Deeper Reflection
HAVING RENEWED their “covenant” with each other “before the LORD” (v.18; see 1 Sam 18:3; 20:14-17), David and Jonathan parted ways. This was the last time David and Jonathan saw each other. The next time would be David learning of Jonathan’s death in battle (2 Sam 1). Meanwhile, as David was hiding “in the strongholds at Horesh” in Ziph, the Ziphites, in their loyalty to King Saul, planned to “surrender” David into his hands (vv.19-20). To that, Saul gave a very spiritual response: “May you be blessed of the LORD” (v.21). Saul deluded himself into thinking that God was on his side when he heard that David had “trapped” himself in Keilah: “God had delivered him into my hand” (1 Sam 23:7). The delusion continued in his pious-sounding blessing on the Ziphites who conspired with him to kill David. Rather unfortunately, the name “God” can be a very effective device for self-deception. Saying “Lord, Lord”, and prophesying, casting out demons and performing miracles in Jesus’ name can in reality be spiritual blindness and self-delusion (Matt 7:22-23). Beware of the dangerous hypocrisy of honouring God with our lips while our heart is far away from Him (Mk 7:6). Let us consciously know why we mention the name “God” when we do – be it to ourselves or to others. It could be just one of the spiritual cliches that we use unthinkingly out of an empty, hollow spirituality that we are unaware of – just like Saul.