On Friendship and Loyalty – A Reflection from Absalom’s Rebellion

The other day, I was reading about the rebellion of Absalom, somewhere between 2 Samuel 15 and 17, and something caught my attention.

You know the story: David had friends and allies.
But when he heard that Ahithophel had betrayed him and joined forces with Absalom, David immediately knew he had to act.
The Bible says that in those days, Ahithophel’s counsel was like the counsel of God, if he spoke, it was as if God Himself had spoken.
That’s how powerful and trusted his advice was.

But then there was Hushai, David’s friend.
Not an Israelite by birth, but likely bonded with David during his time in the cave of Adullam.
Hushai went and joined himself to Absalom, but as a secret spy for David.

When Absalom saw Hushai, he was surprised.
He said in essence,
“You are a good friend to my father. Is this how you repay friendship? Is this how you betray him?”

That moment struck me.
Absalom, though in rebellion, could still recognise loyalty and genuine friendship.
He knew the people who truly loved his father.
He understood the weight of relationships.
Seeing Hushai there moved him.
He was thinking,
“You were my father’s best pal, what are you doing here?”

Hushai replied,
“I served your father, and now I will serve you.”
But in reality, his loyalty remained with David.

What Loyalty Looks Like

And that got me thinking:
Can people look at you and your friend and recognise loyalty?
Can they see genuine, unconditional friendship?
The kind of friendship that makes others say,
“No, these two are not in it for what they can gain; they’re truly loyal to each other.”

When I think about friendship, I remember my best friend Chijioke.
We’ve been through so much together.
Many times, we both feel like we’re not doing enough for the friendship — yet we keep growing and getting better each day.

During the preparations for my wedding, everyone already knew he would be my best man.
Even today, people still call us “twins.”

That’s what real friendship is:
Unconditional. Supportive. Recognizable.

The Bible also talks about David and Jonathan.
Their souls were knit together.
It was beautiful, and it was obvious to everyone around them.

They weren’t just friends; they were covenant brothers.
Jonathan risked his own future to protect David.
David mourned Jonathan with a broken heart, saying,

“Your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.” — 2 Samuel 1:26

Friendship should be visible, loyal, and selfless.
People should be able to point at your relationships and say,
“These are true friends.”

Not just friends of convenience,
Not just friends for gain,
But friends of covenant, of sacrifice, of love.