Love and loyalty

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Loyalty lives from love and love from loyalty

There are four types of love:

• Eros - love between man and woman
• Storgä - love between family and children
• Philia - friendship love
• Agape - divine love

1. The fight

Syria is fighting Israel. Every day the giant Goliath mocked Israel and God. Nobody wanted to fight Goliath. When the shepherd David came along, he could not listen to the mockery of God. He resolutely faced Goliath. He defeated the giant with a slingshot. This brought Israel's victory.

 

When David met Saul from his duel, the king asked: What family do you come from? I am a son of Jesse from Bethlehem.


2. After this conversation, David met Jonathan the son of Saul

From the first moment, they shared a deep friendship. David and Jonathan made a covenant and swore eternal friendship.

Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 1. Samuel 18:3+4 (ESV)

3. A change

After the great victory against the Philistines, great admiration in King Saul's heart turned to envy, which increased to hatred and thoughts of murder. David's life was in danger. Jonathan warned his father not to do wrong. But his father wanted to kill David.


4. David on the run

David was a hunted man. He had to hide in the desert behind mountains and mountain caves. This took a long time.

5. Jonathan visits David

Jonathan met David in the desert of Zif. Jonathan knew that his father wanted to kill David. But God didn't allow it. Jonathan encouraged David not to give up, but to trust in God's help. "Don't be afraid, my father won't find you. One day you will be king over Israel and I will be your representative." They swore again eternal friendship and called upon the Lord as a witness. Both were in touch with God. That was their last encounter.

After a few years, King Saul and his three sons died in the war between Syria and Israel.


6. David gives a gift to Jonathan's son

David became king over Israel. He asked whether anyone from Saul's family was still alive. I want to do good to Jonathan and thus keep the promise I made to Jonathan.

The message: "Yes, a son of Jonathan still lives. In Lo-Dabar." David immediately had him brought to the royal court. When Mephibosheth came before the king, he bowed low. The king said: "You need not be afraid. Your father Jonathan was my best friend and I want to do you good. I will give you all your grandfather's possessions. Mephib Bosheth, I want you to eat at the table with me every day as if you were you my son."


7. A shining example
The friendship between David and Jonathan. The love and loyalty, the selflessness and the courage are striking. This meant not giving up in difficult situations as well as consolation and their connection with God the Creator.


8. Agape, Divine Love

From the Psalm David:
As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!
Psalm 40:11+12 (ESV)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)

Text see also 1 Samuel 18; 19; 20; 23 and 2 Samuel 9

Author: Edith Waechter
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