A british publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a
friend. Among those thousands of answers, mailed in, the top five were:
5) "One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable."
4) "One who understands our silence."
3) "A volume of sympathy bound in cloth."
2) "A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down."
The winning definition simply read:
1) "A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."
David and Jonathan perfectly fit these definitions of a true friend. Jonathan had become "one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself," and the two had made a covenant of friendship.
1 Samuel 18:1,3
1-After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.
3-And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.
When Samuel anointed David to succeed Jonathan's father as king, Saul erupted in unbridled anger ad forced David from the land. But Jonathan swore loyalty to God's chosen heir to the throne.
David and Jonathan's deep friendship was based not on family tires or warm, fuzzy feelings; they were bound by dedication to God and steadfast commitment to one another. Rather than being jealous of David for usurping his potential place as king, Jonathan accepted God's plan to make David king, sacrificially stepping down and supporting his friend.
And David reciprocated by remaining loyal to Jonathan and Jonathan's family. Even after Jonathan's death, David kept his vow of loyalty to his dear friend. He made sure that Jonathan and Saul were buried with royal honors. He invited Jonathan's disabled son, Mephibosheth, into his home and treated him like a prince.
In our culture, it seems more common to hear of women who have close friendships than men who do, so we're surprised that one of the most beautiful portraits of friendship in Scripture is the bond between these two warriors, who we might be inclined to think of as unemotional and detached.
But we can model David and Jonathan's friendship. When our friendships are based on our common love for God and our desire for God's best for each other, then our friendships can be as tough and true and deep as the one between David and Jonathan.
-True Identity Bible
{1 Samuel 20:42}5) "One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is inviolable."
4) "One who understands our silence."
3) "A volume of sympathy bound in cloth."
2) "A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down."
The winning definition simply read:
1) "A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."
David and Jonathan perfectly fit these definitions of a true friend. Jonathan had become "one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself," and the two had made a covenant of friendship.
1 Samuel 18:1,3
1-After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.
3-And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.
When Samuel anointed David to succeed Jonathan's father as king, Saul erupted in unbridled anger ad forced David from the land. But Jonathan swore loyalty to God's chosen heir to the throne.
David and Jonathan's deep friendship was based not on family tires or warm, fuzzy feelings; they were bound by dedication to God and steadfast commitment to one another. Rather than being jealous of David for usurping his potential place as king, Jonathan accepted God's plan to make David king, sacrificially stepping down and supporting his friend.
And David reciprocated by remaining loyal to Jonathan and Jonathan's family. Even after Jonathan's death, David kept his vow of loyalty to his dear friend. He made sure that Jonathan and Saul were buried with royal honors. He invited Jonathan's disabled son, Mephibosheth, into his home and treated him like a prince.
In our culture, it seems more common to hear of women who have close friendships than men who do, so we're surprised that one of the most beautiful portraits of friendship in Scripture is the bond between these two warriors, who we might be inclined to think of as unemotional and detached.
But we can model David and Jonathan's friendship. When our friendships are based on our common love for God and our desire for God's best for each other, then our friendships can be as tough and true and deep as the one between David and Jonathan.
-True Identity Bible
At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.
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