A Rare Friendship

S
(1 Samuel 18:3,4) Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

O
Jonathan, a prince and overtly superior, initiated this deep friendship. He entered into a covenant friendship before God (20:8) that consisted entirely of giving, not gaining. The stripped robe resented transferred authority: David could speak into Jonathan’s life and David represented now Jonathan to the world. The stripped armor represented giving David unguarded access—vulnerability—to all points of Jonathan’s life. The stripped weapons represented Jonathan surrendering his ability to attack or harm David while choosing to be defenseless against David.

A
How rare it is to have such a friend. Even worse, it’s rare to be such a friend. To what extent is my marriage like this? To whom—to what Samaritan in my life—should I covenant such a friendship?

P
Lord, I think receiving this friendship empowered David to go out and be successful wherever Saul sent him (verse 5). You call me to become such a friend to You and to others (Matthew 22:39), but You first demonstrated Your friendship to me (John 15:11-16; see also Proverbs 17:17; 18:24; 19:6; 26:6,9,10,17).