David and Jonathan Listen to God
1 Samuel 18-23
Main Point: God gives us friends who will encourage us
to listen to Him.
Key Verse: Proverbs 17:17a A friend loves at all times.
Props: Robe, sword, belt, bow/arrow
Review: The first week in our study of David, we learned that God chose David to be
king because David was a man after God’s own heart. Next we learned that God used
his faithful servant David to kill an unfaithful giant: Goliath. God is always faithful to
provide everything that we need.
David needed a friend. We ALL need friends who will help us listen to and follow God!
Say This:
God often provides friends to encourage people who listen to Him. God is the only
source of true joy, but He uses godly people in our lives to bring us His joy, peace, and
truth. He uses godly people to encourage us to listen to Him.
Ask: Do you remember the Garden of Eden where God created Adam? He said it is
not good for man to be what? (Let kids answer) Alone! God designed us to have
friendships from the very beginning of creation.
Say This: After God used David to kill Goliath, many people were celebrating David
rather than Saul. David became an instant hero. Everyone admired his great faith,
courage, and skill. For a long time, Goliath taunted the Israelites. No one was brave
enough to fight him. When young David killed Goliath, everyone recognized that GOD
was with David. Before killing Goliath, no one really knew who David was. Now the
whole town was talking about David!
This made Saul very jealous. He remembered the words that Samuel spoke: “God will
find a man after his own heart to replace you as king.(I Samuel 17:13-14)
Now David had another “giant” to face: this giant was Saul’s jealousy.
Jealousy is a sin.
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Being jealous is to want what someone else has or to want to be someone
else. Saul was jealous that DAVID was the hero. He wanted to be the hero.
He wanted the people to like him.
When Saul heard the people cheering for David, he became angry,
suspicious, and afraid (Note to Teacher: These are three universal reactions
to jealousy).
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Earlier we learned that Saul loved David! Even in the battle against Goliath,
he urged David not to go, and even gave David his armor to protect him!
How did Saul go from being David’s friend to being David’s enemy?
Saul had a son named Jonathan. Jonathan and David became best friends.
Ask: Now how do you think Saul felt about that? It made him furious! It was one thing
for the people in Israel to love David, but now his own son loved David too!
This was too much for Saul’s jealous spirit. Saul did not want to be replaced.
He did not want God to choose another king.
Because Saul continued to disobey God, he had a very sad spirit. God blessed David
with the ability to play the harp. Whenever Saul had a sad spirit, David would play the
harp, and Saul would feel better.
PowerPoint:
One day, when Saul’s spirit was troubled, David played the harp. Instead of feeling
better, Saul became enraged and actually tried to kill David!
Ask: Have you ever seen someone lose his temper and be completely out of control?
Say This: That’s how Saul behaved. He was out of control. Saul threw a spear at
David, but God protected David. Saul then became afraid of David because he realized
that God was with David (I Samuel 18:12).
PowerPoint:
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Say This: Because Saul was afraid of David, he wanted to get rid of him. So Saul put
David in charge of a thousand soldiers. His intent was to have David killed in battle. To
make himself look good to the people, Saul promised his own daughter in marriage to
David if he came back alive.
Ask: Do you see how one sin has led to another? This all started with Saul not
listening to God, and now look what’s happening. Saul is plotting David’s death!
Say This: Even though Saul tried to get rid of David, we know that no one can mess up
God’s plan. David did come home from that battle, and now he was REALLY the hero
of the people in Israel. Unfortunately, Saul did not keep his word, and he had his
daughter marry another man. The people were beginning to see that Saul did not keep
his word. This only made him look worse in their eyes. And it made David look better!
Everyone was talking about how brave and wonderful David was.
Even Saul’s son, Jonathan, became friends with David. The Bible says that their souls
were “knit together”. When God knits people together, they should never come apart.
(☺Good thought for marriage ♥). The Hebrew word for knit here actually means
“chained”. David and Jonathan were “chained together” in true friendship.
Application: Think about your best friend: what is it that you really like about that
person? Talk about your close friend. More than likely, a friend is chosen because you
have something in common.
What is a friend?: *Loyal, *Trustworthy, *Dependable, *Wants your best (God's best), ,
*Safe to tell secrets to, *willing to sacrifice for you, *Lets you be yourself, *Always
encourages you. *Not jealous of you.
Say This: A true friend is not jealous. David and Jonathan both had reasons to be
jealous of each other, but because their friendship was rooted in God, they had genuine
care and love for each other.
Say This: An interesting thing about the friendship between David and Jonathan is that
they were from opposite worlds.
David had been a shepherd. He lived outdoors and stayed up all night. He probably
didn’t smell very good and ate whatever the land produced.
Jonathan, on the other hand, grew up in a luxurious palace. He had everything money
could buy, slept in a bed, and ate the most delicious foods.
Though David and Jonathan’s lifestyles had been very different, they had one very
important thing in common: they had a heart for God.
Their friendship wasn’t just about them; their friendship was God-centered.
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Application: Do you have a friendship that is not just about you, but rather is Godcentered?
Say This: Even though Jonathan was Saul’s son – a prince, he recognized that David
was the one whom God had chosen to be the next king of Israel. Jonathan honored
David above himself!
PowerPoint
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Jonathan and David made a covenant to each other to be true and loyal friends
the rest of their lives. (A covenant is even more serious than a promise; a
covenant is also a vow to God. It is very serious to break a covenant).
 Props: Show the robe. Jonathan sealed this covenant with an act of kindness:
(This may seem a bit strange to our kids, but in other parts of the world, this is
the most significant honor one person can bestow on another person). Jonathan
took off his own robe and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword
and his bow, and his belt. (I Samuel 18:4)
Jonathan loved and respected David so much that he gave him his princely belongings.
In Jewish culture, these items symbolized power, strength, riches, and blessings of God.
Jonathan humbled himself, becoming equal with David. He gave David everything, and
kept nothing for himself. Jonathan even told David, “You will be king over Israel, and I
will be next to you. (I Samuel 23:17) Jonathan was a true friend to David even against
his father’s will.
Meanwhile, Saul was not listening to God, he became more and more jealous of David.
God is the great Healer, and at anytime, Saul could have turned to God. God can
heal uncontrolled emotions; God’s desire is ALWAYS to bring people back to Himself.
PowerPoint:
Jonathan was very fond of David and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a
chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay
there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak
to him about you and will tell you what I find out." 1 Sam 19:1-3
Application: What quality of true friendship can we learn from Jonathan?
True friends warn each other when they are in danger.
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Have you ever warned a friend of a dangerous situation?
Sometimes our friends are tempted to sin, and we are challenged to warn them about
the consequences of their sin. Sometimes Satan, the enemy, tries to convince them to
do wrong at school or at home. We have to be very careful not to judge our friends.
God is the only judge. But we do want to help them stay out of trouble. This can be
hard, because others might laugh at us. It is not usually the cool thing to do. But is it
more important to look cool, or to help our friends? Remember, true friends encourage
one another to listen to God.
Are we willing to warn our friends of this danger? If so, we should remember that while
we can tell them the truth, only the Holy Spirit can lead them to accept this truth. We
can warn, but only God can change hearts.
Say This: Let’s see how Jonathan helps David in this dangerous situation.
PowerPoint: I Samuel 19:4 (NLT) The next morning Jonathan spoke with his
father about David, saying many good things about him. "Please don't sin against
David," Jonathan pleaded. "He's never done anything to harm you. He has always
helped you in any way he could.
Say This: Jonathan reminded his father that David has been a faithful servant to the
king, to Israel, and most importantly to God. We read that he convinces his father to
spare David since he is innocent and faithful.
True friends always speak well of one another. They never stir up gossip, or spread
false accusations. True friends protect one another’s honor.
God used Jonathan to save David’s life.
But Jonathan’s reasoning only works for so long with his father. Once again, Saul
turned his back on God and decided to kill David.
PowerPoint
I Samuel 20:1-4 NLT
David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. "What have I done?"
he exclaimed. "What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so
determined to kill me?"
"That's not true!" Jonathan protested. "I'm sure he's not planning any such thing, for
he always tells me everything he's going to do, even the little things. I know he wouldn't
hide something like this from me. It just isn't so!"
Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, "Your father knows perfectly well
about our friendship, so he has said to himself, `I won't tell Jonathan--why should I hurt
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him?' But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the LORD
and by your own soul!"
"Tell me what I can do!" Jonathan exclaimed.
Say This: In a true, God-centered friendship, we don’t only do the easy, fun things
for our friends. Sometimes God calls us to sacrifice for our friends. He might ask us to
do something that will cost us time, money, or popularity.
Application: Do you have a friend that is on the wrong path? Maybe they are living
without God, living only to please themselves. Maybe they are serving a false god, like
Allah or Buddha. They are only a step away from death, because anyone who doesn’t
believe that Jesus has paid the penalty for sin must pay it themselves. Are you willing
to come between them and death by sharing the good news of freedom and life that can
only be found in Jesus?
How can we be a good friend and step between our friend and death?
Application: Jonathan stepped between David and death. Will you step between
death and a friend?
PowerPoint: I Samuel 20:5-7 NLT
David replied, "Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I've always eaten
with your father on this occasion, but tomorrow I'll hide in the field and stay there
until the evening of the third day. If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked
permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. If he says,
`Fine!' then you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, then
you will know he was planning to kill me.
Say This: David and Jonathan made a commitment to be faithful friends, no matter
how hard it was. They recognized that the LORD was the One who would help them
keep their covenants to each other. This was their secret signal: Jonathan told David
to hide and wait by a stone pile. Jonathan would come outside and shoot an arrow as
though he was shooting at a target. Jonathan would send a boy out to fetch the arrows.
If he said, “The arrows are on this side” that would be a signal to David that all was well
and that he was safe. However, if Jonathan said, “Go further”, this would signal that
David was in trouble and needed to leave.
So, David hid in the field, and on the second day of the feast, Saul noticed that he was
missing. He asked where David was, and Jonathan faithfully followed their plan.
Knowing that David wouldn’t be there, Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan.
PowerPoint:
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I Samuel 20:30-31 NLT "You stupid son”! he swore at him. "Do you think I don't
know that you want David to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your
mother? As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you'll never be king. Now go and
get him so I can kill him!"
Say This: When Jonathan tried to reason with his father, Saul hurled a spear at him to
kill him. That’s when Jonathan knew for sure that his dad intended to kill David.
Note to Teacher: Jonathan demonstrated that true friends are willing to lay down their
lives for one another. And several hundred years later in the same country, the truest
Friend of all, Jesus, will lay down his life for all.
… On that second day of the month he (Jonathan) did not eat, because he was
grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David.
True friends bear each other’s burdens. They share in each other’s sadness. They
listen to God about how they can best comfort their friends.
PowerPoint:
I Samuel 20:35-38
The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young
boy with him to gather his arrows. "Start running," he told the boy, "so you can
find the arrows as I shoot them." So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow
beyond him. When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted,
"The arrow is still ahead of you. Hurry, hurry, don't wait." So the boy quickly
gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master.
PowerPoint: I Samuel 20:41 NLT
As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding
near the stone pile. Then David bowed to Jonathan with his face to the ground.
Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye,
especially David.
Application: In a true friendship, we don’t have to hide our true feelings. We can be
whom we really are, without fearing our friend will make fun of us. Most people thought
that David was strong and always had it together. That he was anointed by God, and
that his life was wonderful. But David knew that he could show Jonathan how scared
and sad he was in this moment, and Jonathan would understand.
PowerPoint: I Samuel 20:42 NLT
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At last Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have made a pact in the LORD's
name. We have entrusted each other and each other's children into the LORD's hands
forever." Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the city.
Say This: This story reveals two very godly attributes of David and Jonathan’s
friendship.
1. In helping David escape the wrath of Saul, Jonathan's own father, he assists the
process that leads to David becoming king, and so loses his own right to the throne. He
sacrifices his own good for the good of his friend. That is the cost of true friendship.
Are we willing to give to friends in a way that benefits them but costs us dear? Once
again, we are reminded of the greatest Friend, who humbled himself, became a true
Friend to sinners like us, and then gave everything He had. Because He gave His life
up for sinners, sinners can now freely receive life forever. Jesus lost everything for us,
and we gain everything when we become His friend.
2. At the end of this chapter, the two friends part in order to carry out the plans God had
for them. There was nothing clingy about this friendship - both men knew that God had
work for both to do apart from one another. Are we able to see the bigger picture God's intentions for the lives of our friends? Sadly, we often want to hold tight to close
friends, believing that were they to leave, we would be too sad or lonely to live without
them.
PowerPoint: I Samuel 23: 15-18 One day near Horesh, David received the news
that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. Jonathan went to
find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. "Don't be
afraid," Jonathan reassured him. "My father will never find you! You are going to
be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father is well aware." So the
two of them renewed their covenant of friendship before the LORD. Then
Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.
Say This: What was central to this friendship is that they desired God’s will and
purpose to be carried out above everything else.
Application: What about your own friendships? What is the purpose of your
friendships? Is it to glorify God as you spend time together building each other up? Do
you pray for our friends? Do you ask them to pray for you? Do you encourage them to
listen to God?
If you don’t have a godly friend in your life, ask God to provide one. Simply ask God to
give you a friend who encourages you to listen to Him. And we should pray for our
friends that aren’t Christians. We can pray that our best friend, Jesus, would help us
introduce Him to our other friends who haven’t met Him yet!
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Notes for the teacher: by Mr. Stefan Cantore
The Bible's pattern - David and Jonathan
* Mutual commitment - 1 Samuel 18.1-3
* Sacrificial love - 1 Samuel 18.4
* Openness and honesty - 1 Samuel 19.1-7
* Service - 1 Samuel 20.4
* God-centeredness - 1 Samuel 20.42
* Inter-dependence - 1 Samuel 20.18-23
* Willingness to let go - 1 Samuel 20.42
What else does the Bible say about friendship?
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Two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4.9-12)
* Perfume and incense (Proverbs 27.9)
* Be wise in your choice of friends (Proverbs 13.20 and 1 Corinthians 15.33)
* Love . . . always hopes (1 Corinthians 13.6-7)
* Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27.17)
* Wounds from a friend (Proverbs verse 27.5-6)
* A friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17.17)
* Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5.11)
"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools
suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20).
God calls us His friends
* Exodus 33.11
* John 15.13-15
* James 2.23
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