Friends of the King (Oct 19)

What does it mean to be a friend of the king? Well, first of all, what is a friend? According to Webster, a friend is “one attached to another by affection or esteem; an acquaintance; one that is not hostile; one that is of the same nation, party, or group; or a favored companion.” I'm sure you've all known a few people that fit that description. Some stick with it and some don't. So we know how to be a friend to another person, but today I'd like to talk about being friends of the king. You'd think it would probably be somewhat difficult to become friends with someone so powerful or so “important” and the king probably has a lot of fake friends: people that just try to get close to him so that they can ask for favors or whatever. So who is a true friend of the king?

Proverbs 22:11 NKJV

He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend.

Many times in the Bible, the Lord is referred to or alluded to as a king. I believe that the verse in Proverbs can have two meanings. First of all, people that love purity of heart and have grace on their lips make good citizens, so that would be what the king (or any other leader nowadays, such as a mayor, governor, or president, etc.) would want. These people are model citizens and friends of the king. But I think these words also give a pretty good description of the person that is the friend of God, our heavenly king. I think that God wants you to be His friend. I know that it's more than that: God is to be your Lord, and you His obedient servant; He is to be the Savior, and you the thankful worshiper; He is to be the Leader, and you the follower. But He also wants you to be His favored companion, one attached to Him by affection, and one that is of the same heart. He wants you to be His friend.

Genesis 1:26, 3:8-9

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

After God had created the earth and all that is in it, plants and animals, he created a man in his own image, or resemblance, to take care of creation. We then read that God came and was walking in the garden and calling out to Adam, as if He would often come and walk with Adam in the garden in the cool of the day. The earth was God's garden and Adam his gardener, made after God's own likeness: two friends of the same heart communing in the garden together. Adam was attached to God by pure love. Adam was God's friend. A friend of the king loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips. Adam and Eve had pure hearts, but that purity and grace went out the window when they rebelled and sinned against God. Then when God came to walk in the garden, they hid from Him.

Imagine being a friend of God. Imagine walking in the garden and communing with Him. God offers His friendship to all people. The ones that love purity of heart and have grace on their lips will be friends.

Exodus 33:11

And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Moses is another example of a friend of God. He knew God so well and was so close that the Lord spoke to him face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. You can have a place where you walk and talk with God as a friend. God doesn't have to be just some mysterious thing we talk about in church and you never approach Him personally. God desires to have a personal relationship with you as a friend. He wants you to come and walk and talk with Him and get to know Him—even today!

James 2:23

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Abraham believed God. He had faith and that faith was worked out in his life and his works. He obeyed God and he trusted God as he followed wherever God led. He was righteous and he was a friend of God.

So, where do you stand with God? Are you close to Him? Do you walk and talk with Him? Do you have faith and also live it out in your life? Do you heed His call and follow His direction? Are you His friend?

Do you love purity of heart and have grace on your lips? Are you a friend of the King?