The Great Exchange
Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. I Samuel 18:1-4
This is one of the great events of Scripture! That day, Jonathan, King Saul’s son, cut a covenant agreement with David exemplified by the custom of exchanging robes and armor, and the significance of this for you and me as Christians living the age of Christ’s grace is astonishing!
When David received Jonathan’s robe that day, he was symbolically putting on Jonathan as Jonathan in return, was symbolically putting on David. (The covenant was unilateral in effect). As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us their soul’s (in Hebrew meaning “the whole person”) were “knitted” or linked together, permanently! And the motive behind it all was God’s amazing love! And to think that God loves us so!
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ was born fully God and fully man! The day He died on the cross, He had taken the nails in human flesh so that the power of the devil would be made useless. At the cross we exchange our robe of unrighteousness for His robe of righteousness, permanently! Hallelujah!
Pastor Louie