A Covenant between Friends

August 4, 2019 Background Scripture: 1 Samuel 18 – 20 Lesson Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1 – 5; 19:1 – 7 During our next series of studies, the focus will be on various covenants. Biblical covenants were not unique but quite common during that time. Basically, covenants are agreements, pacts, or treaties between two equal or unequal parties. For many of the biblical covenants, there was a witness named to the agreement. Sometimes the witness was a living entity and sometimes the witness was an inanimate object, such as a pile of stones or a massive rock. In either case, the parties to the covenant considered the stipulations in the covenant to be binding as long as the parties upheld their obligation(s). Those covenants were often the only assurance of peace between families or nations. Some covenants formed military or political alliances. Covenants were very much a part of the political and economic structures during biblical times. Today’s lesson looks at what may be considered the most simple and basic of all covenants, a covenant between friends. One would think that there would be no need for friends to ever consider the use of a covenant. However, as we will learn in the background scripture of today’s lesson, those covenants could easily extend beyond the life of one or both parties to the covenant and thereby provide a future agreement for the offspring of the parties. As death approached, the covenant partner could be assured that his family would be protected, or provided for, because of the provisions in the covenant. In a sense, some covenants were better than life insurance. After David had slain Goliath, there was something that David said to King Saul that greatly impressed Saul’s son, Jonathan. Jonathan saw David in a special light from that day forward. Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other. Although unspoken, Jonathan’s actions, after they made the covenant, were a clear indication that he saw David as the future king of Israel that would succeed his father. As the son of King Saul, Jonathan was the natural heir to the throne of Israel. This is what King Saul had hoped for Jonathan. However, when King Saul threatened to have David executed, Jonathan intervened and pointed out how his father had once recognized David’s heroism on behalf of Israel. At that time, the king listened to his son and changed his mind and returned David to a place of honor in the royal house. In the meantime, Jonathan had warned David about his father’s plot and had advised David to remain in hiding until he could assure him that it was safe to come out. Jonathan was already demonstrating his willingness to look out for David even if it meant betraying his own father. It is worth noting that, at that time, there was nothing David could do to pay or reward Jonathan for his support. David graciously accepted Jonathan’s help because of their covenant. Perhaps this covenant is what the writer of the proverb had in mind when he wrote, there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. David had seven older brothers. But when his life was being threatened by King Saul, none of his brothers protected him—perhaps, they did not know what was afoot. Jonathan, however, had inside information. And David was protected because he had a covenant with his friend. Robert C. Hudson July 19, 2019