Hidden Treasures

By: Stephanie DeFoyd
March 4, 2013


I was probably no more than 6 or 8 years old the last time my family and I took a vacation along the coast.  I can still remember Alyssa, Trevor, and I kicking off our sandals and running barefoot across the beach to the small waves lapping on the ocean shore, the gritty sand beneath my feet, and the salty breeze hitting my face. I remember digging in the sand, quickly building castles with our plastic buckets before the tide rose and washed away our masterpieces. Chasing those unbelievably speedy sand dollars with Dad, and finding washed up starfish along the sea shore's edge.  Being fascinated by the colorful sea anemones we found living in the shallow coves while climbing and hopping across the slimy, barnacle-ridden rocks surrounding the salty pools.  Laughing as Dad lost his grip on the end of our kite and watching him race across the beach in attempt to retrieve it.  Collecting all kinds of sea shells and cool looking rocks with Alyssa, and wanting to take everything we discovered back home with us.  The memories of our discoveries and family fun are endless.

My personal Bible study for the past several weeks has been over the life of David and how he was a man after God's own heart.  Now, King David is one of those who is very prominent and well known to many, as are the apostles, Moses, Noah, Adam and Eve, and many others.  But the study I'm doing didn't start out with explaining David's beginning.  No, instead we take a look at a young man who entered the stage before David.  A man of royalty who played a great role in the life of God's chosen one, and who was to become his most loyal and beloved friend: Jonathan.

Jonathan was the son of King Saul, and the rightful heir to the throne according to the law.  I admit I had never really paid much mind to Jonathan before this study, let alone thought about what type of role he played in the life of young David.  There were two passages that caught my attention, but the first verse was 1 Samuel 14:6.

"And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few."

Jonathan and his armor bearer were spying on the Philistines alone and planning on overthrowing the enemy's camp on their own.  No army to assist them, only God at their side.  From a worldly view, this could look like a recipe for disaster on Jonathan's part: a mighty Philistine army against two young warriors?  The odds are not exactly in their favor.  There was only One who could cause these two men to claim victory over the enemy, and Jonathan recognized Him.  God.  "... it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." 

Jonathan knew that they could not claim victory or Israel over the Philistine's defeat without the Lord's help.  But notice something else that Jonathan says in this verse.  He doesn't say, "The Lord will work in our favor," but "it may be that the Lord will work for us. ..." (emphasis mine).  By saying this, Jonathan is pointing out the fact that God most certainly COULD deliver the Philistines into his and his armor bearer's hand for the victory of Israel, but that doesn't mean that God WOULD.  He recognized God's might and power, yet at the same time he recognized his Savior's sovereignty.  Whatever the Father chose to do -- whether it be to allow the Philistines to claim victory, or to deliver them into the hand of Israel -- it would be a choice made out of sovereignty.  It could and would never be made out of weakness.

The second passage that stood out to me concerning this young man was 1 Samuel 18:1-4.

"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.  And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.  Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 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."

These four verses describe a covenant between Jonathan and David before David's reign as king.  The Bible says that Jonathan loved his friend as himself and wanted to show David this love by creating a covenant with him.  It doesn't mention David having the same brotherly love back, and thus why the covenant.  It says that it was done because of Jonathan's love for David.  This covenant was demonstrated by Jonathan giving David his robe, garments, and weapons.

Jonathan, by law, was the rightful and next heir to the throne of Israel, and his father, Saul, seemed determined that his son take his place as king (1 Samuel 20:30-31).  What his father wanted for him as heir of the throne had probably been known to Jonathan since the beginning.  He was royalty after all.  But Jonathan also knew that David was the chosen future king of Israel and anointed by God, despite Jonathan's lawful right to the throne.  Jonathan could have followed his father and been angry and jealous towards David for pretty much taking his position to the throne of Israel away from him.  Yet we see that Jonathan had a heart and mind for God's will.  In verse four, Jonathan's giving David his robe, garments, and weapons not only symoblized his love for his friend, but also his loyalty and willingness to the will of the Lord and his plan for David to become king.  He was signifying that he was giving up his right to the throne for the chosen one of God.

Just as Jonathan demonstrated his love for David by making a covenant with him, Jesus did the same with us.  God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to bear the weight of our sins on the cross, and rise again to declare victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave, giving us the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Him.  The Lord didn't do this because of our love for Him, but rather because of His love for us (1 John 4:19).

These seemingly simple verses, ones that I've read repeatedly over the years and never really gave a second thought about, are verses full of power, lessons to be both learned and taught, and full of purpose.  They are just like those sea shells and sand dollars on the beach, or the salty pools full of beautiful sea creatures hidden behind the craggy, barnacle-ridden rocks: priceless treasures just waiting to be discovered.  When you read God's holy Word, don't just skim over what might at first seem like extra information that isn't relevant to you.  Everything in His book He had recorded for us for a reason and a specific purpose.  The Bible is chock-full of His valueable and beautiful treasures, just waiting to be discovered and rediscovered by His children.  Oh, that God might open up our hearts and minds so that we may be able to recognize these precious and blessed treasures!