This was the last meeting and the final leaving of two young men whose friendship has been a proverb for nearly thirty centuries.
I. There are partings in every life; the ties of yesterday are loosened to-day, and will be broken to-morrow. We are closely bound to each other by the strong bonds of circumstances one moment, and the next we are severed and each goes on his way to strive or to suffer, and to conquer or to fall, alone. The hour of parting came to David and Jonathan, and nought remained but this, "Jonathan said to David, Go in peace."
II. There was one thought which took away some of the bitterness of that moment and allowed them to go each on his way with a firm step and a strong heart, for theirs had been no light and trifling friendship, which had sprung up in a day and might be dissolved in an hour, but a serious, manly, steadfast love, rooted in a common faith and held together by a common object animating their lives; and therefore the one could say to the other, "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord." One might go back to the haunted house, where Saul would curse and rave, and the other might wander abroad in the wilderness; but come what might, they were both prepared for good or evil fortune. Both had sworn to put their trust in the living God.
A. Jessopp, Norwich School Sermons,p. 263.
References: 1 Samuel 21:1. F. W. Krummacher, David the King of Israel,p. 118. 1 Samuel 21:6. J. E. Vaux, Sermon Notes,2nd series, p. 82. 1 Samuel 21:7. Parker, vol. vii., p. 74. 1 Samuel 21:8. Ibid.,p. 75.