Friendship

2 Samuel 9 is all about David keeping his promise to Jonathan from way back in 1 Samuel 20:11-17. David made an oath in God’s name to preserve Jonathan’s bloodline. The custom in the Middle East (and we can see it throughout history in Europe also) was to eliminate competition for the throne by new, incoming kings. That usually meant killing all the offspring from the deposed king assuring that there would be no claims on the throne from those descendants. Jonathan asked David to spare his linage (which was Saul’s linage as Jonathan was Saul’s son). David said he would, but it’s been several years into David’s reign and he has not even tried to do so.

We are not told what sparked David’s sudden interest in keeping his promise to Jonathan. We are just told that, “David inquired, ‘Is there anyone still alive from the family of Saul, to whom, for Jonathan’s sake, I can show kindness” (2 Samuel 9:1 CJB). One such person was located and he happened to be the lame son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth. He was accidently made lame by his nurse dropping him as they fled what they thought would be David’s revenge on the family of Saul after Saul’s death. (David had no intention of doing that, but the nurse did not know that.)

Later in the passage (verse3), David asks the question in a slightly different way (according to the various English translations), but the meanings were the same. “The king said, ‘Is there anyone still alive from the family of Saul, to whom I can show God’s grace?’” (CJB). David’s desire was to keep his promise to his closest friend, Jonathan, and show God’s special brand of grace.

While Mephibosheth was afraid David had ill intentions lined up for him, David tells him to not be afraid (verse 7). Then David goes on to tell Mephibosheth how his grace and kindness are going to be played out. “for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Saul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table.” David suddenly made Mephibosheth a very rich man. David went above and beyond what Jonathan asked him to do. Due to his friendship with Jonathan – for Jonathan’s sake – David was extremely generous. (David had the right to claim all of Saul’s possessions as his as Saul didn’t appear to have any legitimate heirs.)

I thought to myself, “How good of a friend am I?” Am I generous? Would I go out of the way to help a friend’s child? At the very least, do I pray for my friends and their families? Sometimes I can say, “Yes!” to all those questions (or at least some of them). But this idea of good friendship challenges me to be more intent in praying for my friends and their families. Intentional friendship is what God calls us to.