Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 18:1-16
There is an interesting and significant study in contrasts in 1 Samuel 18. The contrast is seen in two opposite reactions to David’s successes and the reactions came from a father and his son. One is the reaction of unselfish love and the other is the reaction of consuming jealousy.
King Saul’s son was Jonathan. As the son of the king, Jonathan was the heir to the throne of Israel. But a deep and abiding friendship developed between David and Jonathan (1 Sam 18:1-4). In a symbolic show of commitment, Jonathan gave David his royal armor, sword, bow, and belt. It may have also been a recognition on Jonathan’s part that he accepted the divine choice of David to be king(cf. 1 Sam 23:17). The two men made a covenant of friendship. Such was the love of these men that when Jonathan was killed in battle, David declared, "I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women" (2 Sam 1:26).
Jonathan’s father, King Saul, had a different view of David. He saw David as being a threat to his popularity and throne. He looked at David with jealousy, fear, and anger (2 Sam 18:7,8,12). When the Spirit of God left Saul, he was then open to demonic influences, whom God gave permission to afflict Saul (1 Sam 16:14; 18:10). So consumed was Saul by envy and fear that he attempted, twice, to kill David (2 Sam 18:11).
This contrast of love and jealousy confronts us with those competing affections which swirl in our own hearts. We all love and we all envy. To grow in selfless love (whether toward a friend or spouse or child) we must be increasingly captured by the love of Christ for us. This way God will increase our capacity to love others and rid us of the restless, enslaving power of jealousy.
