1 Samuel 19:7
So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul to serve him as he had before.
So Jonathan summoned David

Jonathan acted courageously as the covenant friend of David, placing faithfulness to God above personal safety and royal advantage. Though Saul was his father and king, Jonathan would not conceal a murderous plan from an innocent man. His loyalty fulfilled the covenant he had made with David and preserved the man whom the Lord had chosen for Israel’s future.

1Sa 20:11 “Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.”…
1Sa 23:16 And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh…

and told him all these things.

Jonathan gave David a clear account of Saul’s intentions, enabling him to act wisely rather than blindly. Their friendship rested on truth, sacrifice, and reverence for God. Jonathan’s willingness to stand between Saul and David anticipates the work of Christ, the righteous Mediator who brings reconciliation and delivers His people from death.

1Sa 20:35-42 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field…
1Sa 20:12-13 “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father…
1Sa 23:17 Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand…

Then Jonathan brought David to Saul,

Jonathan did more than warn David; he sought peace between his father and his friend. By bringing David before Saul, he appealed to Saul’s conscience and reminded him of David’s faithful service. Jonathan’s peacemaking showed that loyalty to family must never require participation in sin or injustice.

1Sa 17:57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine,…
1Sa 18:2 And from that day Saul kept David with him…
1Sa 16:21 When David came to Saul and entered his service,…

and David was with Saul as before.

David returned to his former place in Saul’s court and continued to serve the king who had sought his life. The restored relationship brought temporary peace, but Saul’s inward rebellion and jealousy had not been removed. David’s continued humility and faithful service display trust in God’s timing rather than grasping for the throne promised to him.

1Sa 18:10 The next day a spirit of distress sent from God…
1Sa 18:5 So David marched out and prospered in everything…
1Sa 16:23 And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jonathan
The son of King Saul and a close friend of David. He plays a crucial role as a mediator between Saul and David, demonstrating loyalty and righteousness.

2. David
The future king of Israel, anointed by Samuel, and a man after God's own heart. At this point, he is serving in Saul's court and is under threat from Saul's jealousy.

3. Saul
The first king of Israel, who has become increasingly unstable and envious of David, seeing him as a threat to his throne.

4. The Reconciliation
Jonathan's successful attempt to reconcile Saul and David, allowing David to return to Saul's service temporarily.

5. The Court of Saul
The setting where these events unfold, highlighting the political and personal tensions within the royal household.
Teaching Points
The Role of a Peacemaker
Jonathan exemplifies the role of a peacemaker, showing that true friendship often involves mediating and advocating for others, even at personal risk.

Loyalty and Righteousness
Jonathan's loyalty to David, despite his father's animosity, highlights the importance of standing by what is right and just, even when it is difficult.

Trust in God's Plan
David's willingness to return to Saul's service, despite the danger, reflects a deep trust in God's sovereignty and timing.

The Power of Communication
Jonathan's open communication with both Saul and David underscores the importance of honest dialogue in resolving conflicts.

The Temporary Nature of Human Solutions
While Jonathan's intervention provides a temporary reprieve, it foreshadows the need for a more permanent solution, pointing to the ultimate reconciliation found in Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jonathan's role as a peacemaker in 1 Samuel 19:7 inspire us to handle conflicts in our own lives?

2. In what ways can we demonstrate loyalty and righteousness in our relationships, as Jonathan did with David?

3. How does David's trust in God's plan, despite the danger from Saul, challenge us to trust God in our own uncertain situations?

4. What practical steps can we take to improve communication in our relationships, following Jonathan's example?

5. How does the temporary reconciliation between Saul and David point us to the need for lasting peace through Jesus Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Samuel 18
Provides context for Saul's jealousy and fear of David, which sets the stage for the events in chapter 19.

Proverbs 17:17
Speaks to the loyalty and love of a true friend, exemplified by Jonathan's actions toward David.

Matthew 5:9
Jesus' teaching on peacemakers, which aligns with Jonathan's role in seeking peace between Saul and David.
The Proof of True FriendshipB. Dale 1 Samuel 19:1-7
People
David, Jonathan, Michal, Samuel, Saul
Places
Jerusalem, Naioth, Ramah, Secu
Topics
Beforetime, Bringeth, Calleth, Conversation, David, Declared, Declareth, Formerly, Heretofore, Jonathan, Kept, Past, Presence, Previously, Saul, Showed
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Samuel 19:1-7

     5086   David, rise of
     6682   mediation

1 Samuel 19:6-7

     6730   reinstatement

Library
The Exile Continued.
"So David fled, and escaped and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done unto him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth" (1 Sam. xix. 18)--or, as the word probably means, in the collection of students' dwellings, inhabited by the sons of the prophets, where possibly there may have been some kind of right of sanctuary. Driven thence by Saul's following him, and having had one last sorrowful hour of Jonathan's companionship--the last but one on earth--he fled to Nob, whither
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David

Why all Things Work for Good
1. The grand reason why all things work for good, is the near and dear interest which God has in His people. The Lord has made a covenant with them. "They shall be my people, and I will be their God" (Jer. xxxii. 38). By virtue of this compact, all things do, and must work, for good to them. "I am God, even thy God" (Psalm l. 7). This word, Thy God,' is the sweetest word in the Bible, it implies the best relations; and it is impossible there should be these relations between God and His people, and
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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