This is week 2 – part 2 in our Bible study, “Learning to Love.” This week we’re taking a closer look at the Greek word “Philia” – brotherly love, friendship. If you’d like to join our study, click here to find the free Bible study guide and all of the information you’ll need to join in.
This is the end of week two in our Bible study, and I’m enjoying it so much. We started this week with the story of David and Jonathan, and then went on to Job and his friends.
David and Jonathan – 1 Samuel 18:1-5, 19:1-7
When I read about Jonathan taking off his robe and handing his bow and his belt to David, I’m reminded of our Lord, Jesus Christ who stripped Himself of everything to love mankind. In Philippians chapter 2, we read:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
What also stood out to me was that jealousy doesn’t belong in a friendship. Good friends don’t stand in your way, they stand behind you, praying, encouraging, and lifting you up.
The Bible tells us to esteem others higher than ourselves. Jonathan was a perfect example of this. He was willing to give up the opportunity to be the next king so that God could complete a work in David. He also gave up the approval of his father when he stood by David, protecting him from Saul.
this week’s notes in my Quieting Your Heart Journal
(affil link)
Job and his Friends – Job 2:1-13 and Job 22:5-11
A focus on Job’s friends brought a few things to light that I hadn’t really thought about before.
They did some things so right and others so wrong. It taught me how to be a better friend–now I just need to apply it.
When their friend was in need, they joined forces and went out to see him. They wept with him, and they empathized with him. And then they were silent for 7 days. We all need good friends like that.
I was reminded of a time when I lost a baby at five months along. A girl came to visit me and brought flowers. She said she was so hesitant to come over because she didn’t know what to say. I told her that she didn’t need to say anything. The gesture of reaching out and stopping in was such a comfort to me.
But reading further into job, we see that his friends started talking and became “miserable comforters” to him.
I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. – Job 16:2
They tried to reason out things they didn’t understand. They blamed Job for his trials. (Job 22:5-11)
Had they remained silent they would have done him a great service of comfort, but they spoke when they shouldn’t have. Words are powerful. We need to be careful with them. They can build a friend up, but if we don’t use them wisely we can be destructive.
We don’t have to fix our friends, we can comfort them, pray for them, and listen to them, but let’s leave the fixing to God.
And finally, Tina, a member of our Bible journaling group was wise to remind us that Job remained an amazing friend through all of this. After all they put him through, and after all of the trials he went through he faithfully prayed for his friends:
this week’s notes in my Quieting Your Heart Journal
(affil link)
David and Ittai the Gittite
I don’t have notes on David and Ittai done yet, because I’ll be studying that lesson later today. However, I do want to point out a couple of things that I noticed so you can keep them in mind as you study today.
Gittites are native of the Philistine city of Gath. Remember the giant Goliath? The one that David killed with a slingshot? He was also known aa “Goliath of Gath.” The Philistines had a long history of conflict with the Israelites, and so this friendship between David and Ittai has a different dimension to it than the average friendship.
Another thing that you might want to consider is comparing this story to your friendship with God. When we think of friendship, we naturally focus on the people around us, but the example of Ittai can offer us a fresh perspective on what it means to follow Christ.
That’s all for this week! Come back on Monday for next week’s resources. And have a great weekend y’all!
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife
Click here to download and print this coloring page.
By far the most darling coloring book page EVER! And it’s free!!! I love free. And I love coloring. And I have some serious Philia love for you too!
You’re so cute! Thank you, Wendy!
Thank you Darlene, for your humbled heart. You are so gifted and generous. I’m so glad to visit your blog! You inspire me to draw ever closer to my Jesus. I second with Wendia. I “Philia” you and your community. 🙂
Aww, that’s so sweet!!
I just got my Journal in the mail! LOVE it!
That’s awesome! So glad you like it. 😀
I enjoy seeing your observations from the daily studies & other people’s comments too. It helps me to see other perspectives on the readings .Did you post any other thoughts on “David & Ittai & the Gittite?
I didn’t post them. I had a fever on the weekend and got a bit behind. But here are my thoughts…
Looking at David’s son compared to Ittai, we see two kinds of followers: Those who want the kingdom, but they want to bypass God to get there. Absalom hadn’t seen his father’s face in years (I read that in the previous chapter) but he wanted the kingdom. It reminds me of the many people who want heaven, but they don’t want a relationship with God.
Ittai reminded me of those who are seeking a relationship with the Lord. Ittai didn’t have to ride beside David in battle, in fact David sent him back. But he chose to stay and fight. He took up his cross to follow him in a sense. He was willing to leave everything behind to be a friend of the King. God seeks a relationship with His people. He wants our friendship.
I’m a little behind, but here are my thoughts with Ittai and David…
I think I see where Ittai’s loyalty came from.
We’re told in the story that he was a stranger and had only been with David for a day.
2 Samuel 15:20 “Whereas thou camest but yesterday…” So how is it that he was willing to follow David at any cost?
2 Samuel 23:39 “…Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,” Ribai was his father. Notice where he was from.
Could it be? Did Ribai serve under Jonathan?
1 Samuel 13:2 “Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were WITH JONATHAN IN GIBEAH of Benjamin:..” (emphasis mine)
Is it possible that Ittai learned his loyalty to David by the testimony of his father? If so, Ribai must have shared all that he learned from Jonathan, the very one whose soul was knit with David’s.
This teaches me the importance of my influence on my children when it comes to those in leadership. If I speak well of my pastor, so will my children. If I respect my children’s teachers, so will my children. Most importantly, my children need to hear me speak well of my God, that one day they will to. Ittai didn’t spend enough time with David to witness his character first hand, he had to have heard of him.
I love absolutely love 2 Samuel 15:22 “And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.”
The teaching continues to the next generation…”little ones that were with him” Ironically, Ittai means “with me”.
Jonathan loved David, Ribai served under Jonathan, Ittai follows David at all cost, the little ones witness the loyalty. All because of LOVE.
Let us love one another.
Hi Darlene!
Thank you so much for this study. My husband and I are doing it together. The first week brought up some things that he has never spoken about in regards to his family and the death of his mother and subsequent relationship with his father. After four years, this study is what finally helped him to open up and talk about his. I cannot thank you enough. We are really enjoying it. We have the 30 day prayer journal and it will be neat to go back and look through that in the future. Thank you for all the love that you put into this for us. I also hope your fever has gone down and you are feeling better! 🙂
Wow. That’s powerful feedback. I pray that God continues to heal this part of him.
I felt the fever coming on early, so I did all of the prep work for Monday’s study as quick as I could. So far so good it was only the one night. But my kids had a bad flu last week. I pray I don’t get that. Maybe it’s over for me.
I am having a hard time finding the word Storge in the dictionary. Where did this word originate from? I would like to share your information with my Sunday school class.
Thank you,
Carol
Carol, because it’s a Greek word, you won’t find it in the dictionary. You can find it on Wikipedia. Here is a link to it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storge
I’m from Brazil and i’m absolutely amazed with all your devotions. Here in Brazil we dont have anything like this. I will print all your devotions and put on my planner. Really really thank you, God bless you!