1 Samuel 20: 1-7….David is wary.

Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” And he said to him, “Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.” But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favour in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening. If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.’ If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him.

Comment; Saul, knowing the friendship between Jonathan and David has carefully avoided speaking of intentions about getting rid of David with his son. David knows what is going on but Jonathan thinks that David has got it all wrong. But David presses his friend and they come up with a plan. Saul has twice tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David doesn’t want to run the risk a third time. There is to be a series of new moon feasting and David should attend.

David concocts an excuse of a clan gathering in Bethlehem and leaves Jonathan to assess his father’s reaction to his absence. ‘We will know Saul’s heart by his reaction to my absence David says’. No doubt David will be wise enough to know how to react!

Prayer: Thank you Father for friends we can depend upon!