Perspective: What Happens in the Field

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What Happens in the Field

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)

If the sky above you
Grows dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind begins to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
Soon you'll hear me knockin' at your door

From "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King

Ever since King Saul fell out of favor with God, he has descended into some very dark states of mind.¹  Multiple times, he has tried to murder David, the young man who will someday become his successor.  Sometimes he sends David out into battle, hoping that their nation's enemies will do his dirty work, but sometimes he takes matters into his own hands and hurls spears at David while he is playing music.²

One day, David meets with his dear friend Jonathan, who also happens to be Saul's son, and asks him what he could have possibly done to make his father try to kill him.  Naturally, Jonathan is shocked to hear that his father would do such a thing.  David insists that his life is in danger and asks Jonathan for help.³

Jonathan then says to David, "Let's go into the field."⁴

As a general rule, when something I read in the Bible reminds me of another part of the Bible that was written earlier, I assume that the author was intentionally alluding to it.  Though I do not really know if the author who wrote about David and Jonathan meant to call another story to mind, Jonathan's suggestion that he and David "go into the field" certainly gives me a feeling of deja vu.  I think it might worth a closer look.

So where have we heard this invitation before?

In the Book of Genesis, near the very beginning of the Bible, we read that one day a man named Cain invites his brother Abel to go into the field with him.  Abel goes with Cain into the field, and, while they are in the field together, Cain attacks Abel and kills him, becoming the first murderer in the biblical narrative.⁵

When David goes with Jonathan into the field, Jonathan promises to find out whether or not his father is really trying to kill him and to protect him if his father does intend to harm him.⁶

Cain invites Abel, his brother, to go with him into the field and then kills him.  Jonathan invites David, who is like a brother to him, to go with him into the field and then promises to protect him.  Jonathan is the opposite of Cain.  In both of these stories, someone invites someone else to go into the field with him, but, what happens in the field differs greatly between stories.  Now, dear reader, you may be wondering why I think these things are worth noting.  Obviously not every invitation to take a walk in a field is extended with nefarious intentions.  To understand the significance of what happens in the field, we must consider what led up to these invitations.

Before Cain invites Abel to go into the field with him, both brothers make offerings to God.  Cain, a farmer, offers some of his crops, while Abel, a shepherd, offers some of his sheep.  God looks favorably upon Abel's offering but not upon Cain's.  Some speculate that God simply prefers one kind of offering to the other.  Others suspect that Abel gives the best of what he has, while Cain gives his leftovers.  The truth is that we simply do not know why God favors Abel's offering over Cain's.  What we do know is that Cain becomes resentful.  God warns him that his resentment is "waiting at the door ready to strike" and that he needs to "rule over it."  Cain does not heed God's warning but rather allows the resentment that has infected his heart to fester until it warps him into a murderer.⁷

As king of Israel, Saul apparently cares a little too much about what his soldiers and his subjects think about him, and this preoccupation causes him to makes bad choices.  Because of these bad choices, God decides to take the kingship away from Saul and his family and to give it to David.⁸  As David enjoys success, Saul can see that God's blessing is upon him.  Having to watch David receive the adulation he so desperately desires eats him up inside.⁹

As the son of the king, Jonathan would normally be the next in line to be king of Israel, but, because of mistakes he did not make, he will never ascend the throne.  Like Cain's sacrifice, he has been rejected by God, but, unlike Cain, he does not become resentful.  Jonathan accepts that he will never become king, and he befriends the man who will become king in his place.  At one point, he takes off his princely robe and puts it on David.¹⁰  In the field, he blesses David, saying, "May the Lord be with you as he once was with my father."¹¹  Later on, while David is hiding from Saul, Jonathan visits him and encourages him, saying, "You will be king over Israel, and I will be your second in command."¹²  Jonathan is not resentful of David; he loves him dearly.¹³

Sometimes we bring rejection upon ourselves through our bad choices, but often we experience rejection for reasons completely outside of our control.  What is always in our control is how we respond.  Rejection hurts, but we must not allow ourselves to become resentful.  The story of Cain warns us that resentment can twist a person to the point that he is capable of killing his own brother, but the story of Jonathan shows us that we can respond with love.

Love is always the answer.


Notes:

1. 1 Samuel 16:14
2. 1 Samuel 18:10-19:24
3. 1 Samuel 20:1-10
4. 1 Samuel 20:11 (CEB)
5. Genesis 4:8
6. 1 Samuel 20:12-13
7. Genesis 4:1-7 (CEB)
8. 1 Samuel 13:1-14; 15:1-16:13
9. 1 Samuel 18:6-16
10. 1 Samuel 18:4
11. 1 Samuel 20:13 (CEB)
12. 1 Samuel 23:16-17 (CEB)
13. 1 Samuel 18:1

The photograph of the road and field was taken by Larisa Koshkina, and it has been released to the public domain.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.