A Devotional

For the Father’s Sake
Jonathan was ever an encouragement to David. He believed the best in his
father, even when David had to hide from Saul’s wrath. He believed that God
had chosen David to be the next king and on more than one occasion talked
King Saul out of his plans to kill David. Eventually, Jonathan and David forged
covenants with each other, which stated that Jonathan would find out if Saul
wanted him dead and in exchange, David would not cut off his love from
Jonathan’s house when all of David’s enemies were defeated. (1 Sam 19:1-7) As
it turns out, this promise is not easily kept between these two friends, both the
past and the future interfere.

When the Israelites settled into the Promised Land, God instructed them
specifically to drive out the inhabitants, the Caananites, and not to
intermarry with them. However, the Gibeonites feared for their future. They
cleverly disguised themselves in rags and patched sandals, loaded up their
donkeys with worn out sacks with old wine-skins and dried, moldy bread. The
Gibeonites approached Joshua, son of Nun, at Gilgal and convinced him and
the other Israelite leaders that their people were foreigners from a distant land,
looking to forge a treaty. Thinking that they were not one of the seven tribes
that Israelites were fighting, the Israelites did not consult God and made the
treaty with the Gibeonites. Very soon, the Israelites realized their
mistake. Joshua and Israelites kept their oath, but allowed the Gibeonites to live
among them as woodcutters and water-bearers to provide for the whole
assembly for the altar of the Lord. (Joshua 9:1-27)

The Gibeonites continued as slaves among the Israelites until Saul attacked the
group and broke the treaty that Joshua forged when the Promised Land was
newly formed. Following Jonathan and King Saul’s death, when David rose to
power, a famine fell over the land. When David asked God about the reason
for the famine, God replied, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained
house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death” 2 Sam 21:1. In retribution
and to stop the famine, the Gibeonites requested seven of Saul’s descendents be
handed over to them to be executed. David, with a heavy heart, complied.
Some time afterward, King David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house
of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?” So his servants
fetched for him Saul’s manservant named Ziba, and this time he asks this other
question: “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family to whom I can show the
kindness of God?” Ziba continues to explain that a son of Jonathan
survives, Mephibosheth, but he is lame in both feet and was in exile. His nurse
had dropped the five year old Mephibosheth when she was fleeing with him
upon the news of Jonathan and Saul’s death. David called for Mephibosheth to
be brought to him, and Mephibosheth fell to his face before the king in
reverence the scriptures say. King David told him not to be afraid that his
intention was to show him kindness for the sake of his father
Jonathan. Mephibosheth came before the king describing himself as a dead
dog, not comprehending the generosity David was offering. King Saul hunted
David and treated him abysmally and David had just handed over seven of his
relatives to a group that his grandfather slaughtered. He himself was lame and a
descendent of the previous regime. By all rights, David should be doing
anything but offering to restore all of his family’s holdings to him and offering
a place to him at the king’s table. Yet, that is exactly what King David
does. King David even arranged for Saul’s manservant Ziba and Ziba’s fifteen
sons to care for the lands to provide for Mephibosheth. (2 Sam 9:1-13)

David and Jonathan’s bond did not end with Jonathan’s death. Their friendship
forged in their faith continued and touched the next generations. When we
forge friendships based on mutual faith, a foundation is laid that death cannot
touch. God doesn’t expect us to walk this life alone or serve in this life
alone. We are stronger together in our faith and are meant to build each other
up. We always are meant to carry God’s love, even when the choices are
terribly hard, and we too are standing in the rubble asking, “Is there anyone left
to whom I can show the kindness of God?”

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others
as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

Submitted by Rachel Linkswiler