6|19|09

1st Samuel 18:1-4
" 1 After David had finished talking with
Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2
From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his
father's house. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David
because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and
gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his
belt. "

The friendship between Jonathan and David was an unlikely one. Although at the time Saul was not jealous of the young harp player, the struggle to keep their friendship became harder as time progressed.
Later on we see that while Saul hated and feared David, tried to kill him many times, Jonathan's love towards David never faded.

Samuel 19:1-7
" 1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the
attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David 2 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. 3 I will go out and
stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him about you and
will tell you what I find out."

1 Samuel 20:1-4
1
Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, "What have
I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to
take my life?"
2 "Never!" Jonathan replied. "You are not going to die! Look,
my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without confiding in me. Why
would he hide this from me? It's not so!"
3 But David took an oath and said,
"Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has
said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.' Yet as
surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and
death."
4 Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll
do for you."

Even though Saul and David continued in dispute, Jonathan's love for David never expired.

I believe the reason behind their strong, never wavering, friendship was the covenant created when they first met one another. As a way to seal the covenant Jonathan gave David his robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, our friend, we are making a life long covenant with him. But in order to make this covenant we have to offer everything we have.

The robe of the world that can no longer cover us- replaced by the cover of his precious blood.

"A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles."

The tunic- Every piece of clothing that forms a barrier between God and us, we have to strip ourselves of everything that holds us to our old selves.

We must rid ourselves of our swords & bows which we use to defend ourselves against the world- Now that Christ is our protector we have no use of man made protection. Thing such as humanly advice cannot help us any longer, only the spirit & word of God can truly touch our hearts. The word of God and God himself can thwart anything the enemy puts against us.

And finally the belt- later in the bible it is referred to as the belt of truth. Truth is not something that comes to us easily but must come from God. Our own version of truth is not given by the spirit. The belt of truth given by God helps us go into spiritual battles & can only be worn once we shed our self-discovered truths.

You see, the old testament connects with the new in every possible way. Johnathan is shedding his former armor as he gets ready to put on the armor of God.

As we meet our savior and become "one in the spirit" with him, we have to shed all our old ways, all our old understanding, and be ready to put on the whole armor of God.

God Bless :)