Genuine friendship can only thrive with loyalty, truthfulness, selflessness and sacrifice. Friendship, conjugal relationship and brotherly companionship with divine import and genuine impact are built on these worthy building blocks.

A story was told of a couple who was in a sinking cruise on the high seas. They managed to reach a life boat. Only to discover that there was only one space left. The wife conceded the space for the husband who jumped into the boat while the wife shouted only one sentence "take care of our child". On the surface, it would look like an irrational decision, but back home, the wife had been diagnosed with a terminal disease and the chance of the survival of their only child rested on the survival of the husband.

In our text, David was hinted by his friend Jonathan that Saul, his father, had plotted to kill him (David). This was hard for Jonathan to believe hence he asked for time to verify this and they agreed on a sign from Jonathan to confirm or refute the suspicion. Jonathan was not only a dependable friend; he was also prompt, truthful, loyal and selfless. He did not aid his father's bid to assassinate David his friend, even when it was ostensibly for Jonathan's sake so that David would not compete with him for the throne. 

In Jonathan, we find the ideal characteristics of friendship, devoid of hypocrisy, selfishness, tribal or fraternal biases, not blinded by jealousy, inordinate ambition and self-gratification. This wonderful virtue should be the desire of all who claim to love the Lord and want to see Him in the end.