The story of Jonathan is written in 1 Samuel. He does not seem to be the main character in 1 Samuel compare to his father, Saul or his best friend, David. However, it does not mean that Jonathan was not a great man. Jonathan was actually a truly great man. Just because he didn’t raise to the throne of Israel does not mean Jonathan is not a great man. He is great not in human standard, but even in the higher standard: God’s standard.
The name Jonathan, son of Saul, is first found in 1 Samuel 13 : 2. Jonathan name is first heard in a battleship. Not so long after mentioning his name, the bible records his military greatness. Jonathan attacks the Philistines and wins the battle. In next chapter we read even more amazing story about Jonathan. Together with his armor bearer -and only together with his armor bearer, Jonathan attacked the Philistines in their own refuges and also killed twenty men. This initial attack, led to the victory of Israel.
After 1 Samuel chapter 14, the bible does not tell us the military greatness story about Jonathan anymore. Instead, the bible records another aspect of Jonathan’s greatness. As King Saul’s firstborn, Jonathan is the heir of the throne of Israel. But besides his heredity factor, Jonathan is also worth to be next king by his character. Unlike his father, Saul who had very little faith, Jonathan was a man of faith. His braveness to attack philistine that was by any human point of view stronger than Israel, showed his faith to God. We read that the reason of his attack because he believed that nothing could restrain God from saving either by many of by few. He was a military leader that led through examples. He was loved by the army of Israel that they were stopping Saul to kill Jonathan in order to fill Saul’s vow. But besides all of these, he had to face a fact that the throne Israel wouldn’t be his and it was not because his fault but because his father’s fault. He had to face a fact that in spite of his faith to God, God chose David to be the next king. What a bitter fact he had to face. But, we never read Jonathan complains about these situations! What we read even more strange, Jonathan supports David to be the next king. He made a friendship to David, kept loyal to him and never supported his father’s plan to kill David. What an amazing character. A rightful prince of the throne of Israel was ready to be the second!
There is no question about how big Jonathan’s faith is. Just look his deeds when attacking a greater enemy because his believe in God. But, there should be also no question about how loyal Jonathan is. Look what he did both to his best friend and to his father. Jonathan never supports his father’s plan to kill David, he even works to save David’s life. Although he knows where David hid, he never betrays his friend by telling his father such information. On other side, we also read the unquestionable loyalty of Jonathan to his father. His father is totally not a good father to be an example. His father is full of envy, very self-centered that he even tries to kill Jonathan when he is trying to change his mind of killing David. But, Jonathan never leaves his father! He was there in last battle of his father. He died in side of his father and again because of his father disloyalty to God. Jonathan’s father is a self-centered individual but Jonathan never copies his father’s character. However, he did respect his father in spite of his dishonorable character. This loyal character is very beautiful in sight of God, like it is written in Proverbs 3:3,4.
Beside becoming an example of faith and loyalty, Jonathan is also an example of self-abnegation. Must be hard for him to know that God set him aside from the throne of Israel. But, Jonathan refuses to pamper his feeling, instead, he supports God’s plan to set David to throne of Israel. These all could happen only because Jonathan loves God and David more than he loves himself. At the end of his life, Jonathan may no receive what is worth for him. But his story stands firm to be a witness about the existence of faith, loyalty and self-abnegation love in this sinful world. Like John the Baptist, he vanished in the silence. But like John the Baptist also, I believe about him Jesus Himself would testify that among all men that is born from the womb of woman there is no greater man than him.
