Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
“That’s it in a nutshell.” Yes, I wonder where this comes from too. Pliny joked that Homer wrote so small that his Iliad could fit in a nutshell. What it now means is using few words to describe a long narrative. Well, if we were to put the story of God’s love for us “in a nutshell”, these verses seem like a strange choice but they explain a lot about our relationship with God. He loves us with an everlasting love so he entered into a covenant with us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. In this covenant in 1 Samuel, Jonathan and David mingled their identity and their power. They were no longer their own but their being and strength were combined. If someone picked a fight with one, they picked a fight with both.
In this covenant between God and us, we exchange our sin onto Jesus Christ on the cross for his righteousness to us so our being is identified with his! It gets even better! His strength and power are also ours through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the moment of our regeneration. Therefore, if someone opposes us, they are actually opposing God. bad move. Now, the next time you feel alone and that the world is against you, remember this covenant between Jonathan and David. Then remember that your covenant with God is infinitely better. To put the story of God’s love for you “in a nutshell”,
He loves you as his own.