King David and Jonathan
What does "true friends" mean?
A true friend is one who keeps us accountable in our Christian walk. They help to keep us on the right path. They provide "encouragement"! Hebrews 3:13 says: "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." They help us grow! They would not deliberatly hurt us or bring hurt upon us. A true friend makes us more productive.
In Ecclesiastes 4:9 it tells us "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor." A True friend can also improve our health being in "social isolation" can and has brought on illnesses.
Knowing some of these; How did David and Jonathan compare? Committed love -- 1 Samuel 18:1 "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." They were more than "mere" aquaintances. Repeately scripture refers to their friendship as a "covenant and LOVE." 1 Samuel 18:3 "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul." Four times scripture emphasizes the love Jonathan and David felt for each other. Besides the two already spoke the other two are as follows: 1 Samuel 20:17 "And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul." 2 Samuel 1:26 "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women." This is the same self sacrificing love that moved Jesus to die for us.
Romans 5:7-8 "Saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Too often people pass through our lives never really saying anything meaningful. A true friend requires an active interest in each other. Philippians 2:1-4 speaks "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife and vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." So, we should think more on our friends than on "ourself". As a "sign" of their friendship Jonathan gave David; 1 Samuel 18:4 "And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle." Now these were not just "token" gifts. The Robe= was a symbol of "royalty". It was no small thing to give up a weapon. It was highly valued! The girdle or tunic was military dress of the day. So, what are we willing to give or share with our friends?
1 John 3:17 speaks "But whose hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion for him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" We are to put "legs" on our FAITH: L=Listen to our friend, E=Encourage our friend, G=Give to our friend, S=Serve our friend.
Jonathan was a LOYAL friend, dispite angry out bursts and opposition. 1 Samuel 19:4 "And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him. Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good." Jonathan remained LOYAL to David. Outbursts from within Jonathan's family (especially King Saul). There were honest emotions between David and Jonathan. When David was running for his life from Saul he found Jonathan.
Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-le-hem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him. Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, thou bring me to thy father? And Jonathan siad, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly? And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. And Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee.
The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father. And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not. But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone E'-zel.
And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth. But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the Lord hath sent thee away. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever."
Jonathan, the true friend to David, planned to save his friend's life. He was filled with tears and grieved knowing his father was planning to kill his friend. Later down in chapter 20 of 1 Samuel there is a touching scene with Jonathan and David. In verse 41 Jonathan and David meet each other. David bowed three times and then "they kissed one another and wept one with another, until David exceeded."
David and Jonathan were both hard-nosed veterans of battle and conflict. Yet they wept and kissed each other (David being the more emotional of the too wept more). Tears are NOT a sign of weakness. They can be the sign of GREAT LOVE. In John 11:35 it says "Jesus wept". Christian love should go further than the "handshake" on sunday morning. Are we Really bearing each others burdens? Do we mourn with those who mourn? In Romans 12:15 it tells us "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
As Jonathan said they could "go in peace" because their friendship was IN THE NAME OF JESUS. Look at 1 Samuel 20:42. Here it says "And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever, And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city."
Johathan later found David and "helped" him find strength in God. David and Jonathan's friendship was NOT 'emotionalism". They were two people-who were willing to be "vulnerable" and allow God's love to touch their hearts deeply. True friendship goes BENEATH the surface. It can say without embarrasment (affection) Philippians 1:7-8 "Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ."
So as Christians should we culivate friendships with non-believers? Of course we should. Jesus did and was critizied for it. It biulds a bridge for sharing our FAITH. But we must beware of "unhealthy" friendships that weaken our faith. Fake friends can be fickle. They love in "good times" but are merciless in "bad times". Proverbs 17:17 says this: "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." For Christians the "bond" of friendship remains strong even when separated by miles.
Friendship endures when it is grounded in the Lord. Perhaps David had Jonathan in mind when he wrote Psalm 133 he described the BLESSING of friendship and unity. Just as unity is good---petty jealousy and religion wrangling "REPEL" those seeking true friendship.
True Friendship blankets us in God's blessing. Healthy friendships are a GIFT from God we can learn a lot from the human friendship of David and Jonathan. But in the end Jesus is the greatest friend. Proverbs 18:24 " A man that hath friends must shew hmself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." A friend in need---is a friend in DEED.
The beginning
author Sparrow~~~
