The Kindness Of God

Imagine yourselves as kings. You’ve been victorious in all your doings. You just made a name for yourself by returning from a total victory in war. You’ve been doing well, and you’ve been blessed and given the wisdom and ability to win battles... And from all the battles come with plentiful land and an innumerable spoil - gold, silver, and precious jewels...

What will you do?

I might be inclined to celebrate. I’d build a nice mansion with a multiple-car garage and fill it with expensive cars. Then, I will pay for everyone’s tuition. Lastly, I will write and sell a best-selling novel on how to be successful. I’d probably take measures to protect all the riches that I’ve gained by building a treasure city.

By the time we come to 2 Samuel 9, David had just returned from a big victory against the Arameans. He reigned over all of Israel and administered justice and righteousness for his people. God had been blessing him; the Lord gave David victory wherever he went. At that point, what does he do?

The first thing the Scripture records is this: David says, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness?” When David came into great fortune and victory, he said, “All of this came from the Lord; it’s not my doing. So, how can I pay it forward? To whom can I show kindness?

David’s kingdom was not perfect—in fact, it was far from perfect. But in his kingdom, you see a tiny glimpse into the character of the future kingdom of God. David’s kingdom was one of justice and righteousness, as the future kingdom of God will also be ruled in perfect justice and righteousness. David’s kingdom and its wealth were dedicated to the Lord, just as all things will return to the Lord.

Interestingly, 2 Samuel 9 displays another aspect of his kingdom—a characteristic that most of us would not expect—kindness. David’s kingdom demonstrated kindness. At one point, Scripture describes this kindness as the “kindness of God,” as hesed. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of kindness shown to people who did not deserve it. But how did he do that? How did he mirror the future kingdom of God through his kindness?

The narrative begins with David asking a surprise question: “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul?" What prompted David to ask this question? What was in his heart? On the one hand, when David asks, “Is there anyone left?”—the key people of the house of Saul and their supporters had died. We know of the death of Saul, his son Jonathan, and most of the house of Saul at the battle of Gibeon against the Philistines. And we know that David had nothing to do with it. But what did David intend to do with any surviving member of Saul’s household?

Of course, we can’t forget that in Saul’s eyes, David had become his bitterest enemy. For years, Saul had obsessively hunted for David like a big game. For years, David had been running away to different places to escape the hands of Saul. At one time, he even had to flee to the Philistines (his enemies) and pretend to be insane just so that he could live. David was pretending to be crazy, making marks on the doors of the gate with his fingernails and drooling so that his saliva would run down his beard - how humiliating!

After Saul’s death, there had been a long period of war between the house of Saul and the house of David. So, at first glance, it would be no surprise if David was concerned that anyone who was left in the household of Saul might be a threat to him. Maybe David wanted to eliminate any form of threat that was remaining. Maybe he said, “I want to show kindness,” as a tactic to bring out the remnants of Saul’s descendants so he could take revenge! That’s what kings did in those days! What will he do?

Finding the remaining blood of Saul’s family probably wasn’t a simple task. But David eventually found a senior servant of Saul’s household named Ziba, and he was able to locate a grandson named Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, who was lame in both feet. His condition was a tragic consequence of a hurried escape from a political upheaval. As a child, Mephibosheth was taken up by his nurse in an attempt to flee when the news of Saul and Jonathan’s death reached them. In the chaos, the nurse stumbled, and the boy fell, and that incident resulted in a grievous injury, leaving him crippled in both feet.

Here’s a guy who has fallen from royal favor, vulnerable, powerless, and dependent. Once, his life was filled with promises of a princely or even a kingly future, but now he lives in fear. David wastes no time and sends for him