A True Friend - Jonathan And David

Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, “May the LORD destroy all your enemies!” And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

1 Samuel 20:16-17

What character qualities do you desire in a good friend? I’m not talking about just a buddy or an acquaintance, but the kind of friend who “sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). George Washington once said of true friendship, “Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.“

David, the man God chose as Israel’s second king, had that kind of friendship with Jonathan, the son of King Saul, whom David would one day replace on the throne.

After God told the prophet Samuel to anoint David as Saul’s successor, the jealous King Saul made several attempts on David’s life. Jonathan stood up for his friend, warning and encouraging him whenever his father sought to harm David. As Saul’s eldest son, Jonathan would normally have ascended the throne upon his father’s death, which makes his support of David all the more remarkable.

Who wouldn’t value a friend like that?

Jonathan “loved David as he loved himself.” As his close friend, he knew David’s character and his heavenly calling. He sacrificed himself for his friend David, even though doing so cost him everything.

Could David ever have risen to become Israel’s greatest king without Jonathan? David owed his friend so much that even years after Jonathan’s untimely death, the king still honored his friend’s memory by treating his children and descendants with respect.

Do you have a friend like Jonathan? More importantly, are you a friend like Jonathan?

To become a friend like Jonathan is costly, but who can calculate the rewards of such an enduring friendship? Who in your circle of friends might be a good candidate for a “Jonathan-David” friendship? What would it take for you to develop such a relationship?