Jonathan’s Covenant With David

Jonathan’s Covenant With David

1 Samuel 18:1 – When David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became a close friend to David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 – Saul took David that day and did not let him return to his father’s house.

Verse 3 – Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 – Jonathan took off the robe that he had on and gave it to David, along with his coat, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

Greater detail of the covenant Jonathan made with David can be found in 1 Samuel 20:42 – Jonathan told David, “Go in peace since both of us swore in the name of the LORD: ‘May the LORD be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever….”

It was this very covenant promise that prompted David, who was confirmed as king of Israel, after the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, to exempt from death, “Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the promise to the LORD that existed between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.” – 2 Samuel 21:7.

When I read the words “Jonathan loved him as himself” it recalled to my mind the words of Jesus when He spoke of the most important commandments in Mark 12:29 – Jesus answered,”The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, 30 – and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength,’ 31 – “The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Remember Jonathan’s name means “Jehovah has given.” Jonathan’s character certainly demonstrated this quality in a beautiful way. Look again at what Jonathan gave to David in 1 Samuel 18:4 – Jonathan took off the robe that he had on and gave it to David, along with his coat, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

Jonathan’s love for David is a touching expression of God’s love for us described in Isaiah 61:10 – “I will heartily rejoice in the LORD, my soul will delight in my God; for he has wrapped me in garments of salvation; he has arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, just like a bridegroom, like a priest with a garland, and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 – For just as the soil brings forth its shoots, and as a garden makes what is sown within it spring up, so the LORD God will make righteousness and praise spring up before all the nations for Zion’s sake.”

Jonathan gave David the means to keep his part of the covenant after his death by giving him his royal garments. So also, does Jesus, give us the means to keep our part of the covenant by giving us His garments of salvation. Let us be aware of the love of Jesus for us today as we seek to express our love for Him by loving others as we love ourselves.