Genuine Friendship

Experiencing David’s Challenges

Isgagan Ungyrov;ivn

“or2a-ov;ivnnyr Tavi;i Hyd

1 Sam 17:55-58

Friendship is something that we all experience starting at childhood. As a child, visiting a family where I had friends was one of my favorite family activities. I would be the first one getting ready and waiting at the door.

But not every friend was a real friend, a genuine friend. Finding a genuine friend is not easy. How many times we’ve got burned by friends who have misused the friendship.

My parents always wanted to know who my friends were. I am now a parent and I always look into who my children’s friends are. In Armenian we say, “Use in/i ow e ungyrt5 usym kyzi ow ys tovn” (Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are). Maybe there is some exaggeration in this statement, but nevertheless it says something about having the right kind of friend, and the influence of friends on us.

Today we are continuing our series about the experiences of David. We have two friends David (it means the beloved) and Jonathan (it means the gift of God).

Jonathan was the son of King Saul. This means he would inherit the kingdom from his father. It is amazing how Jonathan not only gave up his rights, but he also became the best fiend of David who was persecuted by King Saul.

Let us review the setting.

David was sent by his father Jesse to go and check on his brothers in the battlefield. He arrived and heard the threat of Goliath. He volunteered to be the one facing the giant. King Saul wanted to arm him. It did not work. David went on with his primitive weapons. God was with him. He won the battle.

The King wants to know about David (17:55-58)

How ironic is that king Saul asks this young man, “Whose son is this youth?”

The commander of army does not know about David?

Then the king asks: “Inquire whose son the boy is.”

I cannot understand how King Saul who knew David, who heard his music, who was healed by David’s music, who had David as his armor-bearer, would ask that question. The narrator writes: “And Saul loved him (David) greatly, and he became his armor-bearer” (1 Sam 16:21).

What kind of love is this?

How strange is the fact that Saul loved him but did not know whose son he was? Does this sound opportunistic? Did he take advantage of David’s talents and manipulated him? Later we will see how Saul often controlled persons and things. Saul was a selfish person who used David to satisfy his own ambitions and needs.

God does not work with us this way. What do we see in people? The image of God, someone with whom we can build a relationship, or an opportunity to gain something?

We will continue in English.