Loyalty

King David is perhaps one of the most well known and beloved characters in the Bible. But a decade before he wore the crown his life was put in danger. The current king, Saul, threw a javelin at David on at least three occasions, but each time David escaped death by a step. Saul also sent David to battle several times, hoping that David would never return. After David’s popularity only increased, Saul ordered his son Jonathan and some of their soldiers to kill David.

The problem for Saul was that Jonathan and David were best friends, and Jonathan helped spare David’s life. Jonathan was the prince of Israel, but he knew that God had chosen David, not him, to be the next king.

How easy would it have been for Jonathan to conspire with his father, off the future king, then await his turn on the throne? Jonathan might be the best biblical example of loyalty and true friendship that we have; even Jesus’ closest disciples deserted and denied Him, but Jonathan risked his own life so that David could live and one day be his king.

Do you display that same type of loyalty as Jonathan? 

“…the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” I Samuel 18:1