Anatomy of a Heart after God: Faithful Friend
David and Jonathan: 1 Sam. 14:6
A Faithful friend:
1) A Faithful Friend commits to serve: 1 Sam.18:1-4
After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the rove he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
2) A Faithful Friend advocates: 1 Sam. 19:1-7
Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the filed where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.” Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?” Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath; “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.” So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
3) A faithful Friend Endures: 1 Sam. 20:31-34,42
As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!” “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David. Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.'” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
4) A Faithful Friend Restores: 2 Sam. 9: 1,6-13\
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.,” So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, be bowed down to pay him honour.
And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Jesus is the perfect faithful friend.
Jesus is the Faithful Friend who serves.
Jesus is the Faithful Friend who advocates.
Jesus is the faithful friend who endures.
Jesus is the faith friend who restores.
Church on the Rock is called to be a faithful friend to others.
We are called to serve.
We are called to advocate.
We are called to endure.
We are called to restore.
