Saul is descending deeper into a state of spiritual degradation. He is unrepentant. The evil spirit has dragged him down into a state of insanity. Thus when his son Jonathan tried to negotiate and find out why he was so angry with David, he tried to kill him. Such behavior is not the act of a rational man. Jonathan remained loyal to his friend David despite the fact that his stand alienated him from his father. His assistance enabled David to get away.
Sometimes loyalty to those we love can be quite costly. Marriage is a great example of this. Young men and women grow up loyal and devoted to their parents, dependent on them for love, support and the basic needs of life. Yet when children marry, the primary loyalty of a husband switches to his wife and a wife to her husband. Although the counsel and support of parents and family should always be welcome in a marriage, loving parents must realize that the new couple must make all other relationships secondary. Parents who do not understand this will feel offended when their child seems to reject them in favor of his/her spouse. Parents who try to interfere in the marriages of their children only force them to take sides, creating trouble for themselves and their children.
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