David would eventually call it an extraordinary love, “surpassing the love of women” (2Sam. 1:26). It was to be a friendship to the nth degree . . . through victory and defeat . . . marked by encouragement and self-sacrifice. It really is one of the great sub-plots of 1 Samuel . . . the friendship between David and Jonathan . . . the saga of two soul mates.

As soon as [David] had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. 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.    (1Samuel 18:1-4 ESV)

At the least, they should have been competitors . . . and if they had been enemies, it would have been understandable. Jonathan’s the son of King Saul . . . naturally speaking, he’s the heir apparent . . . and a pretty impressive heir apparent at that. Read 1Samuel 13 and 14 and you’ll see in Jonathan a mighty warrior . . . a man of faith . . . and a man of conviction, not afraid to stand up to his dad. Not bad would-be-king material.

But then, out of nowhere, there’s a second warrior in the house . . . another alpha dog. I’m thinking that Jonathan may have come across the shepherd boy, slash, harp player, who had been making music in the house to sooth his dad’s troubled soul (1Sam. 16:23). But then, all of a sudden, the kid is a giant slayer . . . and soon David’s reputation and popularity will exceed even his dad’s (1Sam. 18:6-7) . . . talk about a threat! Talk about someone that you might develop a “healthy” distrust of . . . talk about someone who was elbowing in on the spotlight . . . talk about someone you might very well develop a bit of a dislike for.

Instead, the Scripture records, Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s. Their lives were brought together . . . and their lives were bound together at the deepest of levels. I don’t think Jonathan knew of David’s secret anointing by Samuel (1Sam. 16) . . . of the prophetic word spoken over the son of Jesse that, one day, he would be king. But I wonder if Jonathan, the man of faith, saw in David the man after God’s own heart (1Sam. 13:14). Jonathan apparently sees beyond any threat David may have posed to him, instead sensing in David a kindred spirit . . . a man anointed by the Spirit. Jonathan, the man of God, is drawn to David, God’s man.

And, humbling himself, Jonathan honors David by arraying him in the clothes and armor of a would be king. His love for David is such that he doesn’t hesitate to submit to him. And their soul’s become intertwined . . . their friendship is sealed . . . a deep and rich fellowship is established.

Is it too much to want to see myself as a Jonathan . . . and the Lord, the Son of David as, well, David? To be encouraged again to relinquish any claim I think I might have to the throne of my life, and instead humbly hand over again the keys of my little kingdom to Christ? To acknowledge afresh that He is God’s anointed . . . to wonder anew that our lives could be inextricably joined together . . . to declare again that I love Him as I would my own soul . . . to marvel, with exceeding marvel, that He would desire to enter into covenant relationship with me? To think that the King of Kings and the chief of sinners would, by the grace of God, become soul mates?

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends . . .   (John 15:15a ESV)