1 Samuel 20:9-16: a reflection

9Jonathan said, “Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you that?” 10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?” 11Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field. 12Jonathan said to David, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, won’t I then send to you and disclose it to you? 13The LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in peace. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. 14You shall not only show me the loving kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I not die; 15but you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.” 16So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “The LORD will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

In this passage, Jonathan makes a covenant of loyal love with David, and notice how far his commitment reaches. He binds himself not only to protect David now, at real risk to himself, but to a faithfulness that will extend beyond his own lifetime: You shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever. Jonathan looks past his own advantage, and even past his own life, to a loyal, enduring covenant, committing himself and binding David to a faithfulness that would last.

Notice the enduring, forward-looking nature of Jonathan's covenant faithfulness. His loyalty to David was not a passing sentiment or a self-serving alliance; it was a committed, enduring faithfulness that looked beyond the present, beyond his own advantage, even beyond his own lifetime, to the good of his house in generations to come. Jonathan's loyal love was steadfast and far-reaching, keeping faith not only now but into the future, binding himself to a kindness that would endure.

That kind of enduring, faithful loyalty is worth aspiring to in our own commitments and relationships. Our loyalty can be shallow, passing, self-serving, kept only as long as it suits us. But Jonathan's covenant faithfulness was steadfast and far-reaching, looking beyond his own advantage and even his own lifetime, keeping faith enduringly. Aspire to that kind of faithful loyalty in your own commitments: not a shallow, self-serving loyalty kept only while convenient, but a steadfast, enduring faithfulness that keeps its word even at cost, and looks to the lasting good of those you are bound to. Be a faithful friend, like Jonathan, whose loyalty endures beyond convenience and self-interest; keep faith steadfastly, looking to the enduring good of those you love, rather than a loyalty that lasts only while it serves you. Faithful, enduring loyalty like Jonathan's is a beautiful and rare thing; aspire to it in your own commitments.

Lord, in this passage Jonathan made a covenant of loyal love with David, binding himself not only to protect David now, at risk to himself, but to a faithfulness reaching beyond his own lifetime: you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever. Show me the enduring, forward-looking nature of his covenant faithfulness. His loyalty to David was not a passing sentiment or a self-serving alliance; it was a committed, enduring faithfulness that looked beyond the present, beyond his own advantage, even beyond his own lifetime. Let me aspire to that kind of faithful loyalty in my own commitments and relationships. My loyalty can be shallow, passing, self-serving, kept only as long as it suits me. But Jonathan's covenant faithfulness was steadfast and far-reaching. Help me aspire to that kind of faithful loyalty: not a shallow, self-serving loyalty kept only while convenient, but a steadfast, enduring faithfulness that keeps its word even at cost, and looks to the lasting good of those I am bound to. Help me be a faithful friend, like Jonathan, whose loyalty endures beyond convenience and self-interest; help me keep faith steadfastly, Lord, looking to the enduring good of those I love. Make my loyalty faithful and enduring, like Jonathan's.