Man's Best Friend

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Proverbs 17:17 HCSB
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.
Proverbs 18:24 HCSB
A man with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
Recently there was a news story about a Baptist Church in Washington DC. This "church" was not featured because revival had broken out, or because dozens had been saved, or because they had sent out many missionaries, or raised significant sums of money for missions. They didn't make the news because God was doing ANYTHING significant in their midst. They made the news because this church (which had cut ties with SBC) had called to serve as co-pastors a "married" lesbian couple.
IF you think the church can hide from this issue any longer, you are sadly mistaken. We must be firmly biblical in both our stand for the truth, and our loving and grace filled call of repentance and faith in the Gospel available to all who believe.

Answering the Charges

There is much re-interpretation these days of the friendship between David and Jonathan, advocating that they were homosexual lovers, and since David was a man after God's own heart, there must not be anything wrong or sinful or unnatural or dishonorable about homosexual relationships.
I believe we must answer these charges:
1. To show the absurdity of them.
2. To defend the plain meaning of Scripture.
3. To show the importance and beauty of real, genuine friendships with people of the same sex.

A Brief History

David has been anointed King by Samuel.
He has played the lyre for King Saul. (probably as a child)
He has defeated goliath (probably as an older teen)
Jonathan was Saul's son.
He was a shrewd warrior with a sharp mind.
He was a "go until you get a no" kind of leader in his own right.

The Beginning of a Great Friendship

1 Samuel 18:1–5 HCSB
When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan committed himself to David, and loved him as much as he loved himself. Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father’s house. Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as much as himself. Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his military tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. David marched out with the army and was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the soldiers, which pleased all the people and Saul’s servants as well.
Note: Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. Is there some sexual overtone to this? Context is important.
In the same chapter it is said Israel and Judah loved David (16), Michal loved David (20), King Saul pretended to delight in David, and said all his servants loved David (22). If you extend the context to chapter 16, you find that Saul loved David in his early days (16.21),

The Depth of a Great Friendship

chapter 20 leading up to verse 17 is all about Jonathan's love for David, his covenant with David, he desires that David's love for him be extended to his household should he die, and he frequently appeals to the Lord's loving kindness as the basis for their covenant. Should we view that all Israel, Judah, Saul, Saul's servants, Michal, Jonathan, and even God all love David in some homosexual way? This is absurd.
1 Samuel 20:1–17 HCSB
David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?” Jonathan said to him, “No, you won’t die. Listen, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This can’t be true.” But David said, “Your father certainly knows that you have come to look favorably on me. He has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.’ ” David also swore, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.” Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I’m supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I’ll hide in the field until the third night. If your father misses me at all, say, ‘David urgently requested my permission to quickly go to his town Bethlehem for an annual sacrifice there involving the whole clan.’ If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions. Deal faithfully with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?” “No!” Jonathan responded. “If I ever find out my father has evil intentions against you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?” So David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” He answered David, “Come on, let’s go out to the field.” So both of them went out to the field. “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? If my father intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may go in peace. May the LORD be with you, just as He was with my father. If I continue to live, treat me with the LORD’s faithful love, but if I die, don’t ever withdraw your faithful love from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.” Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
And let's not forget verses 40-42.
1 Samuel 20:41 HCSB
When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.
It is no longer safe for David in Saul's House. The realization that David and Jonathan would be parting company led to this exchange. 1. Note David's greeting of deference. 2. Note they kissed each other. Again, is this sexual? In the Bible I could find couples kissing, prophets kissing kings as they were anointed, father's kissing sons, grandfathers kissing grandkids, brothers kissing, SIL FIL kissing, DIL MIL kissing, people kissing idols, etc. NT Greet each other with a holy kiss. In Middle East, this is still often a custom. IF this was some homoerotic thing, they could have run off together. Conspired to kill King Saul, etc. Remember that David wouldn't touch Saul even when he had opportuninty.
And don't forget the weeping. I remember being in a hay field with my dear friend Nelson Medlock just a day or two after my best friend died. He took my sunglasses off, and said "I can see you are still weeping. Take some time for yourself and get through your loss. and he put some money in my hand and sent me on my way."

The End of a Great Friendship

As time marched on Saul and Jonathan fell in war. I have been to the city Beth-Shan where the Philistines hung their bodies up. When David got the news, he wrote a song.
2 Samuel 1:25–27 HCSB
How the mighty have fallen in the thick of battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights. I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were such a friend to me. Your love for me was more wonderful than the love of women. How the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war have perished!
He calls Jonathan a fallen mighty warrior.
He says he has been a friend, or lovely, or pleasant, or agreeable.
Used to refer to Holy Land... It was pleasant, used to refer to God's Word .... It is pleasant, used to refer knowledge and wisdom, and used to talk about consuming something in secret that is not yours. And solomon uses it to describe a woman.
David is saying that his covenant relationship with Jonathan was better than any love he had known.
By the way, David did have a problem, and it was not homosexual, but hetero sexual WOMEN.

The P.S. of a Great Friendship

2 Samuel 9:1–6 HCSB
David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul’s family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?” There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, bowed down to the ground and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied.
We could learn much from this friendship.
It is enduring.
It provokes to godliness.
It seeks to do the right thing.
It is sacrificial
I would encourage you to seek out good, godly, and deep friendships with people of the same sex.
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