Today’ Reference: I Samuel 20:1-18 (NKJV)
1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 2 So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!” 3 Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘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.” 4 So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.” 5 And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening. 6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ 7 If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him. 8 Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”9 But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?” 10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?” 11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out into the field. 12 Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, 13 may the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. 14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; 15 but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.” 17 Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
Have you ever planned and prepared a gathering? The room is lit. The table is set. The mixture of various aromas saturates the air. One by one the guests begin to arrive. Tray after tray of hors d’oeuvres is replenished. Listen to the music as it tries to drown all the voices of laughter and excitement. It is time to find a seat. Suddenly, there is a hush! The blessing of the meal takes place and “Amen” is followed by the acknowledgement of all the attendees. Wait! There is an empty chair. All offspring is being accounted for, then they realize why all the seats were not taken.
That was possibly the scene in King Saul’s house, when David did not attend the banquet that Saul had prepared. David, in his youth, was anointed by Samuel the Prophet. In David’s future was the kingship over Israel. (1 Samuel 16: 11-13). We are not told at what point in David’s life he would be seated on the throne, but we know that God had him in preparation mode. Therefore, David was guided to use wisdom in all his undertakings.
Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, boasted daily, how much stronger than Israel’s army they were. Saul, Israel’s King then, continuously heard these words, “Give me a man!” These words reverberated in Saul’s head, so he became worried. He thought that he would find no one to confront Goliath. Little did the enemy know what he was really requesting. Although David was young, he had a man’s heart because he was on the road to becoming the next King of Israel. Only a mature heart and mind could allow David to inquire of the Lord and respond in the way he did. (1 Samuel 23: 2; 1 Samuel 30: 8; 2 Samuel 2: 1; 2 Samuel 5: 23). On every occasion, David not only inquired, but also waited for God’s response.
One would think that Saul would be supportive of David’s conquest and successes. Instead, he saw David’s victories as a threat to his kingdom. Did they not have the same goal to destroy Israel’s enemies? May we not fail to see that we all have the same enemy and that our common goal is to build God’s Kingdom. One of Saul’s downfall was that he attributed David’s successes to David’s abilities. He did not acknowledge that God was the Source of David’s triumphs. That road that Saul traveled led to his own demise. However, he continually forgot God’s power. All gifts and talents are from God; therefore, credit must always be given to Him. We are his tool, and our determination should be to function in what brings Him pleasure. (Ephesians 2: 10)
Little David kept dodging Saul’s bullets until one day he realized that he had to escape for his life. This is where we find an empty chair at Saul’s table. Much to Saul’s anger, because he was so bent on killing David, he tried to kill his own son, Jonathan. What length will the enemy undertake to stop us! God has good plans for us. Let us reflect on some weapons that formed against us and how they did not prosper. (Isaiah 54: 17).
At times, the path to God’s plans may lead to questionable detours along the way. Did that have an impact on David’s anointing and mission to royalty? David had chances to demonstrate his faith in the knowledge of God. However, Jonathan, in giving his attire to David, symbolically helped in the transfer of royalty. The king’s son, according to man’s protocol would be next in line for the throne, but everything that Jonathan did, assisted in the fulfillment of Samuel’s prophecy about David. What prophecy has God’s word spoken to your heart?
Do we see David confronting Saul? No! Wisdom was David’s teacher. We are told that David behaved himself wisely and the Lord was with him. Had he not vacated the chair Saul intended for him, his life would have taken a different turn. David absented himself and in so doing, Saul noted the empty chair. How might it have been otherwise?
The empty chair afforded David numerous opportunities to see the God he served, at work. It confirmed that Saul’s heart was opposed to the obvious blessing that David experienced daily. Saul knew that a merry heart had medicinal effects, so when an evil spirit plagued him, he requested David’s talent, although his heart was opposed to David. We are told that we should sit at the Lord’s feet until he makes our enemies our footstool. The harp was played, and the right spirit returned to Saul. Was Saul thankful? (1 Samuel 19: 9, 10)
Michal, (Saul’s daughter), David’s unsolicited wife, was aware of her father’s disdain for David, so she helped David escape through a window, on one of the occasions when Saul sent men to hunt David down. Time after time we keep seeing David’s back with Saul in pursuit. It was not enough that David conquered Goliath. The people made a comparison between the number of Saul’s men that were defeated and the number that David defeated. (1 Samuel 18:7). One would think that David’s fete would have pleased Saul, however, Saul lost sight of the fact that the longstanding enemy of Israel, Goliath, was destroyed. Instead, the green-eyed monster, jealousy, reared its ugly head.
When we fail to celebrate for the common good, we allow the evil one to take a foothold and disturb our worship. Saul had everything at his disposal to command the Israelites to turn to the living God, but he got sidetracked. As king, Saul could do whatever he pleased. What will we do with the resources that God has provided to enhance His Kingdom? The progress of a people is determined by the people’s willingness to sacrifice their resources for the advancement of that people. If Saul knew this, he could have cooperated with what God was doing in David’s life.
David distanced himself although his next steps were uncertain. That took courage. He left behind, his wife, Michal, Jonathan his beloved friend, familiar territory and the people who recognized that he was chosen by God He sacrificed those things, not only for his safety, but also, in pursuit of what the empty chair would afford him. Time to think was of the essence. He needed time to reevaluate his steps. Where did he go wrong? What was he guilty of? Why was Saul intent on killing him? Those questions churned in David’s head.
We may not know why the enemy does what he does but let us have no regrets if we are pursuing God’s purpose for our life. No evil scheme can thwart God’s plan for our expected end. David chose to disregard the feelings and emotions of everyone who expected him to be present at the banquet. He had a greater vision in mind. What did God have in mind for him? Who knows the mind of God?
After David rejected the opportunity to feast with royalty (who had bad intentions for him) he proved to Jonathan that Saul really hated him with a passion. When Jonathan saw this, he also excused himself from his place at the table (1Samuel 20:34). Saul’s anger was evident, not only to Jonathan, but also to all those who were present. This did not deter Jonathan. Instead it enhanced his efforts to support David. Don’t we all need a Jonathan?
When our good intentions are trashed, we need someone to covenant with us and the Lord. David’s anointed life was a threat to Saul. His flights led him through several valleys: fear, misunderstandings, rejection, loneliness, and despair, but God always provided help for him. Will we like David, realize that God prepares a table for us, up close and personal, in our enemy’s face? (Psalm 23:5)
David’s travels brought him to Ahimelech, the priest who gave him sanctified bread. Remember that David was on his way to becoming a king. Already, he had eaten holy bread. David needed the representation of both God’s provision and healing of his broken spirit. (1 Samuel 21: 6). Also, he received the sword which he had used to sever Goliath’s head. That sword was indicative of victory. Yet later we find David having to fake insanity because he was afraid of the king of Gath (the Philistines’ king). David did not know it at the time but let us examine what he would have missed had he remained at Saul’s banquet!
It worked for David’s good, when king Achish thought that David had lost his mind. It is OK for the enemy to think that we are crazy enough to continue to believe God during our troubles. That created a safety net for David. The king shunned him because of his seeming madness. Who can fathom what God may use to propel us deeper into His plan?
In the meantime, David acquired many followers who favored him, and he became their ruler. Saul did not forget the empty chair at his banquet. He was relentless in his search for David. He felt cheated insulted and embarrassed. The shame was not so personal in comparison to the gossip in the entire kingdom. Saul had to save face. He was already fuming about David’s favor from God. Who did David think he was to reject the King’s invitation?
What seems to take priority in our life? Even Jonathan, assisted David in his effort to be safe. Although Jonathan was heir- apparent, David’s wellbeing was of greater importance to him. Then a day came when Saul’s life was at David’s mercy. Instead of taking revenge, David set out to prove to Saul that he meant him no harm. Saul had armed himself with a great army to capture David, but the plan backfired. When Saul fell asleep, David snipped a piece of his garment as a token of what he could have done to him unawares. (1 Samuel 24: 10)
God used this incident to teach David not only humility but also the power of forgiveness. We need to step away from vengeance and allow God to repay the adversary. David became remorseful and wept when the reality of his actions hit him. In outlaying how he could have killed Saul, he was in fact boosting his own ego. However, it was God’s mercy and grace that allowed David to show kindness to his enemy. It had nothing to do with David’s character.
When David finally became king, he remembered his covenant with Jonathan. In discovering lame Mephibosheth, he invited him to reside at his house forever, for Jonathan’s sake. Generational blessings are still for today. Even when our pride is hurt, may our hearts teach us to step aside and disregard the chair that may have awaited us.
The time came when the Philistines overcame Saul. His pride had no room for that defeat. So, he asked one of his soldiers to facilitate his permanent loss of the throne, by killing him. We may also have vacated a position, negative thinking, some seemingly meaningful status in life, but what does that empty chair mean for us?
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
How has God used emptiness to enhance our life’s journey?