The Nature of True Friendship In his autobiography, Number 1, Billy Martin told about hunting in Texas with Mickey Mantle. Mickey had a friend who would let them hunt on his ranch. When they reached the ranch, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he checked in with his friend. Mantle's friend quickly gave them permission to hunt, but he asked Mickey a favor. He had a pet mule in the barn who was going blind, and he didn't have the heart to put him out of his misery. He asked Mickey to shoot the mule for him. When Mickey came back to the car, he pretended to be angry. He scowled and slammed the door. Billy asked him what was wrong, and Mickey said his friend wouldn't let them hunt. "I'm so mad at that guy," Mantle said, "I'm going out to his barn and shoot one of his mules!" Mantle drove like a maniac to the barn. Martin protested, "We can't do that!" But Mickey was adamant. "Just watch me," he shouted. When they got to the barn, Mantle jumped out of the car with his rifle, ran inside, and shot the mule. As he was leaving, though, he heard two shots, and he ran back to the car. He saw that Martin had taken out his rifle, too. "What are you doing, Martin?" he yelled. Martin yelled back, face red with anger, "We'll show that son of a gun! I just killed two of his cows!" 1 Samuel 18:1-5; 19:1-7; 20

Friends love each other 1 Samuel 18:1-5 Jonathan & David make a covenant Jonathan’s performs a symbolic act Their friendship is frequently misunderstood in today’s culture

Friends try to help each other 1 Samuel 19:1-7 Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Friends try to help each other Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Friends tell each other the hard things David is on the run from Saul He finds Jonathan and asks, “What have I done?” Jonathan thinks David is mistaken They come up with a plan to see Saul tries to kill Jonathan Jonathan warns David It’s time for the New Moon festival. 1st day of the month. Civil and religious festival. Celebrated with a sacrificial meal. David should be there. Jonathan will explain why David is not there, and if Saul accepts the explanation, everything is ok, and Jonathan will signal David one way. If Saul is angry, then Jonathan will signal to him another way. 1 Samuel 20:28-33

Friends tell each other the hard things But we need to notice 20:8 “If there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?” We should be helping each another to grow and mature We need to ask hard questions

Friends tell each other the hard things Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Friends are faithful We see that throughout the passage with Jonathan What about David? 2 Samuel 9:1-7 “Now David said, ‘Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!” Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.” So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.” Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

We should be careful we have as friends Both show their loyalty and love David shows his godly character The Bible shows us that we need to be careful in choosing friends Proverbs 22:24-25 “Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.”

We should be careful we have as friends The Bible also shows us that we need to be careful when taking advice from our friends Deuteronomy 13:6-8 “If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve

We should be careful we have as friends other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him...”