AGE: 10 - 11 YEARS
STANDARD/GRADE: V & VI
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DAVID & JONATHAN - THE BEST OF FRIENDS
In the previous lessons we had
learnt about how the judges ruled Israel. Samuel was the last judge of Israel
and after him kings started to rule Israel. In this lesson we will learn about
two very special friends – David and Jonathan. Saul was the very first king of
Israel. King Saul had a son named Jonathan. He was the crown prince of Israel.
Crown prince is the heir to the throne, which means he would become the king
after his father. It must have been very special to be the first crown prince
of Israel.
Meanwhile King Saul was afflicted with a sickness which made him to be tormented and restless in his mind causing him distress. So, his ministers looked for a person to play music to make him feel better. They found a young shepherd boy who was skilled in playing the harp. His name was David. When David played the harp, King Saul was relieved and felt better. Harp is one of the oldest musical instruments. The Hebrew word given for harp is “kinnor.” In the ancient days it was made of sheep gut and ram's horn.
David was the son of a man named Jesse. David had six or seven elder brothers and two sisters (I Samuel 16:10; I Chronicles 2:13-16). Even though he was a shepherd and spent most of his time in the desert herding sheep, David loved God and worshipped him. God had great plans for David and had already chosen him for a great role in the history of Israel.
Once prophet Samuel came to visit David’s family and delivered an important message to them that God had selected the next king from their family. King Saul’s reign of Israel did not satisfy God, since he continually disobeyed God. Hence God had rejected Saul as King and chose David to be the next king of Israel. Samuel poured the holy oil on David’s head and anointed him. It was a secret; no one outside of David’s family knew that. It would be many years before it came into effect, until then David continued his normal life as a shepherd.
Once the nation of Israel was in great danger from a fierce enemy named Goliath. All the Israelites including King Saul was afraid of the giant and hid themselves. But David who came there to visit his elder brothers in the army, trusted in God and killed the giant with a sling and a stone. After the victory, David went to meet King Saul and there he met Jonathan. Jonathan liked David and they became best friends. Jonathan made a friendship covenant with David. A covenant is a promise which could not be broken. Jonathan gifted David his very special possessions. Jonathan took off his royal robe and gave it to David, along with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. Jonathan wanted people to give David the same honour that he himself had as a crown prince, without knowing that Prophet Samuel had already appointed David to be the next king of Israel. Jonathan's robe, called as me'il in Hebrew is likely his royal robe, which he wore as the crown prince of Israel. By giving it to David, Jonathan symbolically gave David his own right to succeed his father, Saul, as the King of Israel. Jonathan gave David his royal weapons too, including his armor and sword to indicate that, because of the covenant, they were obligated to protect and defend each other, no matter what.
One day when the soldiers were returning home after David killed Goliath, women had gathered to celebrate in the streets. They were dancing and singing, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” King Saul became jealous of David and was filled with fury. The next day when David was playing his harp for King Saul, he tried twice to kill David with his spear but David escaped both times. King Saul was afraid of David because he knew that God’s Spirit had left him, but God was with David and he was successful in whatever he did. King Saul’s jealousy towards David had grown so much that he told Jonathan and his men to kill David wherever they see him. King Saul even schemed to get David killed in battle by sending him to difficult battles often, but nothing worked. David kept winning battles, people esteemed him even more and his popularity kept increasing.
Jonathan, however, was loyal to his best friend David and warned him about his father’s plan to kill him. Jonathan went to his father Saul and spoke on David’s behalf and made him to change his mind about David. Jonathan reminded him about what David had done for Israel by killing Goliath. King Saul agreed to his son’s requests and promised that he would not kill David. But King Saul was not a man of his word and could not be trusted. Jonathan knew it well. Once again King Saul tried to kill David and David was forced into hiding. Jonathan was sad.
Jonathan went to meet David in his hiding place. It was in Horesh, a wild, mountainous region. Jonathan went there to strengthen David. He told David not to be afraid and reassured him saying that his father will never be able to find him. He even went one step further and predicted that David would be the next king and he would assist David as the second in command. Jonathan was an excellent military commander himself and he had won many battles for Israel. Jonathan was not jealous of David or felt threatened by his success. David was a man after God’s own heart and Jonathan could sense that. Jonathan realized that there was something very special about David, when David challenged and killed Goliath. Jonathan didn’t mind giving up his kingship for his deserving friend. He wanted the best for his friend and his country. That was the extent of loyalty and confidence Jonathan had in his friend.
Jonathan even requested David to take good care of his family when he becomes the king. It was almost like a prophecy, since it was the last time they met. Unfortunately, Jonathan’s hope to become second to David was never realized. Jonathan had gone for a battle alongside his father King Saul and was killed in the battle. David was stricken with grief. David wrote a dirge over King Saul and Jonathan. A dirge is a mournful song lamenting the dead. David lamented for Jonathan saying, “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful.”
David eventually became the king of Israel and never forgot his covenant with Jonathan. Jonathan had a disabled son named Mephibosheth. After King Saul’s death, his family including his several children and grandchildren had to face continuous difficulties and opposition in Israel because of King Saul’s many wrong decisions. But David protected Mephibosheth from King Saul’s enemies and took care of him and provided for him like one of his sons (2 Samuel 9:11) because of his friend Jonathan.
Bible Reference: I Samuel
17 - 20
Memory
Verse: Psalm 133:1,2
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
Fill
in the blanks:
1. ………………. was the very
first king of Israel.
2. When
David played the ……….., King Saul was relieved and felt better.
3. Saul
tried twice to kill David with his ………………..
4. Jonathan had a disabled son named …………………….
Give short answers:
1. Why did Saul become
jealous of David?
2. What was Jonathan’s
request to David?
3. How did David lament
Jonathan?
4. How did David treat Mephibosheth?
Answer in
brief:
1. Write about the friendship covenant made
between David and Jonathan?
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