Day 25 – 1 Samuel 18:1
Scripture Review
1 Samuel 18:1
I would like to walk carefully through 1 Samuel 18:1. There is a lot of confusion about the Love between David and Jonathan. Hopefully I can clear that up. We have just watched David stand in the valley of Elah, speak before Saul, defeat Goliath, and testify of the LORD's deliverance.
"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."
(1 Samuel 18:1)
"And it came to pass..."
This phrase always slows me down. It signals that what happens next is not random. It is unfolding exactly when God intends. We are coming straight out of chapter 17. David has just stood before Saul with the head of Goliath in his hand (1 Samuel 17:57). He has identified himself humbly as "the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite" (1 Samuel 17:58). Now immediately, not years later, Jonathan enters the picture.
"When he had made an end of speaking unto Saul..."
David has finished reporting to the king. He did not boast. He did not rehearse the battle in pride. He simply identified himself. That humility matters. Jonathan is listening. Jonathan is not responding to a performance. He is responding to a heart. He just watched David:
Refuse Saul's armor (1 Samuel 17:39)
Declare "the battle is the LORD'S" (1 Samuel 17:47)
Give God full credit for victory (1 Samuel 17:37)
Jonathan sees something spiritual here. And that tells me something important that godly people recognize godly hearts.
"That the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David..."
The word "soul" speaks of the inner life, not an emotion seen on the surface, but depth. The word "knit" carries the idea of being tied or bound together. This was not shallow admiration. This was covenant level unity. I believe this bond formed because Jonathan saw in David what he himself valued, faith in the living God.
Jonathan was no coward. In chapter 14 of 1 Samuel (before David's rise), Jonathan had already shown bold faith against the Philistines. He had said:
"And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few."
(1 Samuel 14:6)
That sounds very similar to, "The LORD saveth not with sword and spear."(1 Samuel 17:47) Jonathan hears David speak, and it resonates with his own faith. Faith recognizes faith. Sometimes you can just see Jesus all over a person. Within minutes you know, this person trusts the LORD. There is unity not built on hobbies or background, but on shared submission to God. That is what I see here.
"And Jonathan loved him as his own soul."
This is not sentimental language. It is covenant love. Selfless love. Jonathan is the king's son. By birthright, he is heir to the throne. David is a shepherd from Bethlehem. Yet Jonathan does not cling to position. He loves David "as his own soul." That phrase shows equality, not rivalry.
God confirms His anointing through Godly witness David was privately anointed in 1 Samuel 16:13. Now in chapter 18, the heir to the throne spiritually recognizes him. Jonathan's heart aligns with what God already declared. When God sets His hand on someone, He often confirms it through other faithful believers. True friendship is rooted in shared faith. This bond was not built on personality. It was built on God's glory. Jonathan had already seen faith in action before. Now he sees it again in David.
Two men bound by trust in the LORD become "knit."
That challenges me with these questions in mind:
Are my closest friendships centered around shared faith in God, Or convenience?
Do I rejoice when God elevates someone else?
Do I bind myself to people who love the LORD?
Am I drawn to faith, or to status?
Would I love someone "as my own soul" if it cost me position?
Jonathan had everything to lose politically. But spiritually, he recognized God's work.