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"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul
of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul"
(I Sam. 18: 1).
This close friendship was followed by a covenant and a gift which was evidence of
the loving relationship that had sprung up between David and Jonathan. So we read in
I Sam. 18: 3, 4:
"Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and
his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."
The whole account of this friendship is given in chapters 18:-20: and the death of
Jonathan is recorded in I Sam. 31: 2.
Proverbs 18: 24 says that if we want friends, we must be friendly to others and there
follows the statement "and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother".
A friendship that will last must be based on a two-way co-operation. In the case of
David and Jonathan, we notice in I Sam. 20:, that Jonathan was willing to be of great
assistance to David. "Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee" in verse 4.
But David was under an obligation to Jonathan to show him kindness while he lived, but
also David must continue his kindness to Jonathan's house, in the event of Jonathan's
death.
Our ability to make friends is hindered if we are selfish, for selfish people do not
always show themselves friendly. A friend loveth at all times, but this applies to each of
the friends.
When we remember that Abraham was called "the Friend of God", we move to a
higher plane. James 2: 21-23 first refers to Abraham being justified by works, when he
offered up Isaac his son upon the altar. Perhaps we have thought that Abraham did not
offer up his son, because God found a substitute (a ram caught in a thicket by his horns,
Gen. 22: 13), but the Lord said "because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld
thy son, thine only son . . . . ." (see verse 16). We see that Abraham's willingness to obey
and trust God was counted for the very act. And James shows how faith was made
perfect by his works.
"And the Scriptures was fulfilled which saith `Abraham believed God and it was
imputed unto him for righteousness'; and he was called the Friend of God" (James 2: 23).
The complete trust of Abraham in his Lord established a bond of friendship which
enabled him to be called the Friend of God. The O.T. reference is II Chron. 20: 7.
Is Abraham the only person who can be called "The Friend of God"? Jesus Christ is
God manifest in the flesh, so if we can be called friends of Jesus Christ, is this not the
same as being friends of God?
If we turn to John 15: 13-15 Jesus spoke of greater love that no man has, than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends. And Jesus continued, "Ye are my friends, if