1 Samuel 20 Bible study: The kindness of the LORD

David has fled "from Naioth in Ramah" (20:1), and his first words to Jonathan are three questions: "What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?" (20:1). Jonathan answers, "Far from it; you will not die" (20:2), because "my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me" (20:2) (tap disclose). In the chapter before, Saul had sworn to Jonathan, "As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to death" (19:6), and then "Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear" (19:10). David answers with an oath: "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved;’ but truly as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death" (20:3) (tap step, grieved and soul). Jonathan says, "Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you" (20:4).

1 Samuel 20:33→leads toLuke 12:53

Jonathan spoke for David, and "Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan" (20:30); he told his son, "you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame" (20:30), and when Jonathan asked, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" (20:32), "Saul cast his spear at him to strike him" (20:33). Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to give peace on the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division" (Luke 12:51), and "They will be divided, father against son, and son against father" (Luke 12:53). No New Testament passage cites 1 Samuel 20, so setting the two side by side is a reading. Some see a likeness: a son who stood with the man of whom the book says "the LORD was with him" (18:14) met his own father's anger, and Jesus said that his coming would bring division even inside a house (Luke 12:51-53). Others read each in its own setting: Saul gives his own reason in this chapter, "you will not be established, nor will your kingdom" (20:31), while Jesus speaks of what his own coming would bring "from now on" (Luke 12:52).

חֶסֶדchesedsay KHE-sed

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "goodness, kindness", including "kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits", and of God, "lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures". The chapter has it three times, all between David and Jonathan: "deal kindly with your servant" (20:8), "the loving kindness of the LORD" (20:14), and "you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever" (20:15). In 20:14 the Hebrew is chesed with the LORD's name. These are three of its four uses in 1 Samuel; the other is Saul's word to the Kenites, "you showed kindness to all the children of Israel" (15:6). In 2 Samuel David asks, "Is there yet any who is left of Saul’s house, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?" (2 Samuel 9:1), and "that I may show the kindness of God to him?" (2 Samuel 9:3): chesed both times, in 9:3 with elohim, God.