The Prince: Jonathan

Sons of Encouragement #3

by Francine Rivers

Behind the men who shaped history are the heroes who forever changed it. In The Prince, beloved author Francine Rivers illuminates the life of Jonathan.

In this new series of hardcover biblical novellas from beloved author Francine Rivers, each novella tells the story of one of five biblical men who stood behind the great heroes of the faith: Aaron the priest, Caleb the warrior, Jonathan the prince, Amos the prophet, and Silas the scribe. In the vein of the Lineage of Grace series, these books will entertain, challenge, and inspire, directing readers back to the Bible as the ultimate source of truth and hope.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Historical, Religion

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers continues to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her numerous bestsellers include Redeeming Love, A Voice in the Wind, and Bridge to Haven, and her work has been translated into more than thirty different languages. She is a member of Romance Writers of America's coveted Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

www.francinerivers.com
www.facebook.com/FrancineRivers
Twitter: @FrancineRivers

Reviews

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY REVIEW:

As the subtitle of this book says, Jonathan was one man who quietly changed eternity. I have always known he was an honorable man since he was loyal to his friend David who became king when he could have fought for the royal position. But this book goes beyond just his friendship with David to dig into his life of honor and faithfulness to God.

The Prince is a mix of fiction and biblical fact that explores the life of Jonathan - son of a king, loyal friend to another king. Francine Rivers is talented author who spins a balanced story that stays true to the biblical account while digging in deep to bring out the human feelings of these characters.

I highly recommend this book, and the others in this series, to anyone of any age. It creates a deeper appreciation for the men of the Bible and is a great way to learn about the culture and practices of that time period. You can choose to read the book in print or enjoy the audio format.

BOOK OVERVIEW:

The Prince is the third audiobook in a new companion series to A Lineage of Grace. Each looks into the life of one of five biblical men (such as Aaron and Barnabus) who stood behind the great heroes of faith. In The Prince, beloved author Francine Rivers illuminates the life of Jonathan. His zeal carried him into battle. His faithfulness won him honor among his people. His humility led him into friendship with the man who would become king in his place. David was a man after God's own heart. But it was the courage and selflessness of his best friend that opened the door to David's rule. A man of honor and deep faith, Jonathan.

* * * * *

Thanks to Oasis Audio for providing the courtesy review copy. The thoughts expressed are my own.

[Casey (Indefinitely Inactive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars 🌟

Considering all that I've seen Francine Rivers pull off, The Prince was not up to what the standard I'd come to expect.

The Prince is Biblical fiction of Jonathan, King Saul's own son. Another who I had not ever thought could have a fictional narrative, yet many times have wondered about. How did the son of a king end up friends - and such loyal friends at that - with the man who would take the crown?

I didn't know what kind of personality Francine Rivers would give Jonathan. I held high expectations after reading The Priest and The Warrior, and I expected to walk away with a new perspective of Jonathan and the time that King Saul ruled. Francine Rivers has opened my eyes to bible characters' humanity.

Francine Rivers starts the story from an unexpected time; Jonathan's youth. We are immediately pulled into a time that I forgot to consider. Things like Samuel's sons, the history of Israel's unfaithfulness in clearing the promise land, and their outcry for a king despite the warning from God.

Jonathan was actually in a similar situation to anyone who is trying to obey God and honour a parent who is wayward of the Law... Seeing his reaction and hearing Samuel's responses was actually really amazing. I read this at a time when God was teaching me how to respect authority as He is the one who gives authority to earthly parents, leaders, and church leaders. It is truly incredible to think of another in the bible who struggled like this, exactly when you have questions. I also love Jonathan's heart of service 😊:

" 'To hold the Law is a wondrous thing, Abba, but to copy it is a terrifying task.' "

When Jonathan said this, I felt a bunch of meanings just flow over me with a reverence for God's laws.

It was really hard to see King Saul, choosing men's praise over God over and over again. God gives him a command, and he hears it and fails to obey. It's easy to judge on this side, but we all do the same thing. It's such an uncomfortable story because anyone can be guilty of this. Except in Saul's case, his mistakes were kingdom size. Yet, God put him over Israel, knowing he'd do this. Meaning God was always in control, even when Saul acted in disobedience. Interesting.

When David enters, my goodness! Just that first line..."The Lord is my shepherd..." It soothed me immediately out of the fears I was sharing with Jonathan. It spoke to the direct opposite of what King Saul was living out, having been lost himself.
I felt scared for King Saul. Immense fear. I couldn't help it. God chose him. Who would he have been had he followed? The man he was before being King seemed better. It's horrific watching him be devoured by people pleasing, anger, desperation, and just seeing him stray so far from God. It eats at me. I'm saying it over and over because I could not stop thinking about it.

I also started to consider David in a new train of thought. David led a group of dangerous men. Men who killed people and were going against King Saul by following David. They had to have been all sorts of people. They had even tempted him to act against Saul. What kind of man can band together with men and inspire them to follow. I'm sure most had their own reasons to stick with David, maybe some selfish, some pure. I'm just amazed at David's self-control. By all means, I might have been influenced to act against the man who was hunting me unjustly. If anyone had encouraged it, I would definitely act on that. Yet, he did not. Reading the Psalms, I can see that he was anguished. He was scared and wished to be vindicated... Still, he would not touch God's anointed. It was so much easier to imagine him as perfect, but what a storm to have inside you! 😭

Although Jonathan is sometimes feeling a little too perfect. I related with him in his struggles, but he's always acting from such a pure place. It's hard to fault him anything 😅 It's amazing to see such faith. He's too good for me as the character who is driving this narrative. I needed more humanity in the form of something besides the battle of loyalty. Did I just miss it? Because even when he argued with his dad, he would do it respectfully and out of love. Which is quite accurate, too. I just wished that Francine Rivers expressed more of the things that made Jonathan's character more alive.

Someone once told me that if I find myself with a character who is not the victim of all the main action and conflict, that is not my main character. Personally, I think that is why Jonathan did not feel like a main character. So much of "his" story is witnessing the lives of others. In the rest of the Sons of Encouragement series, this is true of other characters, but they had things change them and grow them in a way which storytelling gives their stories necessary elements for climb and fall. Jonathan seems from beginning to end to know what is right, and he does that. Even his mistakes are pure hearted, bless him. It didn't make for very interesting reading, falling flat at many moments.

And I felt that his friendship with David didn't satisfy the bond of brotherhood. They did the things many close friends did-without much that was expressed through the writing-to support that depth. I needed more to cement that friendship. The way their friendship was written fell short without that.

There is much you can learn and have open your eyes in here, but this was not the best of Francine Rivers's writing.

I still love you, Francine Rivers! I'm going to continue this series, because the next two books are of people that I really haven't given any thought to. Silas and Amos.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book
The story of Johnathon, the friend of King David.

My Thoughts
I saw the rise and fall of King Saul through the eyes of his son, Johnathon. The tragedy of this story is that fact that Johnathon was a great person. He would of been destined to be the next King of Israel, but his father heart was not right with God. Johnathon died before his time.
I enjoyed this book immensely. I know this character even greater because of the words Francine penned. I look forward to meeting Jonathon one day, learning even more.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on Saul's son: Jonathan. Jonathan, like David, is a man after God's own heart who loves and tries to follow the law. He comes into constant conflict with his father, King Saul, who is much more interested in being popular and winning battles than following God's lead. Rivers infuses the Biblically based story with the realism of the life and times of Israel as the Hebrews work to unite the Kingdoms into one country.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have become skeptical of novels about Biblical characters, because so many of them warp the story and try to put together things that simply don't belong in the narrative. I am happy to say that THE PRINCE by Francine Rivers made me re-think the concept. She has put together a believable account of the life of Jonathan, Saul's son and David's best friend. I will look for more books in her series.

[Marren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story about Saul and Jonathan. It was vivid and so alive. Never mind it was fictional, Rivers provided ample information at the back about what she made up from the bible story.

[Ebookwormy1]

I'm reading through Francine Rivers' two Biblical Historical Fiction series: Lineage of Grace (5 titles) and Sons of Encouragement (5 titles), currently on Sons of Encouragement #3, The Prince: Jonathan.

Want to follow along? You can start the Sons of Encouragement series with
The Priest: Aaron (Sons of Encouragement #1), Rivers, 2004
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have completed A Lineage of Grace, which is Francine Rivers’ series of Biblical fiction biographies of women in the line of Christ. If you are interested in my journey through those books, see:
A Lineage of Grace (5 Titles), Francine Rivers, complete in 2001
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

FINALLY! A clean book, takes place during biblical events, and no romance. Although we don’t get much information on Jonathan in Scripture, the author does a good job of emphasizing his friendship with David while recognizing how his faith would have guided him in circumstances that were not favorable towards himself. She paints Jonathan in a favorable light while also doing a good job of detailing King Saul’s distancing from God and the downward spiral that comes from that.

This book is clean and suitable ages 10+, although if warfare is an issue a reader should be cognizant that it does get described in this book.

[Barb Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! The authors takes great pains to ensure that the story is biblically accurate while adding details and dialogue to make the story come to life. I also love that she focuses on the secondary character. In book one the focus was on Aaron rather than Moses. Book two highlighted Caleb over Joshua, and this third novel focuses on Jonathan rather than David. The men behind the most famous men are faithful to the leader but, most importantly, they are faithful to God. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Stine Braüner · Rating 4 out of 5]

En høj rating skyldes at Jonatans karakter er fantastisk, og jeg elsker historien. Rivers’ skrivestil bliver lidt forudsigeligt og cliche, hvis man har læst mange af hendes værker, men jeg nyder stadig at hun vil fortælle historien, som hun gør!

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I like historical fiction, but I feel Rivers tends to write her protagonist a little too righteous. The people in the Bible are still people, but in this story it seemed like Jonathan always sought after God and knew the right thing to do no matter the circumstances. Just not very relatable and felt too idealistic.

[Jared Pilkington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool story behind Jonathan. Story did a good job of showing how much Saul was a psycho lol. I love seeing the creativity behind the stories we read in the Bible!

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author takes known historical data about the Israelite Prince Jonathan of the Bible, and expands it to create a fuller picture, written in the style of a novel. How accurate is her imagination in this respect? We can’t actually say, so it is worth approaching with a bit of skepticism any time one reads a book like this. I appreciate how Rivers acknowledges this process and how her Christian faith informs it, cites the original sources, and wholeheartedly encourages readers to reference and read those sources for themselves. I found her story challenging to stay engaged at times because the setting is so harsh and on some levels hard to relate, but it forced me to slow down, think about, and understand Jonathan and this time in history better; and that the places where she expanded or expounded to be fair possibilities that would make sense given what we know. Therefore, I think the book achieved its intended goal, so 5 stars. The ending, though predetermined, was very beautifully written and moving.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prince is another great installment in Francine Rivers' Sons of Encouragement series. In this book, Jonathan lives out his role supportingly faithful to his father King Saul, even after his forsaking the Lord, and equally faithful to his brother-in-the-Spirit, David. One of the strongest messages that I got from this book that I had somehow missed from the Biblical account is how incrementally Saul walks away from the Lord. I never knew that he was told to copy the Law for himself *in his own hand*. The symbolism behind that has powerful implications for us today, staying in the Word, keeping it near to our hearts, personal, part of our lives. The best part of listening to this audiobook series though - listening to my son recognize the account of David and Goliath and commenting on it from the back seat of my car. We truly enjoy these Francine Rivers books!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read 2nd time.

I LOVE how she takes supporting individuals with limited mentions in the Bible and brings them to life. I decided to re-read since I just finished a Bible study of the life of David. And, wow, does this pair well with that.

Rivers is such a gifted writer. Jonathan was already a favorite of mine, and Rivers gives him such a compelling story. She expounds on events in which Jonathan would have been present. Not only does this flesh him out as a character, but it also gives the reader a greater understanding of the time period and customs. Rivers made Jonathan's balance of loyalty to God, David, and his misguided father relevant to today.

[Stephanie Salyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in this series is biblical biographies is my favorite. It is about Jonathan, advisor and eldest son to the king of Israel, and best friend to the champion warrior/leader and annoined future king of Israel. It's a very delicate tight rope for this guy. You can see how he is able to balance his choices because he leans heavily on the law, the bible. Every choice he makes is based on what the bible says including whom to marry. I cried when he died even though I knew it was coming. It's a very well written book. I wish I had so much time to study the bible as he did! Wisdom comes from the person who seeks it in all the right places. Saul tried to find it in all the wrong places.

[Elijah Abanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great novella by Francine Rivers!
Whenever we think of the days when David was pursued by Saul, we often focus on the hardships David faced, but not of Jonathan's! He was the son of a shameless father, and also the friend of God's anointed. It must've been very hard for him! But because he fears and loves the Lord, he was strong until the end! May the likes of Jonathan increase!

[D. Ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't especially impressed. Rivers did a fair job describing the biblical events, but the storytelling did not hold my attention. The dialogue seemed unrealistic to me and the story had a feel of "this happened, then this happened, then this happened..." without a compelling plot.

[Josh Olds · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the third Sons of Encouragement installment, I could begin to see a little bit of Francine Rivers’ methodology in how she chose which characters to focus on. Aaron is usually seen as Moses’s sidekick; Caleb is Joshua’s sidekick; and now Jonathan is David’s. (Moving into the final two installments, Silas is Paul’s sidekick and she breaks the formula with Amos, which, incidentally, is my favorite of the series.)

Despite much speculation, we know very little about Jonathan from Scripture. It’s these types of characters that make for good Biblical fiction. It’s usually safest when Biblical fiction parallels Scripture. If a character is very well-defined in Scripture, the author usually has a much more difficult job in making the character their own and writing within the narrative box that wanting to stay true to Scripture creates. Jonathan is an adjacent character. He’s important. He’s named. He’s a close friend of David. But yet, because the story is not his, we don’t know a lot of about it.

What we do know is fodder for an excellent story. Think of it: Your best friend is your dad’s greatest enemy and the prophesied heir to your job—which means he or his followers might just kill you. The story of Jonathan is one of conflicted loyalties. Should he be loyal to his father or his friend? And above all, how does he maintain loyalty to Yahweh?

From a plotting perspective, this is a stronger entry into Rivers’ Bible study novella series Sons of Encouragement and Lineage of Grace, but like the other entries, the dialogue is stilted and formal, the pacing is choppy, the characters feel more like actors in a Shakespearian play than a biblical drama. In other words, the premise is sound but the execution is lacking.

Jonathan: The Prince is about the best I’ve come to expect from these books from Francine Rivers. The style is what it is and it’s obviously a choice. It’s different from how Rivers writes her contemporary or non-biblical historical novels. I don’t think it’s the right choice, but it’s a choice and she’s consistent with it throughout all ten books. From the perspective of how these novellas are written, this is one of the best. Objectively, it’s a passable foray into the life of Jonathan but it lacks much in engagement or excitement.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is “the poignant story of Jonathan, prince of Israel, by Francine Rivers…Jonathan’s legacy was faithfulness. He was obedient to God at all costs, a loyal servant and regent of Israel. He was a trustworthy friend, an honorable son, and a protective father. He willingly accepted the course God charted for him and embraced his faith with all his might.”

“His own father preferred plowing fields rather than digging deep into the Scriptures.” But whether he likes it or not, Saul is king. A “king must be: a brother, a man who writes the Law in his own hand, studies it, is able to teach it, and abides by it all the days of his life.” And whether his son wants to be or not, Jonathan is the prince, heir to the throne. “It’s not my father’s throne. It’s God’s throne to give to whomever He chooses…No one can truly lead men until he learns to follow God,” and “if a man is going to follow God, he must align himself with men of God.”

While he would rather be a student of the Law than a prince, Jonathan discovers that he can be both. “I wish the Lord in His mercy would write it upon our hearts, for it seems to me, our minds are not able to absorb the lengths and depths of the love God has for us as His chosen people…Every trial that comes will strengthen or weaken our faith…I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you…Jonathan spoke blessings and words of encouragement to those who came through his line.” Jonathan came to encourage his best friend David, but the prince and future king encourage one another.

“Jonathan was a prince, a fine son, a loving friend, a caring father. And as a leader, he was a selfless servant. His life whispers of another Prince–a fine Son, a loving Friend, a caring Leader, and a selfless Servant: Jesus…He was embraced by the True Prince, who ushered him into the presence of God.”

[Hannah H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am quite strict in my reviews of biblical narrative, and for a good reason: the Bible is the infallible Word of God. If an author desires to expand on that I the realm of fiction, I believe he/she must dip so in a way that stays true to Scripture yet provides a unique value in illuminating the life of a Bible character. This book did wonderfully in keeping with Scripture (aside from Jonathon's experience of death which I don't think was theologically correct). But the intrigue of the book was lost on me. I'm not naive enough to think my familiarity with the story and the fact that i just read it in the Bible last week aren't two important factors. At the same time, I wanted to like this book but found myself longing to just be done. I think that's indicative of characters who weren't adequately brought to life. What's more, the way Rivers stuck to the Biblical truths in her portrayal of characters and scenes was a bit dull. Rather than creatively weaving the truth in—I most but not all cases—she plopped it in the text and left nothing for the reader to discover. Sorry, this one just didn't do it for me.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonathan, son of Saul and friend of David. This follows the time of Saul being anointed as King, his rule and confrontations with David.
I struggle with this series a little bit because of minor licenses she takes from Scripture. Neither is significant in light of the whole story and fit with events and could even, likely, have happened. One is Jonathan taking time to transcribe the Word to keep with him; the other was a visit that Jonathan made to David while David was hiding out from Saul. There's one quote that gives me an appreciation for Jonathan, that I've never considered before. From page 167: "I walk a narrow path, David, between a king whose heart grows harder with every year that passes and a friend who will be king. But I will keep at it in obedience to the Lord." It seems to me to speak to his desire to follow the command to honor his father while also being loyal to his friend. For this, I can see why he has been included in the series.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Except for a few incidents added for dramatic license, this pretty well adheres to Jonathan's life as portrayed in the books of Samuel. Now, I have no idea whether Jonathan carried a handwritten copy of the Law beneath his tunic, but from what we know of Jonathan, it seems like something he'd do.

** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED **

(There were several editing oversights found in the Hardcover version (2005): Page 49, Our warriors carry dull mattoxes / Our warriors carry dull MATTOCKS ; 53, Their king had brought touble upon them / Their king had brought TROUBLE upon them ; 64, One spit. / One SPAT. ; 99, Jonathan face went hot / JONATHAN'S face went hot ; 109, The marriage would bring Benjamin and David together / The marriage would bring Benjamin and JUDAH together ; 132, The walls breeched / The walls BREACHED ; 164, as they walked way / as they walked AWAY .)

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. Jonathan is one of my favorite Biblical figures and I spend a lot of time looking at his life and thinking about him and honestly, it always makes me kind of sad. He truly is an amazing man of God with an incredible story and legacy. I feel like we never hear about or talk about Jonathan apart from him being David's best friend. Even if this is somewhat fictionalized it was great to get to read about Jonathan. Yes, David was a major part of the story but it was about Jonathan. I also felt like the book stayed true to the actual events and Jonathan's character. Super great. Lived it.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read about Jonathan's life as a prince, son of King Saul as his kingdom diminished, and soul mate and best friend of David.

I love how the author shows Jonathan as a kindred spirit to David, a man after God's heart. In the dialogue, she shows Jonathan as a kind man who prays often and encourages others to seek God. On page 171, Jonathan says to David that he'll return home to "guard the kingdom and teach the people to revere the prophets and the law." He's one of my favorite Bible characters because of his devotion to God, loyalty to David, his kind heart, and his pursuit of righteousness in all that he did. This book makes Jonathan real and makes me want to know him and be like him.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors. I love her books and am always eager to read the next one.
The Sons of Encouragement series has been amazing. While the Prince is book 3 of the series, I did not read them in order, so it is the last one for me. What a beautiful ending.
A great deal of attention focuses upon David, appropriately. However, there is another character in the story that does not get as much time. Jonathan. I enjoyed hearing Ms. Rivers perspective for this secondary character, making him the star of the story.
I highly recommend the Prince

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are the superstar "heroes" of Scripture and then there are the quiet, faithful ones whose loyalty is all too often deeper and more profound than those whose names are better-known. This is the story of Jonathan, the heir to the throne and the son of the first king of Israel, a man of outstanding integrity who watches the disintegration of his father on gaining power but feeling completely powerless. And whose friendship with David should have reconciled their families, but instead widened the rift between them.

[Natisolvazquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fácil de leer. Me llevó a recordar mejor algunas historias y detalles, y ser más consciente de la persona y rol que cumplió Jonatán.
También me llamó la atención el período de tiempo, a veces las historias que uno lee en la Biblia en algunos capítulos en realidad abarcaron años, es simple pero a veces se pasa por alto.
Algunas partes son ficción, está bueno leer de la Biblia los capítulos correspondientes para verificar y no grabar datos de ficción como reales .

[MightySSStrawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel compelled to say this: in our present day and age it is extremely rejuvenating and vital to be reminded that two men can love each other in a soul-mate/brotherly friendship and yet in NO way be romantically involved with each other (aka gay). They were friends who were closer than brothers, who loved each other. How God loves us. This novelization about David and Jonathan made me misty-eyed. Great story of the truest besties who loved God like He was their bestie.

[Stacsia Crossan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook- always have enjoyed the story of Jonathan and David. Enjoyed seeing the Bible play out in novella form. Helps with understanding. Was bored with it at the pacing sometimes. Ending is sad, but Jonathan’s character is truly inspiring at the way he constantly chooses to honor his father and love the Lord, while still being human.