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Jonathan and David promise friendship

A promise of loyalty and friendship.
Contributed by Sweet Publishing
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, German, French, Hindi, Simplified Chinese
1
After God rejected Saul as King, the Spirit of God left him and he was sometimes tormented by an evil spirit. His attendants suggested a young musician called David be brought in to play the lyre (harp) to comfort the King (1 Samuel 16:14-23 ). – Slide 1
2
Whenever Saul was tormented David would play his lyre and the evil spirit would leave. – Slide 2
3
After David killed Goliath he returned as a hero and King Saul became very angry and jealous of him. – Slide 3
4
The next day as David was playing the lyre, Saul had a spear in his hand. He hurled it saying, ‘I’ll pin him to the wall.’ But David eluded him twice. – Slide 4
5
Saul planned to get David killed in battle so he made him commander over a thousand men. However, the Lord was with David and he was victorious in battles making him even more popular. – Slide 5
6
Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. – Slide 6
7
Saul offered his daughter Michal in marriage to David if he killed 200 Philistines. David did not think himself worthy to become the King’s son-in-law but took up the challenge. David was not killed by the Philistines as Saul hoped but returned in triumph and took Michal as his wife. Saul became afraid of David as he knew the Lord was with him. – Slide 7
8
King Saul’s son, Jonathan, had become a close friend of David and given him his tunic, sword, bow and his belt. They made a promise to remain friends. Saul told Jonathan to kill David but he kept his promised and instead of attacking David warned him his life was in danger. He then spoke well of David to Saul and made the king promise not to harm David. – Slide 8
9
After another victory against the Philistines, David was playing his lyre for King Saul. The King became tormented and threw his spear at David, who dodged out of the way. The spear drove into the wall and David fled home. – Slide 9
10
Saul sent men to David’s house to keep it under watch then kill David in the morning. – Slide 10
11
David’s wife, Michal, warned him, ‘If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.’ She let him down through a window to make his escape. Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head. – Slide 11
12
The next morning when the soldiers arrived, she pretended David was ill. When Saul told them to bring David to him they discovered the figure in the bed was an idol. – Slide 12
13
David fled to Ramah to see Samuel and tell him all that Saul had done to him. – Slide 13
14
David arranged a secret meeting with Jonathan. They made a promise to show kindness to each other and their families. The next day was the New Moon feast and David was supposed to dine with the King but he was going to hide in a field instead. Jonathan agreed to let David know if Saul was angry and still planning to kill him. They arranged a secret signal, involving an arrow being shot, to let David know whether it was safe or needed to flee. – Slide 14
15
So David hid in the field. When the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. David’s place was empty. Saul did not comment why David was missing. – Slide 15
16
But the next day when David’s place at the table was still empty Saul asked, ‘Why isn’t David here?’ – Slide 16
17
Jonathan gave the excuse he and David had agreed and told his father that David was in Bethlehem with his family making a sacrifice. – Slide 17
18
Saul’s anger flared at Jonathan. ‘You have sided with David to your own shame. As long as he lives you will not become king. Send David to me so I can kill him.’ – Slide 18
19
‘Why should he be put to death? What has he done?’ Jonathan asked. Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan in anger. There was no doubt that David’s life was in danger. – Slide 19
20
The next morning Jonathan went out to the field where David was hiding. He told the small boy with him, ‘Run and find the arrows I shoot.’ As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out the secret signal he had made to warn David. ‘Isn’t the arrow beyond you? Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!’ – Slide 20
21
The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, ‘Go, carry them back to town.’ – Slide 21
22
After the boy had gone, David got up from his hiding place and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. – Slide 22
23
They kissed each other and wept together but David wept the most. Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord. God is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants for ever.’ – Slide 23
24
The two friends departed. David left to go into hiding and Jonathan returned home. – Slide 24
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