Lessons About Humility Taught by a Prince

The Scriptures tell us a lot about King Saul and his reign. They tell us even more about David and his journey from the pasture to the palace. Squeezed between the two we find another character – Jonathan. Prince Jonathan, to be exact.

Jonathan’s loses his rightful role

Jonathan was Saul’s son, the rightful heir to the throne. But when Saul messed things up, God transferred  the royal lineage to David. That meant one thing – Prince Jonathan would never assume the throne. If you were in his royal boots, how might you have felt? Betrayed? Bitter, perhaps?

Jonathan could have said something like, “David – you’re supposed to be my friend. How could you do this to me? You know I’m the heir to the throne, so get outta the way and let me take the throne. I know my dad’s been a jerk, but that doesn’t give you the right to take my place as the next king.”

Jonathan’s response

But no. Jonathan said none of those things. Instead, he fully supported David and committed himself to helping his friend achieve what God had ordained for him.

“Don’t be afraid,” he told David. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father is well aware.”

What a model of humility! In fact, Jonathan’s attitude reminds me of Philippians 2, the chapter that speaks of Christ’s humility. He existed in the form of God but didn’t demand and cling to His rights as God (Philippians 2:6). Instead, He gave up those rights for our sake, so that we could become all that God has ordained for us.

Humble ourselves for others’ sake

Are we willing to give up our personal rights for the sake of others? Are we willing to give up our dreams or aspirations to enable someone else to succeed? Wow – that’s a challenge. It’s so contrary to mankind’s way of thinking in a society that encourages us to look out for ourselves and stand up for our rights.