Read Online The Prince: Jonathan by Francine Rivers - Free Book Online
Authors: Francine Rivers
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everyone. “Leave us!”
Jonathan wanted to flee before the wrath that was sure to come.
“My son stays.” Saul commanded Jonathan with a gesture.
Jonathan took his place beside his father. He could not desert him now: how could he when Geba had started all this?
Samuel stared at Saul. “How foolish! You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Jonathan cringed.
Saul gritted his teeth in anger, but when the prophet turned away, the king took a step toward him. “You turn your back on me, Samuel? You turn your back on Israel’s king? Where are you going?”
“I am going to Gibeah.” Samuel sounded weary and disheartened. “I would advise you to do the same.”
Saul kicked the dust. “Go and tell Abner to count the men we have left.”
Tears pricked Jonathan’s eyes as he watched the old prophet walk away. “We should follow Samuel, Father.”
“After we find out how many men we have left.”
Jonathan wanted to cry out in grief. What did it matter how many men stood with a king rejected by God? “Let me speak to him on your behalf.”
“Go, if you think you can do any good.” Saul turned away.
Jonathan ran after Samuel.
Samuel turned when he came near and spoke to those accompanying him. They moved away. Samuel leaned heavily on his staff, his face etched with exhaustion and sorrow.
Jonathan fell to his knees and bowed his face to the ground.
“Stand up!”
Jonathan surged to his feet, trembling.
“Why do you chase after me? Do you mean to use your sword against me?”
“No!” Jonathan blanched. “My father means you no harm, nor do I! Please . . . I came to ask you to forgive me. The blame is mine!”
Samuel shook his head. “You did not perform the sacrifice.”
Tears blurred Jonathan’s eyes. “My father was afraid. Because of what I did at Geba, all this . . .” He could not see Samuel’s expression or guess at what the seer thought. “I’m the one who attacked Geba and brought the Philistines’ wrath upon us. When we heard of the forces that are coming against us, the men began to desert. My father—”
“Each man makes his decisions, Jonathan, and each bears the consequences of what he decides.”
“But are we not also prey to circumstances around us?”
“You know better.”
“Can there be no allowances for mistakes? for fear?”
“Who is the enemy, Jonathan?”
“The Philistines.” Jonathan wept. “I don’t want God to be our enemy. What can I do to make things right?”
Samuel put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “What do you wear against your heart, my son?”
Jonathan put his hand against his breastplate. “The Law.”
“Did you write it in your own hand because you thought you would be king someday?”
Jonathan blinked. Had he? Samuel said that Saul’s kingdom would not last now. Did that mean Israel would fall? Did that mean the people would all suffer at the hands of their enemies?
“You say nothing.”
Jonathan searched his eyes. “I want to say no.” He swallowed hard. “But do I know myself well enough to answer?”
“Speak the truth to the king no matter what the others around him say. And pray for him, my son.” Samuel released him.
Jonathan longed for reassurance. “Will you pray for my father?” Surely the prayers of a righteous man would be heard by God.
“Yes.”
Jonathan grasped hope. “Then the Lord our God will not abandon us completely.”
“God does not abandon men, my son. Men abandon God.” As the old prophet headed toward Gibeah, his companions joined him.
Jonathan stood watching for a long time, praying for Samuel’s safety and for his father, the king, to repent.
Samuel waited in Gibeah while the
Jonathan wanted to flee before the wrath that was sure to come.
“My son stays.” Saul commanded Jonathan with a gesture.
Jonathan took his place beside his father. He could not desert him now: how could he when Geba had started all this?
Samuel stared at Saul. “How foolish! You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Jonathan cringed.
Saul gritted his teeth in anger, but when the prophet turned away, the king took a step toward him. “You turn your back on me, Samuel? You turn your back on Israel’s king? Where are you going?”
“I am going to Gibeah.” Samuel sounded weary and disheartened. “I would advise you to do the same.”
Saul kicked the dust. “Go and tell Abner to count the men we have left.”
Tears pricked Jonathan’s eyes as he watched the old prophet walk away. “We should follow Samuel, Father.”
“After we find out how many men we have left.”
Jonathan wanted to cry out in grief. What did it matter how many men stood with a king rejected by God? “Let me speak to him on your behalf.”
“Go, if you think you can do any good.” Saul turned away.
Jonathan ran after Samuel.
Samuel turned when he came near and spoke to those accompanying him. They moved away. Samuel leaned heavily on his staff, his face etched with exhaustion and sorrow.
Jonathan fell to his knees and bowed his face to the ground.
“Stand up!”
Jonathan surged to his feet, trembling.
“Why do you chase after me? Do you mean to use your sword against me?”
“No!” Jonathan blanched. “My father means you no harm, nor do I! Please . . . I came to ask you to forgive me. The blame is mine!”
Samuel shook his head. “You did not perform the sacrifice.”
Tears blurred Jonathan’s eyes. “My father was afraid. Because of what I did at Geba, all this . . .” He could not see Samuel’s expression or guess at what the seer thought. “I’m the one who attacked Geba and brought the Philistines’ wrath upon us. When we heard of the forces that are coming against us, the men began to desert. My father—”
“Each man makes his decisions, Jonathan, and each bears the consequences of what he decides.”
“But are we not also prey to circumstances around us?”
“You know better.”
“Can there be no allowances for mistakes? for fear?”
“Who is the enemy, Jonathan?”
“The Philistines.” Jonathan wept. “I don’t want God to be our enemy. What can I do to make things right?”
Samuel put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “What do you wear against your heart, my son?”
Jonathan put his hand against his breastplate. “The Law.”
“Did you write it in your own hand because you thought you would be king someday?”
Jonathan blinked. Had he? Samuel said that Saul’s kingdom would not last now. Did that mean Israel would fall? Did that mean the people would all suffer at the hands of their enemies?
“You say nothing.”
Jonathan searched his eyes. “I want to say no.” He swallowed hard. “But do I know myself well enough to answer?”
“Speak the truth to the king no matter what the others around him say. And pray for him, my son.” Samuel released him.
Jonathan longed for reassurance. “Will you pray for my father?” Surely the prayers of a righteous man would be heard by God.
“Yes.”
Jonathan grasped hope. “Then the Lord our God will not abandon us completely.”
“God does not abandon men, my son. Men abandon God.” As the old prophet headed toward Gibeah, his companions joined him.
Jonathan stood watching for a long time, praying for Samuel’s safety and for his father, the king, to repent.
Samuel waited in Gibeah while the
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