“Where are they?”
“What?” Maor
went to him. Jonathon was like a
madman.
“My
leathers. Do you not put things where
they should be?” Jonathan didn’t slow
down. Maor put his hand on the prince’s
arm to make him stop. He felt the muscle
tremoring.
“They’re on the
desk, Sire, where you asked me to lay them for the morning,” Maor said
softly. Jonathon looked at the servant
like he was crazy, then turned to the desk.
He pulled his tunic off as he walked to the clothes. Instead of dressing, though, he sank into the
chair next to them and put his head in his hands.
“He threw a
spear at me.” Jonathan said. “I swore to David he was wrong. I’m such a fool!” Maor didn’t say anything. He knew his prince’s moods and he’d already
heard of the events at dinner from a kitchen maid. This wasn’t a time to respond. Jonathan abruptly stood. “Help me get ready. I need to warn him.”
Again Maor
remained silent as he helped Jonathan change to his archery attire. “My father proved tonight he wants David
dead. I need to warn him.” Now Maor understood why the prince insisted
his clothes be ready for early morning.
It wasn’t for archery practice.
“Are you crazy, Sire? You’ve already angered your father enough to
throw a spear at you. That’s just with
words. Who knows what will happen if he
finds out that you went to David and warned him?”
“Then don’t tell him.” Jonathan said. “David’s my best friend. I won’t let anybody hurt him. Not even my father.”
“It’s your throne your father is trying to
protect.”
“What do you know of that?” Jonathan was harsher than he meant to be. Maor grinned at him, though, in an attempt to
calm the man.
“You mean all that nonsense about the prophet
saying David would take the crown away from your father so the King is out to
kill him? Nothing, your majesty. Just
palace gossip is all.”
Instead of calming him, Jonathon was angrier
now. First David and now his servant.
How could Jonathan have missed it? He threw a leather glove. It landed without a
sound. The next victim of his ire was a
gold wash basin. It clanged off the wall and clattered across the floor with a more satisfying clamor. “It seems everyone but me is privy to this
information.” Why couldn’t his father and friend allow God
to bring peace between them?
Maor seemed to read his mind. He stopped the
prince before the water pitcher was sacrificed. “Your father and best friend are at odds with
each other. You care about them.”
“I’d talked to my father before. He said he wasn’t going to harm David.”
“He said what he wanted you wanted to hear.”
“That’s what David said, too.” Jonathon knew his father and others didn’t
understand his friendship with David.
They thought him crazy for protecting the man who had taken his place as
heir. He often prayed that God would
give them the faith he had. “My father’s
advisors tell me I shouldn’t be loyal to David.
They think I should be jealous for the crown. What do you say?”
“Me? I’m
just a humble servant.” Maor made a show
of picking up the clothes Jonathan had thrown out of the wardrobe. It had Maor’s desired effect. Jonathan
laughed at him.
“Humble servant? You? But,
your words are worth more than 20 court advisors.”
Maor thought for a moment before
responding. “It seems to me it’s Yahweh’s
advice you should be seeking.”
Jonathan sat on the edge of his bed. Jonathan
knew what God had spoken against his family.
“It’s no longer my crown, Maor. Because
of my father I have no right...” Jonathan
stopped himself. No matter how much he
trusted his servant, he wasn’t going to be disrespectful to his father and his
king.
“I know, your majesty. Palace gossip, remember?” He handed Jonathan his bow. “I
know you’re anxious, but don’t you think it might look suspicious, you
practicing at night? Maybe the original plan of going out in the morning is
better.”
Jonathan wanted to hurl the man across the room. He was irreverent and infuriating, but he was
also right. “You fool.”
Jonathan had calmed down, silently thanking Yahweh for an honest,
level-headed servant.
“If I’m a fool, what does that make your
advisors?”
“Useless, of course.” No, not just servant, Jonathon thought, but
friend. One of two that Jonathan could
name. He knew the other would keep until
the morning.
“Yahweh will protect him, Sire, just like He
did you tonight. Trust in Him.”
“I know, Maor.
But He doesn’t make it easy, does He?”
Author's Note: I love the friendship between Jonathan and David. I know we all hear Saul's and David's POV. Jonathan is so interesting, though. This is a "missing scene" from the events recorded in I Samuel 19-20.
