RPG Adults
A SONG OF BROTHERLY LOVE
MONDAY, JUNE 10
Psalm 133:1-3
1 Corinthians 10:23-24
“… love thy neighbour
as thyself …”
A SONG OF BROTHERLY LOVE
This song on brotherly love by David does not refer to his brothers in the flesh. David had three elder brothers serving in Saul’s army. They were Eliab (the firstborn) and after him, Abinadab and Shammah. Instead of being kindly affectioned to David, their youngest brother, Eliab the eldest especially, spoke roughly to David when he went to watch the battle with the Philistines and with Goliath. So often brothers in the same family are not as close as they should be.
David is here singing the praises of brotherly love in the spirit. “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Prov 18:24). The story is told of one of David’s closest commanders, “And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men” (2 Sam 23:14-17).
Such reciprocity of spiritual brotherly love far exceeds the bond of the natural. It is this bond of spiritual brotherly love that binds the lives of David’s followers to their king. It is such a bond of Christian love that binds Christ’s followers to their Saviour.
The effect of their service is like the special ointment poured on Aaron the high priest. It is like the dew from Hermon descending on the hills of Zion.
THOUGHT: (Read 1 John 4:7.)
PRAYER: Help me, Father, to love Thee as David’s three commanders loved their king.