1 Samuel 20:12

1 Samuel 20:12 says, And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;  Johnathan sought God's guidance in the situation.  He still  wasn't sure that David was right about Saul wanting to kill him, but he was willing to accept the fact that it could be true and to ask for God's help in determining the truth.  We may not always know the truth of a situation, but if we don't, our first step as followers of Christ should be to ask God for His help in determining the truth.  Jonathan told David to stay away from the feast while he found out the truth.  Verse thirteen adds, The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.  Again, Jonathan left it up to God to make the determination, and said if Saul had evil intents toward David that he would send David away.  He also said that God should punish him if he were not being truthful.  We need to be truthful in our relationships with other people as Christians, and we should expect God to punish us if we aren't.   Verse fourteen states, And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:  Jonathan then asked David to show him the kindness of not killing him if it turned out that his father was trying to kill David.  This would not have been that unusual then,because Jonathan would have been seen as the successor to the throne and could have been seen as a threat to David.  Just because someone is a threat to us today doesn't mean that we are to want their whole family destroyed.  Verse fifteen adds, But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.  Jonathan continued by asking that David not cut off his kindness from his house, or family, once God had cut off all of David's enemies and he was established as king.  Again, we cannot allow the actions of one person determine our actions toward all their family as Christians, but even more importantly, we must allow God to guide us.  Verse sixteen continues, So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.  Jonathan made a covenant with David and God.  As followers of Christ, all our covenants should be guided by God, and if they are, we can never go wrong.  Verse seventeen concludes, And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.  Jonathan had David swear to the covenant, because he loved David as much as he loved his own soul.  This was a Godly brotherly love and not something sexual as some might imply today to justify a sexual relationship between two men.  We are expected to love others even more than we love ourself as Christians, but this is always to be a Godly love.  Verse eighteen says, Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.  Jonathan said the next day was the feast of the new moon, and when David wasn't there, that he would be missed because his seat would be empty.   If we are absent from Christian gatherings today, we should be missed, but often we may not be.  Verse nineteen adds, And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.  Jonathan then told David after three days that he was to come to the stone, or rock,of Ezel.  This is another case of someone being told to come to the rock, and as followers of Christ, the Rock that we always need to come to is our faith in Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation.  Verse twenty states, And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.  Jonathan told David his plan to let him know Saul’s intention.  He was going to shoot three arrows as though he were shooting at a mark.  This would be nothing unusual. Verse twenty-one adds, And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.  Jonathan said that he would send a lad to find the arrows, and if he said they were on this side of the mark, it would be safe for David to return.  Verse twenty-two continues, But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.  Jonathan then said that if he said the arrows were on the other side of the mark that David was to leave, because the LORD would have sent him away.  Once more Jonathan was acknowledging God's guidance in the plan.   When we come up with plans today as Christians, whatever it might be for, we need to make sure that we have sought God's guidance for it. Verse twenty-three concludes, And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever. Jonathan then said that in the matter of the relationship, or friendship, between David and himself that God should guide them forever.  This is what we should want for our friendship with other people today.  We need God's guidance and a Godlike love each other.