Sincerely Yours

1 Sam.18:^1&3 “After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David… And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.”

When Jonathan met David, he saw someone that will put his life on the line for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. You can say, he found in David a soul mate – much more than what the phrase ‘soul mate’ has come to mean these days. Jonathan shows us through his friendship with David that genuine male friendship is possible. Many people have struggled to wrap their minds around Jonathan and David’s friendship. Some scholars have argued that Jonathan and David must have been gay (homosexual) and in a sexual relationship to have connected like this.

However, the Bible does not say that. If you knew God at all, you will know that cannot even be the case. God is not one to leave out details about the people in the Bible, no matter how ugly. God did not spare David when he had an affair with Bathsheba. David is the man after God’s heart, but God still recorded it in history. If David was having a homosexual relationship, the Bible would have stated it and God will deal with it just like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah. David and Jonathan’s friendship happened in the Old Testament so there was still fire and brimstone coming from heaven.

Therefore, the argument that Jonathan and David’s friendship was a homosexual relationship does not make theological sense. It would interest you to know that the theologians that were of that school of thought were men. The female theologians thought differently. They understood that two women can have a genuine relationship and talk heart to heart without anything unrighteous between them. Unfortunately, a lot of men do not understand that. As evidently crucial as they are, why are genuine male friendships scarce in our time?

I know there are exceptions, but in my years of Pastoring, I have had to interact with a lot of men. I have been privileged to know what is going on in their lives and I can say that not many men are in genuine male friendships. I know that it may feel like we are taking jabs at the men today, but it is far from that. Sometimes as men, because of the strengths that God has given us, we tend to think we can do it all by ourselves. Two are always better; Godly people of like minds that will come along side us and move the ball further faster. None of us is as strong as all of us. This is not to say our ladies are exempt from these lessons either. We all need people.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, open my eyes to the gift of people that You have planted around me and help to also be Your gift to the people I do life with, in Jesus Name. Amen!