David and Jonathan- The first recorded Bromance
What is a bromance? A bromance is a close, non-sexual friendship between men.
It doesn’t get a lot of attention but friendships between men are important to their development especially if the father son relationship is lacking. Single women can learn a lot from having male friends and observing potential partners with their male friends. I have grown so much by having male friends and seeing the world through their perspectives. I love being best friends with my guy but there are some things that men need other men for.
One of my favorite heroes of the Bible is David. David is the only King in the Bible that we get to see his life with so much depth. He is a great man and certainly blessed by God. When David was being blessed by God he didn’t have the support he needed from family. His strongest support came from his best friend Jonathan.
On the surface these two shouldn’t have been friends. David was the young upstart threatening the kingdom of Jonathan’s father Saul. The turn of events would make David the next king, instead of anyone in Saul’s family. Jonathan wasn’t threatened or jealous by David’s growing popularity. However, the two formed a bond (1 Samuel 18: 1-5) and Jonathan loved David as himself.
David was a great warrior and leader of his people but he was not without sorrows. Some of his sharpest criticism came from his family and those in his own camp. It is his friendship with Jonathan, the son of Saul, that gives David comfort. So close is this friendship that David loves Jonathan as himself.
This unselfish friendship gives David peace. Saul is jealous of David because he knows he will become king. He also can’t stand the friendship that David and Jonathan share. It is Jonathan who reveals his father’s diabolical plan to take David life.
There are some things men need communicate together. I imagine that David and Jonathan spent a lot of time talking about various things that there female partners wouldn’t understand. Jonathan provided the necessary outlet for and support for David even when Saul (Jonathan father) wanted to kill David. (I Samuel 20)
I have noticed that my male friends who don’t have a strong father figures in their life place a premium on their friendships. Men need to be with other men sometimes. When dating I know it is important for my man to have time with his boys. That doesn’t mean he loves me less but I realize in healthy romantic relationships partners need time away from each other.
Instead of being threatened by the time a partner would spend with their friends I used that time to spend time with my friends. I respected the male friendships my guy has as long as I received that respect in return. Friendships between men are healthy and important for their development.