Big Idea: Sometimes God protects his chosen servants through other faithful servants who are willing to put God’s agenda above self-interest.

Understanding the Text

Saul persisted in his efforts to kill David, but Jonathan saved David again, risking his own life in the process. David was finally forced to run away, setting the stage for the next part of the story: David needs to wander from place to place to escape Saul’s hostility.

As in the previous chapters, the narrator presents contrasting responses to God’s chosen king. Saul becomes obsessed with killing David, while Jonathan continues to do everything in his power to protect David, even though, from the human perspective, it does not seem to be in his best interests (cf. 20:31, 33). Though Jonathan is technically David’s superior…