In Proverbs, chapter seventeen, verse seventeen, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A brother is born to help us in times of need. A brother or sister is supposed to be there for each other. However, in the Old Testament, Cain and Abel in Genesis four are an example of the severity of how adversity can lead to jealousy and end in tragedy. “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him, as in verse eight.”
There are also Jacob and Esau in Genesis twenty-seven, where adversity turns into misery for Esau, who expected to receive the blessing from Isaac, his father. However, Rebekah, the mother, encourages Jacob to trick both his brother and father to receive it. Isaac, who could not see so clearly, responds in verse thirty-five, “And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.”
On the other hand, adversity can lead to generosity. In Genesis fourteen, verse fourteen, “And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.” These examples given in the Old Testament could happen to sisters, not only brothers.
The other part of the theme verse, “A friend loveth at all times,’ is true because they can love and cause trouble too. Once they come to learn all about you, they can use it as leverage and have similar issues to their brothers. “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, from Proverbs eighteen, verse twenty-four. Friends act like brothers.