Foreigners in King David’s court

(Continuing my fixation with non-Israelites in the Old Testament.)

Not only did these people live among God’s covenant community, but they were also included in His scriptures!

Uriah the Hittite

While there were Hittites in Canaan during the patriarchal period (Genesis 23:10, 26:34), the Hittite homeland was in the area that is modern-day Turkey.

Uriah was a man of character to the point of defying the king’s orders. He would not allow himself any pleasures that his comrades on the battle field were denied (2 Samuel 11:11). In that verse he also mentions the ark of the covenant, so it is possible that he was faithful to the God of Israel.

Whatever the case, the Bible writers certainly look on him favourably, ranking him among David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:39; 1 Chronicles 11:41).

Ittai the Gittite

‘Gittite’ is the adjective deriving from Gath, which was the name of one of the main towns of the Philistines. (There may have been another town named Gath in Israel which would explain 2 Samuel 6:10-11.)

Ittai also defied the king. When David was fleeing from Jerusalem after Absalom’s coup, he urged Ittai to remain behind because he was a foreigner. Ittai’s response to David rivals Ruth’s response to Naomi some generations earlier: “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” (2 Samuel 15:21 ESV)

Ittai makes a vow in the name of Yahweh, and we’re not given any reason to doubt his sincerity.

The Cushite messenger

‘Cush’ in the Bible refers to the area south of Egypt, very likely inhabited by dark-skinned Africans (like me!).

This particular messenger was sent by David’s army commander to give the king the news of the victory over Absalom and his army. The messenger probably knew that David wouldn’t take the news of his son’s death too well and was very tactful in his speech:

Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The LORD has delivered you today from all who rose up against you.”
The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.” (2 Samuel 18:31-32 NIV84)

He uses the covenant name of the God of Israel, so maybe he too was a believer.

Honourable mentions

The Kerethites and Pelethites: They were soldiers in David’s army (2 Samuel 8:18, 15:18, 20:7; 1 Kings 1:44), probably from Crete and Philistia respectively. We never hear of them after the reign of David.
Obil the Ishmaelite: He was in charge of the royal camels (1 Chronicles 27:30). He may have been among the officials who gave to the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 29:6).

So what?

As Christopher Wright says, Old Testament Israel didn’t have a centrifugal missionary force. What they had was an attractional force, and when it worked well, it drew people from near and far and made them worshippers of the one true God.

Jonathan: A son unlike his father (2 of 2)

In Part 1, I looked at Jonathan the warrior.

The next recorded episodes in Jonathan’s life revolve around his friendship with David. While Saul was baffled over the identity of this giant-slaying shepherd boy, Jonathan’s soul was immediately knit to David’s soul (1 Samuel 18:1). He made a covenant with David, giving the future king his royal robe, armour, sword, bow and belt (18:3-4). Jonathan is clearly the instigator of this covenant, with David playing a passive role (see also 1 Samuel 20:8).

David’s subsequent military successes aroused a murderous jealousy in Saul. Jonathan warns David to hide and reasons with his father to have David brought back (19:1-7). Jonathan points out to his father that it would be a sin to kill David without cause, no doubt drawing on the Mosaic law.

David and Jonathan by Gustave Doré

Saul later reneges on his oath not to kill David but doesn’t tell his son, who continues believing the best of him (20:1-3, 9). 1 Samuel 20:12-23 contains the longest speech attributed to Jonathan. He starts and ends it invoking the name of Yahweh, in addition to mentioning the divine name throughout. Jonathan’s use of Yahweh doesn’t appear contrived or phony like Saul’s sometimes does.

Later in the same chapter, Jonathan again defends David to Saul. This time it doesn’t go well, and the conversation ends when Saul hurls a spear at him. Jonathan gets up in fierce anger and was grieved at Saul’s shameful treatment of David. Jonathan wasn’t angry that his father had just tried to kill him (again); he was angry on David’s behalf. Now that’s noble!

Jonathan meets up with David to report his findings. Jonathan’s parting words are: “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, for ever.’” He trusted that Yahweh would watch over both of them and their descendants for all eternity.

Jonathan’s last meeting with David is recorded in 1 Samuel 23:16-18. Saul was hunting David down, yet Saul’s son knew exactly where to find David. Jonathan “strengthened [David's] hand in God” and made a  last covenant with him. His words on that occasion would prove to be partially true: David would indeed be king, but Jonathan wouldn’t be there to see it. While Saul was expending vast amounts of resources in seeking to eliminate David, Jonathan was willing to be David’s second-in-command.

In what seems like one of the greatest wastes of the Bible, Jonathan dies on Mount Gilboa, killed by the Philistines he’d been victorious over many times before. He was faithful where God had placed him—as a valiant prince to Israel, a loving son to Saul and a loyal friend to David— and yet he perished in the prime of his life. If that be God’s plan for my life, am I willing to embrace it?

I think of another “wasted life”, that of John the Baptist. He too died a pointless death before reaching a ripe old age. But consider what he did accomplish: he prepared the way for and pointed to the Son of David, the Lord’s anointed. Both he and Jonathan were perfectly content to decrease while the Lord’s anointed increased. By God’s grace we too can take such a view of things.

Jonathan: A son unlike his father (1 of 2)

When seeking a comparison for King Saul, the Bible reader most naturally lands on King David. Nothing wrong with that: it has impeccable scriptural backing. An overlooked contrast I’d like to consider is that between Saul and his firstborn son Jonathan.

Jonathan defying the outposts of the Philistines

We first meet Jonathan (whose name means ‘given by Yahweh’) in a military context. He attacks a Philistine outpost in Geba (1 Samuel 13:3) and is apparently successful for Saul and the rest of the Israelite army camp there a few verses later (13:16). The Philistines move to Micmash, and Jonathan and his armour-bearer secretly go to pick a fight with them (1 Samuel 13:23-14:14). The narrator  of 1 Samuel quotes Jonathan as saying, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” Together, they killed some twenty men in “half the area ploughed by a yoke of oxen in a day” (14:14).

What was King Saul, leader of Israel’s army, one of the two people in Israel with iron weapons (13:22) doing while his son was engaging with Israel’s enemies? Quite a bit, actually. He sent a message throughout Israel claiming credit for Jonathan’s first victory and summoned the fighting men to join him. He also actively disobeyed God, giving as one of his excuses the scattering soldiers. Jonathan, on the other hand, placed his confidence in God, not in the number of men. He understood that the outcome of a battle depended on God, and his faith moved him to action.

On seeing the fleeing Philistines, Saul and the rest of the army belatedly join Jonathan and his armour-bearer to pursue the enemy. Jonathan, unaware of a fast imposed on the army by his father, eats some honey. Later in the day, his father comes to find out and is ready to kill him. On his part, Jonathan is ready to die (1 Samuel 14:43). Recognising that Yahweh had worked through him that day, the men with Saul took an oath and redeemed Jonathan so that he did not die (14:45). That they were willing to stand up to the king over such a serious matter on Jonathan’s behalf must say something of the respect and love the people had for him.

In the next post: Jonathan as son and covenant friend.