The Covenant of Love: Jonathan and David

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
³Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
⁴And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
1 Samuel 18:1, 3-4 (KJV)

In the Scriptural passage above, we see a powerful, symbolic example of the covenant that God purposes to take place between Brothers and Sisters in Christ. 

It is simple and beautiful to behold.

Why Make A Covenant In The First Place?
In verses 1 and 3, we find out why Jonathan - and all people - feel compelled to make a covenant with a Brother or Sister in Christ.  One reason, and one reason alone.  Love. 

"Because he loved him as his own soul".  Not just ordinary love. Not just love expressed because "we have to" as a requirement of all Christians.  Not love based upon "liking someone" and changes with the whim of emotion.  Jonathan loved David like he loved his own soul.  Wow.

Only when we love someone like we love ourselves can we enter in to a covenant of love with them.  This is born out in John 3:16 which begins with the words, "For God so loved the world....". He loved us. And again in Matthew 22:39 in which Christ tells us "Love your neighbor as yourself."  And yet again in Ephesians 5:28, which teaches us that "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself."

Why make a covenant of love with our brethren?  When we have received a true, on-going and ever-growing revelation of God's love for us through Christ Jesus, obedience to His command to us to love one another as we love ourselves is not a chore.

The Price Required to Make A True Covenant Of Love
Verse 4 begins by telling us that Jonathan "stripped himself" of his robe, and then this and other things to David.  This shows us that there is a sacrificial price to be paid in making a covenant of love.

When we purpose to make and uphold a covenant of love, we are "knitting" ourselves together with that person in an inseparable manner.  As we will see when we look at the symbolic meanings of the items that Jonathan gave to David, we are committing ourselves to that person and publicly declaring that we will be associated with them for better or worse. 

So it was with the disciples as they followed Jesus - they were knit together with Him in love, and were known as being one with Him by association.  When people were amazed by Jesus' miracles, they also gave honor to the disciples because they were His followers.  And when Jesus was arrested in the garden, the disciples discovered that they would be persecuted in the same way as the One with whom they were knit together.

So it is, then, that we will also be honored or persecuted in the same way as are those with whom we have been knit together.  Stripping ourselves in order to give love to our brethren confronts us with a question that we must all answer - which do I love more?  My brethren or my reputation?

When one pays a price, however, one receives something in exchange, and what we receive when we pay the price of establishing and upholding a covenant of love is most precious and valuable.  We receive a friend most true, a love most pure, and a support most faithful as we walk through this life.  We receive the gift of experiencing the closest thing to Jesus' love that we can know through one another in this life.

The Sacred Gifts Of The Covenant Of Love
In Verse 4, God's Word reveals to us 5 things that Jonathan gave to David.  These 5 things are symbolic of spiritual gifts that we give - and commit to give on a permanent basis - to our brethren with whom we are in covenant.  Let's look at them one by one.

1.  ROBE - The robe (outer clothing) is symbolic of the outer covering of our lives.  When we "give our robe" to our brethren in a New Testament sense, we are committing to them that we will be a public and constant covering for our brethren - against satan, enemies and adversaries.

2.  GARMENTS - The garments (inner clothing) are symbolic of warmth - the warmth of the love of Christ.  When we "give our garments" to our brethren in a New Testament sense, we are committing to them that the love of Christ in us toward them will never waver or be compromised by the thoughts, words or actions of any person, including ourselves.

3.  SWORD - The sword is symbolic of the Word of God that the Holy Spirit has revealed unto us.  When we "give our sword" to our brethren in a New Testament sense, we are committing to them that we will regularly share with them the Word of God that His Holy Spirit has revealed unto us by speaking the Truth in love.

4.  BOW - The bow is symbolic of our prayers for others.  It is our long-range weapon.  When we "give our bow" to our brethren in a New Testament sense, we are committing to them that we will regularly pray for them in a personal and meaningful manner and that we are "there for them", ready to lift their needs in prayer.

5.  GIRDLE - The girdle is symbolic of our practical support for our brethren.  When we "give our girdle" to our brethren in a New Testament sense, we are committing to them that we will unconditionally, practically and helpfully support them, and that we are ready to sacrifice in order to do so.

These are the symbolic meanings of the 5 things that Jonathan gave to David.  These are the things that God desires we give to one another in love. In ourselves, these things may seem impossible to be and do. Jesus tells us, however, that with God all things are possible.

The Glorious Example Of The Covenant Of Love
Victor Hugo once wrote, "I met in the street a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, his cloak was out at the elbows, the water passed through his shoes -- and the stars through his soul."  No matter our plight in life, no matter the price that must be paid, our love for one another will shine forth as a beacon to others, calling them to God. 

By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35

My friends, as I stand face to face with each of you in His love, it is my desire that people who witness us walking through life together will see beyond our old hats, our worn coats, our elbowless cloaks, and our broken shoes, and see the stars that God created passing between our souls.  May they behold in us a most beautiful exchange of Christ's love.

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