If you were a “Jeopardy” contestant, and one of the squares under the Bible category read

“David’s Friend,” you would no doubt quickly respond, “Who is Jonathan?” David and Jonathan

even today are the poster people for “friendship.”

We are so familiar with their story that we probably overlook something rather important, namely

that their friendship was a highly unlikely one. In normal circumstances, they probably would

never have met – ever!

Let’s take a quick look at these two young men…

David was a shepherd – the youngest of a bunch of brothers. His dad, Jesse, didn’t even line

him up with the other brothers when Samuel came to anoint a future king. In today’s

terminology, we might call him the runt of the litter – tanned and dirty from being outdoors

tending his sheep. His hands would have been rough, his clothing would have been rather

ordinary – and probably smelled a lot like those sheep.

And then there’s Jonathan, the son of a king. Royalty! Next in line to be king himself – or so

everyone thought. Jonathan would have had all the riches available at that time – and would

never have needed to dirty his hands with the task of shepherding. He would have worn royal

robes on special occasions, and even his everyday wear would have been of the finest quality.

Yet… in God’s perfect providence, they did meet and formed a covenant relationship. Here’s

how it all began:

Sometime after David took down Goliath with a stone and a slingshot, Jonathan was listening in

as his father, King Saul, asked David, “Whose son are you, young man?”

So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of

David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul... Then Jonathan and David made a

covenant because he loved him as his own soul. (1 Samuel 17:58-18:3 NKJV)

We don’t know what it was about that conversation that touched Jonathan’s heart – it might

have been David’s tone of voice or demeanor – or his humility before King Saul. Whatever God

used to connect their hearts forms the beginning of a story that has informed and blessed

believers for centuries.

Take a moment to reflect on your friendships – how they started – and perhaps how unlikely

some of them might be. And thank God for the gift of human friendship.

By Judy Shrout