1Sa 18:3 | KingComments | STEP | David means ‘beloved’, meaning that he is loved. In this chapter much is said about love for David. You love David or you hate him. Neutrality is not possible. There are five people or groups of people who love him. We have already read about the first one: Saul, who loves him greatly ( ). However, it is a love that turns into hatred. This is because David is no longer his servant, but his superior, not in position, but in prosperity and spiritually. As long as David is his servant, he loves him greatly, but if Saul must go aside to give David priority, he does not want to do this. Thus, the Lord Jesus not only wants to be the One Who has defeated the enemy – i.e. satan, of whom Goliath is a picture – but He wants to be everything in our life. He wants to be not only Savior, but also Lord. Especially children of believing parents should learn this. The Lord wants to be number one. We should not remain king of our own life. The second of whom we read that he loves David is Jonathan. He connects himself with heart and soul and all that he has with David. Perhaps David’s answer in the previous verse ( ) is so attractive to Jonathan that he connects himself with David. As soon as Jonathan connects with David, he sees himself as nothing. Jonathan is crown prince, but nonetheless he sees his superior in David. There is no jealousy or wounded pride. Between the description of Jonathan’s love for David in and , there is something about Saul’s relationship to David in . Saul’s love for David is a selfish love. He sees in David mainly someone from whom he can benefit. Therefore David must remain fully in the service of Saul after his victory. Saul claims him for himself. In we read for the second time that Jonathan loves David as himself. We will read it again later ( ). We do not read here that David loves Jonathan. We read this in his song about Jonathan when Jonathan has died in the battle with the Philistines ( ). David’s appreciation of Jonathan’s love for him shows that David’s love is more than a human love. It indicates the love of the Lord Jesus for those who serve and follow Him out of love. It is great to hear such an expression of His love from His mouth. A father loves all his children, but he has a special relationship with those who appreciate his love. Jonathan’s love is the love of friendship. It is a selfless love. He knows David will be king and he gives him that place by giving him everything. His love for David also starts from the victory over Goliath, but he has seen deeper than just the result. He loves David for who David himself is and not just for what he has done. The same must be true of our love for the Lord Jesus. We see this with Paul for whom Christ is everything because he is laid hold of by Him ( ). Jonathan gives everything to David out of love for him. Everything that gives him dignity as king and warrior, he puts at the feet of David. It is not just outward tribute, but the expression of what is in his heart for David. Anything he can boast of is nothing compared to David. In this way we also want to give everything to the Lord Jesus out of love for Him. Jonathan, however, does not give him his shoes, which symbolically points to the fact that he does not follow David in his wanderings.

‏ 1 Samuel 18:3

Jonathan Loves David

David means ‘beloved’, meaning that he is loved. In this chapter much is said about love for David. You love David or you hate him. Neutrality is not possible. There are five people or groups of people who love him.

We have already read about the first one: Saul, who loves him greatly (1Sam 16:21). However, it is a love that turns into hatred. This is because David is no longer his servant, but his superior, not in position, but in prosperity and spiritually. As long as David is his servant, he loves him greatly, but if Saul must go aside to give David priority, he does not want to do this.

Thus, the Lord Jesus not only wants to be the One Who has defeated the enemy – i.e. satan, of whom Goliath is a picture – but He wants to be everything in our life. He wants to be not only Savior, but also Lord. Especially children of believing parents should learn this. The Lord wants to be number one. We should not remain king of our own life.

The second of whom we read that he loves David is Jonathan. He connects himself with heart and soul and all that he has with David. Perhaps David’s answer in the previous verse (1Sam 17:58) is so attractive to Jonathan that he connects himself with David. As soon as Jonathan connects with David, he sees himself as nothing. Jonathan is crown prince, but nonetheless he sees his superior in David. There is no jealousy or wounded pride.

Between the description of Jonathan’s love for David in 1Sam 18:1 and 1Sam 18:3, there is something about Saul’s relationship to David in 1Sam 18:2. Saul’s love for David is a selfish love. He sees in David mainly someone from whom he can benefit. Therefore David must remain fully in the service of Saul after his victory. Saul claims him for himself.

In 1Sam 18:3 we read for the second time that Jonathan loves David as himself. We will read it again later (1Sam 20:17). We do not read here that David loves Jonathan. We read this in his song about Jonathan when Jonathan has died in the battle with the Philistines (2Sam 1:26). David’s appreciation of Jonathan’s love for him shows that David’s love is more than a human love. It indicates the love of the Lord Jesus for those who serve and follow Him out of love. It is great to hear such an expression of His love from His mouth. A father loves all his children, but he has a special relationship with those who appreciate his love.

Jonathan’s love is the love of friendship. It is a selfless love. He knows David will be king and he gives him that place by giving him everything. His love for David also starts from the victory over Goliath, but he has seen deeper than just the result. He loves David for who David himself is and not just for what he has done. The same must be true of our love for the Lord Jesus. We see this with Paul for whom Christ is everything because he is laid hold of by Him (Phil 3:12).

Jonathan gives everything to David out of love for him. Everything that gives him dignity as king and warrior, he puts at the feet of David. It is not just outward tribute, but the expression of what is in his heart for David. Anything he can boast of is nothing compared to David. In this way we also want to give everything to the Lord Jesus out of love for Him. Jonathan, however, does not give him his shoes, which symbolically points to the fact that he does not follow David in his wanderings.