COVENANT OF LOVE
But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father. And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s lovingH2617 devotion, that I may not die, and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of loveH160 for him, for Jonathan lovedH157 David as he lovedH160 himself.
1 Samuel 20:13-17
Remember that in 1 Samuel 18:1, 3&4, we read that Jonathan and David’s souls were “knit together” and Jonathan made a covenant with David and effectively made David heir to the throne in his stead by placing his royal robe upon David and giving him his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. This was a covenant of love as between two chosen brothers. Jonathan—perhaps without knowing it—was confirming what the prophet Samuel had already pronounced, that David was God’s choice to follow Saul as king and pledging his loyalty to David. In today’s passage, Jonathan and David renew their covenant of love. Jonathan pledges his support of David’s future kingship, and David affirms his loving care of Jonathan as long as he lives and Jonathan’s descendants after him. This was NOT a gay relationship but that of brothers as close or closer than those born to the same parents.
I, Susie, made a similar vow of love to my “adopted” son, Thomas; and he reciprocated with his vow. As we knelt at the altar praying, I vowed to serve as his mom for the rest of my life, and he vowed to take care of me in my old age. This was a covenant of love between us. Susan and I have made a similar covenant of love to consider ourselves sisters and care for each other for the rest of our lives. These love covenants are not conditional upon our behavior. They are a promise before God to be loving even if one of us does not seem to be loving at the time. The marriage covenant most definitely should be the same. Notice that Jonathan asked David to treat him “with the LORD’s loving devotion.” We cannot keep a covenant of love unless we tap into the Lord’s unconditional love for us. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to love others the way God loves us.
Are you in a covenant of love with someone? A spouse, your children, a mentor, etc.? How can you emulate the love of God in this relationship?
Father, help us to continually tap into Your love to enable us to love others. May we never take a covenant to love lightly but endeavor to be steadfast in our commitment to love.