What can we learn about loyalty from the actions in 2 Samuel 17:18? Setting the scene 2 Samuel 17 recounts Absalom’s revolt against his father David. Hushai secretly sides with David and sends urgent news through the priests’ sons, Jonathan and Ahimaaz. Verse 18 captures a pivotal moment in their covert mission: “But a young man saw them and informed Absalom. So the two of them left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.” (2 Samuel 17:18) Snapshot of loyalty in verse 18 • Jonathan and Ahimaaz risk exposure to stay faithful to David. • The unnamed homeowner opens his property—and his life—to danger by sheltering them. • Immediate action (“left quickly”) shows loyalty that refuses hesitation when God’s anointed is endangered. Key observations • Loyalty is proactive: They don’t wait until it’s “safe”; they move at once. • Loyalty is sacrificial: Hiding in a well and harboring fugitives could cost freedom or life. • Loyalty is communal: Faithful hearts link together—messengers, homeowner, and later the woman who covers the well (v. 19). • Loyalty is discreet: No speeches, just quiet, courageous deeds. What loyalty looks like in practice 1. Swift obedience – Compare Luke 1:39, where Mary “went in haste” to serve Elizabeth. True allegiance moves feet as well as lips. 2. Personal risk – John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Loyalty courts danger for the beloved. 3. Creative problem-solving – Hiding in a courtyard well turns an everyday object into a shield. God often channels loyalty through simple means (Judges 4:21). 4. Alignment with God’s purposes – David is God’s chosen king (1 Samuel 16:13). Standing with him equals standing with God’s plan, regardless of popular opinion (Psalm 20:6). How this shapes our hearts today • Examine our speed: Do we delay when obedience costs us? • Count the cost: Biblical loyalty accepts inconvenience, embarrassment, or peril (Philippians 1:20). • Cultivate partnerships: God often preserves His work through networks of ordinary, faithful people (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). • Trust divine oversight: Though spotted by a “young man,” Jonathan and Ahimaaz reach safety, proving that God guards those loyal to His cause (Psalm 121:7-8). Other Scriptures that echo this loyalty • Ruth 1:16-17—Ruth binds herself to Naomi at great personal risk. • Proverbs 17:17—“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” • 2 Samuel 23:15-17—David’s mighty men brave enemy lines to bring him water. • 1 Corinthians 16:13—“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Loyalty, as modeled in 2 Samuel 17:18, is courage wrapped in steadfast love, willing to lose everything for the sake of God’s chosen king—and ultimately for the King of Kings. |
    |