for His enemies, that we might become His friends.