Loyalty - Ittai

Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the LORD and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”

2 Samuel 15:21

A humorous cartoon depicts two men paddling a canoe down a remote river. As the man in the rear of the canoe looks back, he sees a dog following them in a miniature canoe of his own, grinning widely at the prospect of spending some time with his master. The caption reads, “Yes, I do own a dog . . . why do you ask?”

A good dog is a great example of unconditional love and loyalty. Most dogs will do anything for a chance to spend more time with their masters.

Such was the personal loyalty of an Old Testament man named Ittai. He was one of six hundred Gittites who were natives of the Philistine city of Gath. They had accompanied King David out of Jerusalem as he fled from his treasonous son Absalom. As David stopped at the outskirts of the city and allowed his loyal servants to pass ahead of him, he stopped Ittai and suggested that he return home to Jerusalem. After all, this wasn’t Ittai’s fight.

Ittai wouldn’t hear of it. He vowed in the name of God that he, his men, and their families would follow the deposed king wherever he went, even if it meant their deaths.

Ittai knew the risks of following David, and he certainly knew what he was giving up. Following David meant trading the safety and comforts of Jerusalem for the uncertainties and dangers of the desert.

Still, he followed, and he remained loyal to the man he recognized as his rightful king.

In the end, David richly rewarded Ittai’s loyalty. When David returned to the throne of Israel, he made Ittai commander of one-third of Israel’s army (see 2 Samuel 18:2-5).

Do you consider personal loyalty an important trait? To whom do you owe your loyalty? From whom do you expect it? Though loyalty doesn’t rank as high on some men’s lists as it once did, God promises to bless your loyalty to Jesus Christ. In what ways can you demonstrate that loyalty this week?