The Prince and the Pauper 1 Youve Got

The Prince and the Pauper 1

"You've Got A Friend" When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand nothing, whoa, nothing is going right. Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights. You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am I'll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there, yeah, you've got a friend. If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds and that old north wind should begin to blow, keep your head together and call my name out loud. Soon I will be knocking upon your door. You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am I'll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there. Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? People can be so cold. They'll hurt you and desert you. Well, they'll take your soul if you let them, oh yeah, but don't you let them. You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am I'll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call, Lord, I'll be there, yeah, you've got a friend. You've got a friend. Ain't it good to know you've got a friend. Oh, yeah, you've got a friend. 2

A youth minister was attending a Special Olympics where handicapped children competed with tremendous dedication & enthusiasm. One event was the 220 yard dash. Contestants lined up at the starting line, & at the signal, started running as fast as they could. One boy by the name of Andrew quickly took the lead, & was soon about 50 yards ahead of everybody else. As he approached the final turn he looked back & saw that his best friend had fallen & hurt himself on the track. Andrew stopped & looked at the finish line. Then he looked back at his friend. People were hollering, "Run, Andrew, run!" But he didn't. He went back & got his friend, helped him up, brushed off the cinders. And hand in hand, they crossed the finish line dead last. But as they did, the people cheered, because there are some things more important than finishing first. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4: 9 10, "Two are better than one. . . If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" 3

When Howard Hughes died, he was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived - worth approximately 2. 5 BILLION dollars. He owned a private fleet of jets, hotels and casinos. He had everything a man could possibly desire… except close friends or relatives who knew him and cared about him. When asked to claim his body, his nearest relative, a distant cousin, exclaimed: “Is this Mr. Hughes? ” When he died, not a single acquaintance or relative mourned his death. The only honor he received was a moment of silence in his Las Vegas casinos. Time magazine put it this way: “Howard Hughes’ death was commemorated in Las Vegas by a minute of silence. Casinos fell silent. Housewives stood uncomfortable clutching their paper cups full of coins at the slot machines, the blackjack games paused, and at the crap tables the stickmen cradled his dice in the crook of their wooden wands. Then a pit boss looked at his watch, leaned forward and whispered: “O. K. , roll the dice. He’s had his minute. ” 5

When Howard Hughes was worth approx. 4 billion dollars, he reportedly said, “I’d give it all for one good friend. ” People without friends are people who live in utter poverty. For most people, friendship is one of their deepest needs and desires. 6

Long before there was a Batman and Robin, long before there was Tom and Huck, Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Bert and Ernie, there were two friends, Jonathan and David, whose friendship was so strong, so loving, so loyal, so perfect that it has become the standard for measuring all friendships. Let’s take a closer look… 7

Jonathan his father was the king, he was a “golden boy, ” an accomplished warrior, a respected leader, the heir to the throne—The Prince David was the youngest son, not of a king, but of a shepherd named Jesse; he and Jonathan probably after David came to the palace as a court musician to the king, Jonathan’s father, Saul. – The Pauper. Their friendship is the kind of friendship everyone of us--male or female- really longs for in our heart of hearts; they were close friends, each one devoted to the other. They probably finished each other’s sentences, and absorbed each other’s mannerisms. It was probably one of those friendships where they were just as comfortable sitting in silence as they were talking and laughing together. We want friends who will laugh with us and cry with us; We want friends who know our faults and love us anyway; We want friends who will accept us, and understand us, and challenge us, and stick by us. But how can you find a friend like Jonathan? If you truly want to develop a friendship like the one that David and Jonathan shared, if you truly want to find a friend like Jonathan, then you need, more than anything else, to cultivate a heart like Jonathan’s heart. . 8

1 Samuel 18: 1 -5 (NLT) 18 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. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. 5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike. 9

Two boys collected a bucket of nuts underneath a great tree inside a cemetery on the outskirts of town. When the bucket was full, they sat down out of sight to divide the spoils. "One for you, one for me, " said one boy, as the other watched intently. Their bucket was so full that some of the nuts had spilled out and rolled toward the fence. It was dusk, and another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me. " The boy with the bike knew just what was happening, and his face went ghostly white. "Oh my, " he shuddered. "It's Satan and the Lord dividing souls at the cemetery!" He jumped back on his bike and rode off, desperately looking for a friend. Just around the bend he met an old, scowling man who hobbled along with a cane. "Come with me, quick!" said the boy. "You won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls!" The man said, "Beat it, kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk? " When the boy insisted, though, the man hobbled to the cemetery. When they arrived at the fence, they heard, "One for you, one for me. " Ready to have a little fun, the old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' the truth. Let's go inside, and see if we can see the Devil himself!" The child was horrified, but the old man was already taking his first step toward the gate. Then they heard, "Okay, that's the last of them. That's all. Now let's go get those two nuts by the fence, and we'll be done. " They say the old guy made it back to town five minutes ahead of the boy! More than likely, he was looking for a friend. 10

In 1967, Stu Webber was in the U. S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was brutal training for brutal times. The war with Vietnam was the backdrop for the young men trying to survive the heat, humidity, and the rigors of the camp. Now a pastor and author, Webber writes of the day the raspy voice of the drill sergeant barked out his first, passionate speech. "We are here to save your lives, " he told the young men headed for combat. "First, we're going to see to it that you overcome all your natural fears. … And second, we are going to show you just how much incredible stress the human mind and body can endure. And when we're finished with you, you will be the U. S. Army's best! America's best. You will be confident. You will survive, even in combat. And you will accomplish your mission!" Before he dismissed the formation, the sergeant gave Webber and his fellow recruits their first assignment. These guys were ready for anything. They had mentally prepared for a 10 -mile run in full battle gear. They'd already envisioned rappelling down a sheer cliff. So what would be the tough guy's first tough order? "Find yourself a Ranger buddy, " he growled. "You will stick together. You will never leave each other. You will encourage each other, and, as necessary, you will carry each other. " It was the army's way of saying, difficult assignments require a friend. Together is better. 11

Lou Gehrig was 1 st baseman for the New York Yankees. He died on June 2, 1941, of A. L. S. , later called "Lou Gehrig's Disease. " The doctors really didn't know how to treat it. So he was in the hospital for a long time as they experimented with different drugs, trying to find one that would work. Just before he died, Lou Gehrig called his friend, Bob Considine. He said, "Bob, I have great news. The boys in the lab have come up with a new serum, & they're trying it on 10 of us. It seems to be working well on 9 out of 10. " Bob Considine asked, "Is it working on you, Lou? " Lou answered, "Well, no. But 9 out of 10, how do you like those odds? " He was really joyful because 9 out of 10 were being helped. 12

Ben Merold is a minister that I have known for over 50 years. I knew him first when he was preaching in Illinois. Then he went out to the Eastside Church in Fullerton, CA, & preached there for more than 20 years. That church grew to be one of the really strong churches on the west coast. When he first went there, Ben & his family went through some terrible times together. Ben & Pat had 3 children, & 2 of them were strong Christians. But one of their sons rebelled against everything. He wouldn't listen to them at home. He became involved in drugs & alcohol, & finally ended up being arrested for crimes that he had committed. Ben thought about quitting the ministry because he remembered the verse that says, "If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church? " (1 Timothy 3: 5) So he seriously thought that maybe he ought to leave the ministry. In the moment of deepest depression, Ben says that Tommy Overton came to him. Tommy preached in Huntington Beach, & had been there many years. Ben was new to California, & Tommy could have been jealous over all the praise Ben was receiving because of the way the church was growing. But Tommy came, knocked on the door, & said, "Let's go for a ride. " So Ben & Tommy went for a ride. They rode around for a while, & finally ended up in the parking lot of the Women's Correction Institute in L. A. Ben said, "We sat there for a while. Then Tommy said, ‘Ben, I don't know if you know this or not, but I had a daughter who spent a lot of time in this prison. I used to sit in my car in this parking lot, & cry & pray because they wouldn't let me see her. “I know what you're going through. If you ever need someone to talk to, who understands the pain, I want to be that friend. '" Ben Merold says, "I poured my heart out that day to Tommy. " And months later, when his son was tragically killed, Ben Merold called Tommy Overton to preach the funeral for his son. SUM. We need friends like that. And we need to be a friend like that, someone who will pick them up when they fall down, & brush them off, & hold their hand, & go on with them toward the finish line. 13

Your best friend, the friend of friends, is Jesus. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. And when you fall, He'll pick you up, dust you off, & walk with you hand in hand all the way to the finish line. 14

At this point in our story, David is a very fortunate young man. • David just killed Goliath - the champion of the Philistines, and became the beloved hero of the people… • Now that David has slain the giant, Saul made David a permanent part of his family. Saul had been plagued by an evil Spirit and only the singing of David could alleviate his torment. So, David had already been a regular visitor to the King’s palace, but now David was to be a permanent part of Saul’s family. • * And… not only was David a favorite of the people, and of the King… but God Himself honored David by selecting him to be the next king of Israel. 15

So David was a very fortunate young man… He went from Pauper to Prince through one act of bravery. But life was about to get VERY UNCOMFORTABLE for this young shepherd boy. 16

1 Samuel 18: 5 -11 (NLT) 5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike. 6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. 7 This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” 8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this? ” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. 10 The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice. 17

King Saul became jealous over David’s popularity, and a number of times Saul attempted to kill young David. Eventually, David needed to flee for his life, but even then, Saul pursued him into the wilderness to destroy him. David HAD BEEN a very blessed man, but he soon came to understand that there are times when life gets hard… things go wrong… experiences are harsh. As James Taylor described it in his song… there’s going to be times · when we’re going to be down and troubled · when nothing is going right · when the sky above us grows dark and full of clouds He says that there are people out there who · who will hurt you, · and desert you · and take our souls if we let them Taylor’s answer to those problems in a person’s life? We need friends, friends who will be there for us when life gets hard. As one person put it: We need “someone who will walk in when the rest of the world walks out. ” And, that’s why God gave David a friend like Jonathan. 18

What kind of friend did God give David? 1 st –this friendship started in Jonathan’s heart 1 Samuel 18: 1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 nd –Jonathan made a commitment to David 1 Samuel 18: 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 3 rd –Jonathan was willing to share whatever he owned with David 1 Samuel 18: 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 19

As David moved through the days of his life, he was a man truly blessed by the Lord. God was gracious to David in that God placed in his life certain people on whom David could lean during the hard times of life. The people provided a strong support system for David and helped him make it through many dark hours in his life. One of the most precious and profound of the relationships David enjoyed was the friendship he had with King Saul’s son Jonathan was a true of God to young David. In fact, the very name “Jonathan” means “Jehovah has given. ” Jonathan was strategically placed in David’s life at the very time David needed a genuine friend. Jonathan proved to be the greatest and dearest friend that David would know in his entire life. You see, as you pass through this life, you will make hundreds and even thousands of acquaintances; but you will have few real friends. In fact, if you develop two or three genuine friendships during your lifetime, you are a blessed person. So, what is a real friend? One person said, “A friend--a true friend--the first person who comes in when the whole world has gone out. ”[1] Another said, “A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you today just the way you are. ”[2] We ought to praise the Lord for the few, genuine friends we possess in our lives! I want to examine this precious friendship between David and Jonathan. I want you to see the greatness of their friendship. But, I want you to see the even greater friendship that is pictured in these verses. For here, we can see a portrait of the love Jesus Christ has for the saints of God. You see, the saints of God have a genuine friend in the Lord Jesus. And, by observing the signs of friendship, as they are given in the Word of God, we can understand something about the greatness of Christ’s love for His people. So, let’s examine this friendship that David enjoyed with Jonathan and seek to understand the friendship we enjoy with Jesus. 20

JONATHAN’S LOVE WAS AN UNCOMPLICATED LOVE A. According to verse one, Jonathan loved David just as he was. Think about it! David was nobody from nowhere, but Jonathan saw something in little David that ignited love in his heart. He loved David just because he was David, and for no other reason! The prince loved the pauper and his soul was “knit” with the soul of David. The word “knit” means “to tie, or to bind together. ” There was nothing in David to cause this love to grow, yet it was there just the same. B. This is a clear picture of the grace of God. This is portrait of how we are loved by the Lord Jesus Christ. His love for us is not based on our worth or our merit. The Bible is clear, in our natural state; we possess nothing that would commend us to the Lord, Eph. 2: 1 -3; Rom. 8: 7; Eph. 4: 18 -19. But, He loves us anyway! His love for us is pure, perfect and uncomplicated. 1. His Love Is Primary Love – 1 John 4: 10; 4: 19 – Even when we could not love Him because of our sinful condition, He loved us anyway! 2. His Love Is Perpetual Love – Jer. 31: 3 – The love God has for you and me is a love that had no beginning and will have no ending. His love is everlasting! 3. His Love Is Proven Love – Rom. 5: 8; 1 John 4: 8 -9 – The love of God found its ultimate expression the day Jesus died on the cross for our sins. God sent His Son, John 3: 16, to die for a fallen, wayward, sinful race, Isa. 52: 4 -6. And, He did it all because He loves us! C. God knew that we could never love Him like He loves us; but He loved us anyway! He knew that we would never show our love for Him to the same degree He demonstrated His love for us; but He loved us anyway! He knew there was nothing about us that merited His love; but He loved us anyway! He knew that we would trample Him and His love under our sinful feet; but He loved us anyway! We will never understand it, but God’s love for us is really very uncomplicated. He loves us because He is God! He loves us because that is His nature, 1 John 4: 7; Eph. 2: 4. Thank God that His love for us is not based on what we deserve! He loves us because that is His choice 21

JONATHAN’S LOVE WAS AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE B. Even when it wasn’t easy for this friendship between Jonathan and David to exist, it did. It existed and flourished because Jonathan refused to allow anything to sever the bond he has with David. When his soul was “knit” to the souls of David, it was bound to him for life. The Bible also says that they made a “covenant” together, 1 Sam. 18: 3. A covenant was more than a mere promise. It was life and death guarantee. They bound themselves together for life with an oath. They swore to be friends to the end; and they both honored the covenant. When Jonathan was killed in battle, David spoke of his death and of their friendship, 2 Sam. 1: 17 -27. As David speaks it is clear to see that he speaks of a friendship that was unfailing and unceasing. C. Again, this is a picture of the kind of love with which God loves us. His love for us is not affected by our behavior. It is not affected by His feelings. It is unaffected by our responses to Him. His love is not affected by anything at all. His love is never ending and it is totally unconditional. In fact, there is nothing that you can do that will make the Lord stop loving you! Nothing, and I mean nothing, can make Him stop loving His children, Rom. 8: 38 -39. You see, nothing we did made the Lord start loving us and nothing we can do will ever make His stop loving us. Love is a choice that God, in His sovereignty makes. It is a choice that He is willing to stand by forever. Thank God for unconditional love! 22

Greg Louganis recorded an unprecedented double/double in Olympic diving when he won gold medals in the men's 3 -meter springboard and platform competition in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. Few will ever forget how he fought back in 1988. In the springboard event he missed one dive and hit the board with his head. Physicians stitched his cut, and he went on to win. In the platform diving he won the gold on his final performance with an incredible reverse three-and-a-half somersault tuck. It was a breathtaking finish that brought Americans to their feet. It was the same dive that clinched the gold for Louganis in the '84 games. When reporters hounded him in Los Angeles he gave them a very unusual response. They asked, "What were you thinking about as you prepared for your final dive? " Maybe they were referring to the pressure, or to the fact that dive is extremely dangerous and killed a Soviet diver just a year before in 1983. Louganis' simple answer was, "I was thinking that no matter what happens, my mother will still love me. " When Greg was just eleven, he became very frustrated at his diving performance in an early and important meet. Frances Louganis took her son aside and said, "I do not come to see you win. I come to see you dive. Just do your best. I will love you no matter what. " That unconditional love carried her son to forty-three national diving titles, six Pan-American gold medals, five world championships, one Olympic silver medal, and four Olympic gold medals. [3] My friends, may I remind you that God does not look to see if we are winning. He watches over us because he loves us and He will love us no matter what! 23

Today, God has reminded us again of this great, heavenly truth, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, ” Proverbs 18: 24. Do you need that Friend today? If you do, you can come to Him and by faith He will save your soul if you are lost. A trucker tells the story on himself. He was yawning as he passed through rural North Carolina on Interstate 95. Only two more hours of driving, and then a good meal, some TV, a call home, and a warm bed. Most days on the road were like that-not quite as glamorous as some country-western singers suggest. A brown sedan entered the highway just ahead and began weaving back and forth between lanes, causing the trucker to throw his rig into a lower gear. At first he thought it was a drunk, but as the trucker came closer, he saw it was an older man shaking uncontrollably. The trucker was wide awake now. The car swerved violently, whipping its CB antenna like a fishing rod. "That's it, " thought the trucker, "the CB. " So he called in, "You in the brown Chevy, if you can hear me, pull over. Pull off the road!" Amazingly, the car slowed down and pulled to a stop alongside the road. The trucker pulled up behind him and jumped out of his cab. The elderly man staggered from his car and fell into the trucker's hands. On a rock on the side of Interstate 95, the older man poured out his story of months of fear and pain that accompanied the illness of his only daughter. He was returning now from the hospital where she had revealed that she had decided to cease any further treatment. In the hospital, each put on a face of stoic strength. But on the road, it had suddenly come over him, and waves of tears and grief overwhelmed him. The encounter was over in less than an hour. Wrenching sobs gave way to serenity, to a warm embrace, and to a new resolve to share pain rather than deny it. The trucker offered a simple prayer and they resumed their journeys. For 50 miles they traveled in tandem, the young trucker using the CB to voice words of encouragement to his new friend. Finally, the older man announced his exit was next. The trucker said farewell, and asked if his friend could make it the rest of the way. Suddenly, a third voice could be heard across the airwaves. "Breaker 19, don't worry, good buddy. Go your way. I'll see him home!" Glancing in his rearview mirror, the trucker saw a livestock truck move into the exit lane behind the brown sedan. --From a sermon by Norm Lawson[5] I’m glad that I can remind you today that we have a Friend Who will see us home! I sure am glad the Prince of Heaven loves paupers like you and me!) 24

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 18: 3 -4) The making of a covenant was serious business. It was the strongest bond known to men, and had both business and personal applications that extended even to the descendants of the two parties involved. A covenant was typically solemnized by great ceremony and ritual, some of which is mentioned in the passage above. All in all it went like this. First, several animals were cut in half and arranged along a path. Their purpose was to symbolize the penalty for breaking the covenant. The two men entering into a covenant relationship walked between and around the animal parts in a figure eight. (An eight on its side is the symbol for infinity. ) This was to show that they understood and accepted the penalty and that the agreement committed them forever. (When God entered into His covenant with Abraham, promising him an heir and giving him the Promised Land, He was the only one who walked between the animals. This meant that only He was bound to the terms. There was nothing Abraham had to do. In fact, God put him to sleep so he couldn’t participate. The land was given to Abraham and his descendants unconditionally and in perpetuity (Gen. 15: 9 -21). 25

Then they performed up to seven ceremonial acts; each also designed to underscore the seriousness and permanence of the relationship they were entering. In the passage above, we see David and Jonathan formalizing their covenant with the first two of these. 1. Each man handed his outer garment to the other, symbolizing that everything belonging to one also belonged to the other. 2. Exchanging sword, bow, and other weapons indicated that each was pledging himself to the other’s defense; placing his power, as it were, at the other’s disposal. 3. They each cut themselves in the wrist to make their blood flow and then joined their right hands and forearms together in a gesture from which we get the modern handshake. The idea here was that the blood from one was now mixed with the blood from the other. The two had become one. In some cultures a bride and groom still cut themselves this way and mingle their blood during their wedding ceremony, and the American Indian notion of becoming “blood brothers” is also derived from this. (The Hebrew word translated covenant comes from a root that means to cut. It could apply to the animals, the men, or both. ) We often hear the phrase, “blood is thicker than water. ” It usually refers to the strength of family relationships, but its original intent was different. It meant that the blood of the covenant surpassed the birth waters. As Jonathan’s actions toward David demonstrate, covenant relationships exceeded family ties in strength and durability (1 Samuel 19: 1 -3). 26

4. They let the cut heal in such a way as to leave a visible scar on their wrist. This was to alert people that they were stronger than they appeared to be, since others stood behind them pledged to their defense. 5. They shared a ceremonial meal, usually of bread and wine. It was another way of uniting them since to this day middle-Easterners believe that sharing from the same loaf of bread or the same flask of wine binds the participants together. In the first Biblical mention of this, Melchizedek and Abraham shared such a meal (Genesis 14: 18). 6. Still another way was for each to take a portion of the other’s name, similar to the way the bride takes the name of the groom in Western culture. (When God entered into a covenant with Abram He changed his name to Abraham, requiring us to exhale when we speak his name. The exhaled breath symbolizes the Ruach Elohim or Spirit of God. ) 7. And finally they built a monument or memorial to the ceremony. This could be something as simple as a pile of stones or as complex as a forest or a flock of animals, such as when Jacob and Laban formed their covenant (Genesis 30: 25 -36). They went through such ceremony because their lives depended on their covenant partners. There could be no doubt in their minds as to each other’s reliability. 27

References A Friend After Your Own Heart--Jeff Strite The Prince and the Pauper—Alan Carr The Covenant Relationship--Jack Kelley A Heart Like Jonathan -- Bob Hostetler The Heart of the Matter -- Victor Yap 28

Exchange of Robes Signified the exchange of identity. The distinctiveness of the robe you wore would indicate to which Clan or Tribe you were loyal or belonged. Exchange of Belts Signified the sharing of strengths or assets. Exchange of Weapons Signified the exchange of enemies. (Your enemies will be my enemies. ) 29

In many cases, the parties to the covenant would exchange robes, belts, weapons, or some other token as a symbol of their desire to no longer to live independently but as one. The exchange of robes symbolizes the putting on of each other and becoming one. It says that I give you all that I have and you give me all that you are. It implies that I give you all my assets and I take all of your liabilities. It signifies a new position, new character, and new authority. The belt or the girdle was part of the armor. It is what held the weapons in place and is symbolic of a man's strength. The exchange of belts is symbolic of giving your covenant partner your strengths and taking on his weaknesses. Weapons are used to defeat enemies. Thus, the exchange of weapons symbolizes the responsibility and the power to defeat the other’s enemies. How It Applies to Us Today As God, Jesus took off His robe of glory and came to earth, clothing Himself in the likeness of humanity (Phil. 2: 5 -7). By so doing, He made the wonderful, royal robe of righteousness available to us. By His work on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself our robe of filthy rags, which has been defiled by our sin and independent living. As we enter the New Covenant, God takes all of our weaknesses and gives us His strength for living. In covenant, even though we are weak, we have access to the strength of God (Phil 4: 13; 2 Cor. 12: 9 -10). Christ defeated every enemy that has or will come against the purposes of God. In the past, He defeated the enemies of God at the cross (Col. 2: 11 -15). In the future, He will destroy our enemies at His second coming (2 Thess. 1: 3 -10). Presently, He lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7: 25) and has given us all power over the enemy. Jesus told the disciples, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you” (Luke 10: 19). 30

Charles Swindoll has made the observation that, “ The neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit that there is to the fellowship Christ wants us to give his church. It’s an imitation, dispensing liquor instead of grace, escape rather than reality – but it is a permissive, accepting and inclusive fellowship. It is unshockable. It is democratic. You can tell people secrets, and they usually don’t tell others or even want to. The bar flourishes not because most people are alcoholics, but because God has put into the human heart the desire to know and be known, to love and be loved, and so many seek a counterfeit at the price of a few beers. ” [Charles Swindoll. Koinina ? ? ? l] Perhaps there is no better example of this than the television Sitcom “Cheers. ” The theme song says, “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came; You want to be where you can see, Our troubles are all the same; You want to be where everybody knows your name!” Isn’t it sad that was written about a bar instead of the house of God. 31

Jackie Robinson was the first black to play major league baseball. Breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then, shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.