Lesson 29: David and Jonathan

Primary 6: Old Testament, (1996), 125–30

Purpose

To help the children understand how to be a true friend.

Preparation

http://media.ldscdn.org/pdf/magazines/friend-august-2012/2012-08-10-bulletin-board-eng.pdf How to be a true friend -- list
1. Prayerfully study:
- • 1 Samuel 18:1–16—Jonathan, King Saul’s son, becomes David’s friend. King Saul is jealous of the people’s love for David and tries to kill him.
Chapter 18

Jonathan loves David—Saul sets David over his armies—David is honored by the people, and Saul becomes jealous—David marries Michal, a daughter of Saul.

1 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.

2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.

3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

5 ¶And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

10 ¶And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.

11 And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wallwith it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

12 ¶And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and wasdeparted from Saul.

13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord waswith him.

15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
- • 1 Samuel 19:1–10—Jonathan tries to persuade Saul not to kill David.
Chapter 19

Saul seeks to kill David—Michal saves David by artifice—David joins Samuel and the company of prophets.

1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

2 But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place,and hide thyself:

3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art,and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

4 ¶And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:

5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As theLord liveth, he shall not be slain.

7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

8 ¶And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him.

9 And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.

10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
- • 1 Samuel 20:1–5, 12–24, 27, 31–42—Jonathan warns David of Saul’s intent. Jonathan and David make a covenant of friendship.
Chapter 20

David and Jonathan make a covenant of friendship and peace—They take leave of each other.

1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

11 ¶And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

12 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;

13 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.

14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of theLord, that I die not:

15 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.

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let theLord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

19 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.

20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

21 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.

22 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.

23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.

24 ¶So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.

25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.

26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem:

29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table.

30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?

31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

35 ¶And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 ¶And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
- • 1 Samuel 23:14–18—David is strengthened by Jonathan while hiding from Saul.
- • 1 Samuel 24:9–10, 16–20—David spares Saul’s life, and Saul recognizes David’s righteousness.
- 9 ¶And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
  
  10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: butmine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.
  
  11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
  
  12 The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
  
  13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
  
  14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
  
  15 The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
  
  16 ¶And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
  
  17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
  
  18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
  
  19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore theLord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
  
  20 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
- • 2 Samuel 1:4, 11–12—David mourns the deaths of Jonathan and Saul.
- 1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
  
  2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and soit was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
  
  3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.
  
  4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
  
  5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?
  
  6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
  
  7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
  
  8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
  
  9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.
  
  10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
  
  11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
  
  12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
- • 2 Samuel 9:1–3, 6–7, 13—David fulfills his covenant of friendship by caring for Jonathan’s son.
1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?

2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.

3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathanhath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.

4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.

5 ¶Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

7 ¶And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

9 ¶Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth,said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.

12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.

Note: All references that say Saul had an evil spirit from God are corrected in the Joseph Smith Translation to say that the evil spirit was not of God.
2. Study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account (see “Preparing Your Lessons,”p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii). Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will best help the children achieve the purpose of the lesson.
3. Make a fishing pole by attaching a long string to one end of a stick and a paper clip, hairpin, or safety pin to the other end of the string for a hook. Make one crab and several fish out of folded paper using the patterns at the end of this lesson. Punch a hole through both sides of the crab and each fish so that the hook can slip through. On the inside of each fish write a quality of a true friend, such as being loyal, kind, understanding, helpful, unselfish, willing to share, comforting, honest, forgiving, supportive, and so on. Leave the inside of the crab blank. (See the attention activity.)
(click to view larger)
4. Materials needed:
1. a. A Bible for each child.
2. b. The fishing pole, crab, and fish that you have made.
3. c. Picture 6-38, David and Jonathan.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Stand the fish and the crab on the floor. Ask the children if they have ever gone fishing with a friend. Explain that in this fishing activity the children will learn about friendship. One at a time have the children catch a fish or the crab by hooking it on the pole. As the fish are caught, have the children read the quality of a friend that is written on their fish. Write the words on the chalkboard, or tape the fish with the word displayed on a chart under the heading “A Friend Is.” When the crab is caught, teach the following lesson about crabs and friends.

“There’s a marvelous lesson to be taught by those who live in the islands. When they catch crabs, they place them in a small, flat basket. If you place one crab in the basket, it crawls right out. If you place two crabs in the basket, every time one crab starts to crawl out, it is pulled back in by the other crab.” Would a true friend be like the crabs? True “friends are people who make it easier to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.” If our friends lead us away from the right path, no matter how popular, fun, or smart they seem, we should ask ourselves, “‘Do they make living the gospel easier? Do they help me out of the basket? Will they [leave with me if I sense a trap]?’” (Robert D. Hales, “This Is the Way; and There Is None Other Way,”Brigham Young University 1981–82 Fireside and Devotional Speeches [1982], p. 67).

Scripture Account

Using the picture at an appropriate time, teach the children the account of David and Jonathan from the scriptures listed in the “Preparation” section. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) During the discussion help the children understand the following points:

•Saul, Jonathan’s father, was the first king of Israel and was anointed to be king by the prophet Samuel.
•When Saul was called to be king he was “a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he” (1 Samuel 9:2).
•After Saul became king, he began to love power more than obeying God’s laws, and because of this Samuel prophesied that Saul’s children would not inherit his kingdom (see 1 Samuel 13:13–14; 1 Samuel 15:26, 28).
•Samuel anointed David to be the next king of Israel.
•If Saul had remained faithful to the Lord, Jonathan would probably have inherited his father’s throne. But Jonathan showed no signs of jealousy when he knew David would be the next king.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading and discussing the scriptures with the children in class will help them gain personal insights.

• Whom did David live with after he slew Goliath? (1 Samuel 18:2.) How did David show that he was a loyal friend to King Saul? (1 Samuel 18:5.) What did Saul let ruin his friendship and love for David? (1 Samuel 18:6–11.) How does a true friend feel about another friend’s successes?
• How did Saul’s son Jonathan feel about David? (1 Samuel 18:1, 3–4.) Why did Jonathan tell David to hide? (1 Samuel 19:1–2.) How did Jonathan try to help his father overcome his angry feelings for David? (1 Samuel 19:4–7.) Saul promised Jonathan that he would not harm David. How did Saul break his promise to Jonathan? (1 Samuel 19:9–10.)
• Jonathan and David made a covenant of friendship and peace that was to last through their descendants forever (see 1 Samuel 20:14–17, 42). What is a covenant? (A solemn promise between two or more people. Remind the children of some of the important covenants we make with God.) Why do you think Jonathan and David thought their friendship was important enough to make a covenant about?
• How was Jonathan to let David know if it was safe to come back to Saul’s court? (1 Samuel 20:18–22.) How did Saul react to David’s absence and Jonathan’s defense of his friend? (1 Samuel 20:27, 31–33; explain that because of the severity of Saul’s sins, he was withdrawing even further from the Lord.)
• What did Jonathan do to help David when he later found him hiding from Saul in the woods? (1 Samuel 23:16–17.) How can we strengthen and encourage our friends?
• How did David prove that he was still loyal to King Saul even when Saul continually tried to kill him? (1 Samuel 24:9–10.) What should we do when others are unkind to us? What did Saul do when David spared his life? (1 Samuel 24:16–19.)
• What did David do when he heard that both Jonathan and Saul were dead? (2 Samuel 1:11–12.) After David became king, what did he do to show that he remembered the covenant of friendship that he had made with Jonathan? (2 Samuel 9:1, 3, 6–7, 13.)
• How was David a true friend to Saul even when Saul wasn’t a friend to him? How did David and Jonathan show they were true friends? How can we be true friends? Help the children understand that true friendship creates a bond of love. It causes people to care as much about what the other person wants as about what they want. How can we develop true friendships? Explain that the best way to have a friend is to be a friend. Remind the children that Jesus Christ is a true friend. How can we follow Jesus’ example of friendship?

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

1. If possible, have the children use each of the following words at least once as they fill in the blanks in the following paragraphs. Make a copy of the paragraphs for each child or write the key words on the chalkboard and read the statement to the children for them to complete as a class.
- signal
- covenant
- safety
- danger
- arrows
- three
(click to view larger)

Key: signal—5, 10; covenant—1, 18;safety—6, 13; danger—7, 15, 16; arrows—4, 9, 11, 12, 14; three—2, 3, 8, 17
2. Explain that a true friend is someone who helps you become a better person and never tries to persuade you to do things that are wrong. Invite the children to share experiences about times when someone has been a true friend to them and ask how it made them feel. You may also wish to share an experience you have had.
3. Spread out five or six pieces of different-colored papers so the class can see all of them. Ask the children which color they think is the best and which color they think is the worst. After all the children have answered, explain that there is no color that is better or worse than any other. They are just different, and even knowing that one color is our favorite color does not make it a better color. Variety in color helps make our world beautiful, and variety in people makes our world better too. Ask the children to discuss how people are different. Point out the obvious things—such as hair color, eye color, age, size, and personality—but try to sensitively discuss other things too.
You might demonstrate how it feels to be different by having the children pretend that they are in a country where everything is different to them. Their neighbors eat different food, wear different clothes, and speak a different language than the children are used to. Using a foreign language, ask the children to do something for you. Use the following examples or others that you know.
- English: Please stand up and tell us your name.
- German: Bitte stehen Sie auf, und sagen Sie uns wie Sie heißen.
- French: Levez-vous, s’il vous plaît. Comment vous appelez-vous?
- • Whom should we choose as our friends? Help the children understand that if we limit our friendships to those who are just like we are, we will be missing out on many good experiences. Explain that rather than avoid those who are different than we are, we should do what we can to understand them. We should always be ready to be friends with people who share our values and ideals.
4. Tell the children that one way to strengthen friendships is to get to know one another better. To help the class members know each other better, play the following game.
Pass around a bowl of small pieces of candy or dried beans. As you pass the bowl around, have each child name something he or she likes to do, take a piece of candy or a bean, and pass the bowl to the next child. Keep passing the bowl until all the children have had at least one turn.

Alternate game: Have the children sit in a circle. Play spin the bottle by placing a narrow bottle on its side on the floor. Tell one thing about yourself and spin the bottle. Whoever the mouth of the bottle points to when the bottle stops spinning will be next to tell one thing about himself or herself, plus one good thing that he or she knows about someone in the class (this could be something the children have learned during the game or something they already knew about the person). Have the child spin the bottle to determine who has the next turn.
5. Review the thirteenth article of faith and discuss what it teaches us about being a true friend.
6. Sing or read the words to “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus”(Children’s Songbook, p. 78) or “We Are Different” (Children’s Songbook, p. 263).

Conclusion

Testimony and Challenge

Emphasize that if we develop qualities of a true friend, we will be blessed with friendships that can be eternal. Challenge the children to strengthen their friendship with Christ by keeping his commandments and remembering him always.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”