1 Samuel 25:1-13 Why are you being kind?

1 Samuel 25:1–13 NLT

1 Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah. Then David moved down to the wilderness of Maon. 2 There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time. 3 This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings. 4 When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 5 he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: 6 “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! 7 I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. 8 Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.” 9 David’s young men gave this message to Nabal in David’s name, and they waited for a reply. 10 “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. 11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?” 12 So David’s young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. 13 “Get your swords!” was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment.

The question is why are you being kind? How many times have you gotten mad? I mean mad mad like killing mad...like so mad that you were not thinking straight mad. Now we all get mad from time to time and we all forget that we are now God’s children, but odds are not many of us have been killing mad. David got killing mad.

So the situation here is that Samuel has just died and David was upset already about losing someone he cared for....then this guy Nabal just cuts him to the bone. Nabal had 3000 sheep and 1000 goats… he was descended from Caleb so he was born into prominence and had influence in the area. He likely was a legend in his own mind kinda guy…the Bible tells us that he was mean man. He was crude and mean in all his dealings so he likely thought a lot of himself and little of everyone else. David and his men had taken care of Nabal’s sheep and sheepherders who worked for him. They protected his men and his stock while they were in the area where David and his men were camped. This was almost a necessity back in those days because of bandits and thieves that roamed the country attacking herds.

So this guy Nabal is shearing 3000 sheep which was a task back during that time period. This is one of those times when we are reading Scripture that we think to ourselves “It couldn’t have been that bad if he had that many people working for him.” There were no power clippers back during that time ladies and gentlemen everything they did they did by hand. They didn’t have electric shears...they used hand shears or knives. It took a second to shear one sheep because they tried to keep the wool coats together. Periodically they would have to stop to sharpen the tools that they were using.

So imagine shearing 3000 of those sheep by hand. This was gonna take a second to get this done it was not something that happened in just a day or two. Likely took at least a week if not longer. It was a rough bit of business. So when spring came and they were shearing sheep they would cook food and hold a celebration for everyone involved in the work. There would have been plenty of food being prepared. David knew this and sent men to ask for food. He said tell Nabal this 1 Samuel 25:6-8

1 Samuel 25:6–8 NLT

6 “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! 7 I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. 8 Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.”

The message that was sent to Nabal basically said look we took care of your men and your stock so be kind to us. Notice that word kind. David is asking for kindness from Nabal in response to his kindness. Often times in our lives and our walks we are okay with being kind as long as our kindness is repayed. I’m about to tell you something that will shock you ...... seldom will someone be kind to you simply because you were kind to them. There is almost always an ulterior motive when someone of the world is kind to you.

Someone will be kind to you only so long as it benefits them. Are you being kind hoping that folks will return your kindness later? If you are just know that this how the people of the world approach kindness....Are we being kind because we feel like it is something that we have to do? Do we feel that we have no choice but to be kind because we say that we are Christian or that we are a Christ follower? Am I being kind as a by product of my relationship with the Lord? Am I only kind because I want to go to heaven or is it because I know I’m going to heaven?

What I am driving at here is that we are a new creation in Christ. I should be kind to everyone I meet not because I want to go to heaven…. or because I go to church...I absolutely should not be kind to someone or help someone just so I can remind them of it later and tell them how much they owe me for what I did for them that one time.....I should be kind to everyone I meet because I am now a new creation and I love the Lord so much that I want to be more like Jesus and less like me.

Think about what Jesus said in the book of Matthew...Matthew 5:47-48

Matthew 5:47–48 NLT

47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus said don’t just be kind to those that are kind to you....if that’s the case your no different than them.....So the guys that David sent tell Nabal what David said and then they are waiting for the answer. When Nabal answers them they are probably kinda shocked at the tone he takes....he doesn’t just say no he says this....1 Samuel 25:10-11

1 Samuel 25:10–11 NLT

10 “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. 11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”

“Who is this fellow David?” He asks this question like he doesn’t know David. He knew who David was and the fact that he referenced David’s daddy proves this fact. What he did was get smart and give them a smart mouth answer. “Who does he think he is anyway sending me a message like I owe him something. He acts like he is as important as me.” He even goes so far as to call David a servant who has run away from his master.

Another words David is a slave that is acting like he is somebody. He makes it absolutely clear that he could care less what David did for him, his men, or his livestock....almost like David should have done what he did anyway because Nabal was so important and such a big man. He called David an outlaw....said that he was not giving him anything....he would not take food from his men and give it to David....even though he had more than enough provisions to share.

Have you ever had anybody disrespect after you helped them....maybe they even talked bad about you…they took advantage of the kindness you showed them when they needed help then treated you with contempt later? Suddenly they feel like they owe you nothing because you are no longer of any value to them. How did you react to that? I can tell you the Lord humbled me right down here recently.

I have a guy that I thought was my friend...a guy that I have known for many years and thought that we were close....I helped him through one of the worst times in his life and as soon as he no longer needed me he began treating me with contempt like I was beneath him. Well to say that I was mad at him was an understatement. I was hot about it but only for a few minutes becuase the Lord asked me this when I got mad “Why were you being kind to him to start with for you or for me? Would you not do the same for anyone who was in need or just those that you know? Will you only help those and be kind to those that you know are going to be kind in return or are you following me? I thought you were praying asking me to make a way for you to be a witness to Him? How is you getting mad gonna help him find Me?”

Folks let me just tell you that humbled me right down. I was kind to him true enough and he did not repay my kindness with kindness in return. In fact he was ugly about me refusing to be used any longer....I did what David did I got mad and forgot who I belonged to….I got mad and lost sight of my relationship with the Lord for a few minutes there…..

Look in verse 12 and 13 with me... 1 Samuel 25:12-13

1 Samuel 25:12–13 NLT

12 So David’s young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. 13 “Get your swords!” was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment.

The young men go back and tell David what Nabal said and David says “Get your swords!” We are about to go sort some stuff out. Later in the story we see where David tells Abigail that he was coming to kill all the males in Nabal’s household. He was gonna destroy this man for being disrespectful to him. For not repaying his kindness.

The problem I have and most believers have is that we want the folks in the world to act like us and when they don’t… we act like them. When they don’t react like a believer I react like a lost sinner instead of a child of God. When I am kind to others because I feel like I have to be kind and not because I love Jesus and want to be like Him… when my kindness is not returned I don’t know how to act. I want to be God and decide that they need to be punished for how they are behaving. The issue is that I am not God and that decision is not mine to make. David did not refer to God and place the issue in His hands he wanted to be the one in control and issue judgement.

If this is how I act then I am playing church and not letting the Holy Spirit change my heart. I want to walk with the Lord only so long as it’s easy. Brothers and Sisters you can’t do what the folks of the world do and still follow Jesus. You can’t be kind sometimes and mean at others…you can’t be a follower of Christ today and the world tomorrow….when we have a relationship with Him we are not kind because we have to be… we are kind because our hearts have changed… you have compassion for those who are in need because Jesus had compassion on you.

My kindness for you all is not becuase I expect it in return… my kindness for you and everyone I meet is because I love the Lord so much…. He put all my broken pieces back together the right way. I was broken and he fixed me that is why I am kind to others…. what they do with that is up to them. If someone is using you or rejecting you its not you they use or reject it is the one that sent you…..

Why are you being kind to others? ARE you being kind to others? Can someone tell that you are different for the other people of the world? Does your kindness come with conditions or a cost? Or is it based in the grace of God?

Invitation……