The Saul end of the Stick

One of my favorite people in the Bible is Jonathan, son of King Saul, as he is such a marvelous creation in selflessness.

Here was a man whose father was King of Israel, anointed by the last Judge Prophet, Samuel, and when Saul was in open rebellion against God, Jonathan knowing the throne was his, submitted to a stranger in David, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem his rightful throne by birth.

It did not just end with submission, but Jonathan loved David in the kind of Christ Love which was pure and selfless. He entered into with David the most sacred of rights which most people should never enter into as they are too weak to deal with the consequences.
Jonathan and David made Covenant, sealed by God and in that moment David was adopted into the Saul family as there was no longer any distinction between Jonathan or David in God's eyes or the eyes of all Israel.

That is the mystery of Covenant which I have mentioned before. It is what Christ was instituting at the Last Supper, because that is what the spilling of blood and broken body means He made in the Lasting Covenant. It was the same Covenant which God made with Abraham.
In Covenant, two animals are slaughtered, a bull for strength and a lamb ram for vulnerability. They are laid out end for end and then split, so the blood flows between the two uniting them.

The people entering into covenant then walk in figure 8 and stopping making vows. They will also exchange clothes and weapons, so they are now the other person. This is the vulnerability phase as someone with their pants or girdle down could be slaughtered by the other as their sword is drawn.
A second figure 8 is then walked in which the sacred words are spoken binding this so it can not be broken and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Bread is broken and blessed to note that the broken animals bodies are in mirror of this bread which is eaten with the words, "By this bread, I signify I will lay down my life if you are starving, I will feed you with my own flesh to preserve you".
The wine in mirror of the blood is then blessed and drunk wit the the words, "By this wine, I signify that my blood will be poured out as water to save your life".

As stated, that is what Jesus was doing in the Last Supper and on the cross He would signify the final act which Jonathan and David accomplished in marking themselves as the sign, in their palms were slit as Christ was marked by the nails forever.

The Hebrews knew this and the Disciples understood Covenant too. It is a shame that in Communion in remember the Lord that they have no idea what sacred thing of history which they are a part of in "this do in remembrance of Me".

This knowing meant that if someone grabbed a hold of David in thinking he was just this shepherd, they would soon enough bare his wrists and see those marks. Horror would seize the person, because they had just laid hands on the King's own, as their was no difference.
That is the thing which Jonathan gave up and this is the humbleness of David, because he was adopted into the royal line just like every Christian is.........and just as Christ was adopted into the "other Joseph" line for the fulfillment of his Priestly rights of the Magdalene line of his stepmother.

One thing until this morning has always torn at my heart in sorrow in how this Jonathan who is the perfection of the Lancelot legend in he was pure, brave and steadfast. He gave up everything and was slain for it.
One has to understand that Saul was of the people's choice and heart. God did send Samuel to anoint him, but Saul was a manifestation of the weakness of the people's heart in not being true to God, but existing in faithlessness.
David is the man after God's Own Heart. He was God's choice to remedy the mistake the Israelites who are the forebearers of the Gileadites of Joseph in America. By him would Christ and Salvation come into the world in the New Testament which could not be broken as Jesus is the Guarantor of it.

Jonathan could not be the person who God would choose to bring about this Grace through, although he was the most selfless person in history. The key to understanding though why Jonathan was slaughtered with is brothers by the Philistines is in the Bible though. It had nothing to do with Jonathan, but had everything to do with Saul his father.

Israel had been at war with the Philistine and they were basically hiding in the mountains. Many had gone over to the Philistines side. While Saul sat under a tree with 600 warriors, Jonathan was moved in the most amazing way to tell his young armour bearer that they alone should go down to the Philistine garrison which guarded the mountain pass and if the Philistines said "wait" they would wait, but if the Philistines said, "come", Jonathan would take that as a sign of God that the Philistines were delivered into their hand.

I have always laughed when this armour bearer who was probably a child heard Jonathan say what he did, because his reply was, "Do what you think best", but he must have thought the guy was nuts and was going to get them both killed.

The Philistines said, "come", and in a half acre Jonathan struck down a number of them while his armour bearer finished them off.
The Philistines seeing this went into a panic and at that moment God caused the earth to quake which sent them in a running panic.

Saul hearing this tumult found out Jonathan was the source of the rout, and Saul attempted to call upon God in the casting of the lot, and then stopped the Priest with the Ephod, and ordered the people into battle.
While Jonathan was away, Saul had in rash haste pronounced a curse on anyone who ate anything that day before sundown, until Saul was avenged on his enemies.

Jonathan had no idea of what was said, and in pursuing the Philistines ate some honey he found and the people told him what Saul had ordered, but Jonathan scolded his fathers harsh words saying, "If he had allowed the men to eat, the slaughter would have been complete".

The next day God was silent to Saul, and Saul wanted to know the sin, because of the silence from God. He even said if it was of his own son that he would kill him.
The lot was cast and Jonathan was singled out and Saul meant to kill him, because of his decree.

The people at that point rose up and said, "No harm is going to come to Jonathan who brought us this great victory".
Israel saved Jonathan that day, but nowhere is it said Saul repented or attempted to undo his death curse on his own son. So in reality, it was not Jonathan's Heavenly Father who was the reason he as slaughtered years later with his brothers in battle, but was because of the rash curse of his own father.

A great lesson can be learned in this for parents in not speaking bad things over their children like, "That will kill you" or the casting of spells on wishes on birthday cakes. Parents have great power for their children and must always speak with care as much as any leader who goes around telling his people to shut up as "I won".

I know that God did not choose Bearick Obama and I know that no good will come from him. It is a pit there is no Jonathan in that family to give a shining light of reason to a rather insane lot which is troubled as Saul was by their own demons of gluttony and weakness in blaming others.

Jonathan was the most special of people and he is one of the overlooked members of our family and that is truly shameful as David in his love for this brother would do anything for him and did in rescuing Jonathan's crippled son, bringing him into David's own home to live.

That is the teaching and Jonathan's example deserves to be remembered as he did, because he was a wonderful person in God for many to emulate in accepting God's Will when that will is making a destiny we want for someone else.

God bless the memory of Prince Jonathan, first royal prince of Israelites.

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