Covenant Love      

I Samuel 18:3

 

     Jonathan's love for David was but a picture of the unparalleled love of the Lord Jesus Christ for his people. It is recorded upon the pages of Holy Scripture by Divine inspiration to teach us about our Savior's love.

     LOVE DELIGHTS IN COMMITTING ITSELF TO THE ONE LOVED. "Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul." The covenant was not made because Jonathan and David loved each other, but because Jonathan loved David. His love for David caused him to commit himself to David in a covenant, even as husbands and wives delight to commit themselves to one another in a covenant of marriage.

     AS JONATHAN BOUND HIMSELF TO DAVID, SO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BOUND AND COMMITTED HIMSELF TO GOD'S ELECT IN COVENANT LOVE. Because of his great love for us, the Son of God voluntarily assumed all responsibility for his people as their Surety in the everlasting covenant. He swore to his own hurt and changed it not (Psa. 15:4; Prov. 6:1-2; Heb. 7:22). He agreed to assume our nature, to represent us, to establish righteousness for us, to redeem us, to make intercession for us, and to sovereignly rule over all flesh to save us. The Son of God took us into indissolvable, everlasting union with himself. He so loves us that he has bound up his own future with ours (John 14:19; 17:22-24). In time, our Savior proved his love for us, as Jonathan proved his love for David, by changing garments with us (I Sam. 18:4). He took our sins and gave us his righteousness (II Cor. 5:21; Jer. 23:6).

     AS THE LORD JESUS BOUND HIMSELF TO US IN EVERLASTING LOVE, HE DESIRES THAT CHOSEN, REDEEMED SINNERS BIND THEMSELVES TO HIM IN LOVE. He says,"Give me thine heart" (Prov. 23:26). The believer's love for Christ is the fruit and result of his love for us (I John 4:19). Yet, he desires that we love him and causes us to love him voluntarily. In a word, the love of Christ for us constrains us to merge our interests with his (II Cor. 5:14-15). Believers are men and women who are "bound in the bundle of life with the Lord God" (I Sam. 25:29). Loving him, we commit ourselves to the Son of God because he, loving us, committed himself to us from eternity.

 

Don Fortner