A King Shows Kindness
TGP A Kingdom Provided • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsGod has extended kindness to His people, and through Christ we enjoy a seat at His table as His children.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 4108 They Took Away
They took away what should have been my eyes,
(But I remembered Milton’s Paradise).
They took away what should have been my ears,
(Beethoven came and wiped away my tears).
They took away what should have been my tongue.
(But I had talked with God when I was young).
He would not let them take away my soul,
(Possessing that I still possess the whole).
—Helen Keller
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 652 I Wish I Were Blind
I Wish I were Blind
The hymnwriter Fanny Crosby gave us more than 8000 Gospel songs. Although blinded at the age of 6 weeks, she never held any bitterness in her heart because of it. Once a preacher sympathetically remarked, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you.”
She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised clergyman. “Because when I get to Heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!”
[The Power of Love Video]
It’s a good message isn’t it? “Technology will never replace love”.If you are of a curious nature like me, then you will want to know that “dtac” is a mobile phone company, like the Verizon Wireless of Thailand. I love that commercial because it highlights both the capabilities and the limitations of their technology. Not everything can be communicated well with technology.
If you are of a curious nature like me, then you will want to know that “dtac” is a mobile phone company, like the Verizon Wireless of Thailand. I love that commercial because it highlights both the capabilities and the limitations of their technology when it comes to communicating some things.
Hey Dad, do you remember the first time you were left alone with your new baby? It came more natural for some of us, but there is always at least a little bit of fear, knowing if mom were there she would do it better. But our kids need us to play our role too.
“Technology will never replace love”If you are of a curious nature like me, then you will want to know that “dtac” is a mobile phone company, like the Verizon Wireless of Thailand. I love that commercial because it highlights both the capabilities and the limitations of their technology when it comes to communicating some things.
Tension
Back in the 60’s there was this well know Canadian philosopher and futurist named Marshall McLuhan. His work has been described as cornerstone to modern communication theory. He coined this phrase that as a professional communicator I often have running through my head. He said that “The Medium Is the Message”. Have you ever heard that before?
The principle in this obvious overstatement, is to give us pause to see that the way that we chose to send a message to someone often communicates just as much, if not more than the message itself. McLuhan grew up in the era when television was born and he began to see that this new phenomenon of communication carried with it more than just living rooms full of movie pictures and sound. It carried with it the potential for a loss of personal connection between people, even as it claimed to bring people closer together. Now, so many years later, any study in our current use of technology quickly proves that he was right. Somehow he saw things other people couldn’t seem to see in the excitement of this new technology. Along with the statement “The Medium is the Message” Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “global village” and some 30 years before the internet came to be he predicted its effect on our societies.
Along with the statement “The Medium is the Message” Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “global village” and he predicted the launching of the internet 30 years before it even happened.
I beleive that we connect to a video like this because it re-awakens us to something that God wired us for. We were wired for personal connection, and while technology can be helpful in many ways, it can never replace the relational power of a personal connection. “Technology will never replace love”
invited into someone’s presence to hear a message that communicates much more than the words being sent on a screen.
Tension
We
We are continuing in our series in the Gospel Project and in what has worked out lately to be somewhat of a character study of David, the man after God’s own heart. You might be wondering what possible correlation their could be between the modern cell phones craze and the stories of the ancient kingdom of Israel. It’s true that David never had an iPhone or facebook account, but as the King he did have messengers. He often sent other people in his name to deliver his messages, and that medium was in itself a message. Don’t get me wrong, to receive a royal messenger from the King was an incredible honor that very few people ever expected, but there was one always one better.
To receive a message from the King face to face.
Of course a message from a sovereign King could be just as terrifying as it is exciting, depending on the message. Are you to stand before the King to receive honor or judgement?
This is the tension found in in 2 Samuel chapter 9. A young man named Mephibosheth is summoned before King David. Mephibosheth is reportedly the last living ancestor of the Dynasty of King Saul. Why would the new King call for him? What is it that he wants? Mephibosheth has been living in a lowly quiet corner of the Kingdom making very little noise, but the King has called for him to meet with him ...face to face.
Now if this new King is anything like the typical King of the day, then the only reason he would want to meet with someone from the line of the previous King is to end any threat that their presence might impose on his rule. So Mephibosheth had reason to be concerned over this invitation. Even as he goes back into the throne room where his grandfather once sat. And the truth is that David was looking to meet with him because of his former connection to the throne.
And the truth is that David was looking to meet with him because of his former connection to the throne.
But up to this point we have not seen David behave much like the typical king, and this would be no exception. David had requested to see Mephibosheth because of a promise that he made when Mephibosheth was a young boy, and he was aiming to keep that promise no matter the cost.
We will find out what David wants in 2 Samuel chapter 9, if you will open your Bibles there with me. It is on page 260 in the Bibles in the chairs. I’ll pray and we will look into the story of this message delivered from King David.
We will find out what David wants in 2 Samuel chapter 9, if you will open your Bibles there with me. It is on page 260 in the Bibles in the chairs. I’ll pray and we will look into the story of this message delivered from King David.
Develop the TENSION???
face to face
The Nature of Promises Kept and broken
They often must be kept under different circumstances then when they were made (David’s now King - in power)
They often are costly and can work against ones self-interest (A grandson of the former King could pose a threat to the throne)
God keeps his promises despite any change in circumstance or the cost...
Truth
1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Why was David wanting to find Mephibosheth?
The king looks for someone to whom he may show kindness ()
The king looks for someone to whom he may show kindness ()
1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.
1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
It is true that David did lead his men against a war that King Saul brought to him, but he was not vengeful toward the house of King Saul, and especially not toward the house of his son Jonathan. These two men had an deep “brothers in arms” kind of friendship, but what was so unique about them is that they typically lined up on opposite sides of the battle field. On top of that, Jonathan was the prince, next in line for the throne but God had already given the throne to David. So you would think that Jonathan would have hared David, but Scripture says that their souls were tied together. So deeply was their affectrion for one antother that when Jonathan’s father made plans to have David killed, He committed treason by secretly going out to warn David of it. As they parted ways...
We did not spend a great deal of time on the relationship between Jonathan and David, but their friendship was the kind of brotherly loyalty that is typically only forged in the line of battle. What was unusual here was that these two men often found each other on the opposite side of the battle, yet the Bible says that the soul of Jonathan was tied together with David in such a way that he loved him as he loved himself. This is so striking because Jonathan was the prince, next in line for the throne but God had already given the throne to David. Jonathan’s Dad, King Saul spent much of his rule and reign chasing after David as an enemy, but still his son Jonathan deeply loved him as a dear and close friend. So much so that when Jonathan’s father made plans to have David killed, Jonathan met secretly to warn David of it. As they parted ways...
42 Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’ ” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
1 samuel
So David was looking for someone to honor for the sake of his beloved friend Jonathan. But Jonathan was not the only one that David made a promise too. Remember a couple of weeks ago we talked about the cave where David had the perfect opportunity to take the kingdom from Saul but he opted to show mercy and just took the corner of his garment instead. Then in a moment of clarity, King Saul asked David to also spare his family when he becomes King and David promised to do so. Saul said...
21 Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
And just last week we learned about how God had given David rest from war. When a King is not at war, he is to set about the business of developing and leading his kingdom back home. His first thought was to build a Temple for the LORD, but we talked last week about how the LORD re-routed that plan so now he is looking to fulfill the promises that he made to both Saul and Jonathan.
This is a good and godly endeavor, to keep a promise, and lets be hones it is one that we really have a hard time doing. We are just not good at keeping our commitments or our promises. We always mean to keep them when we make them, but often when the time comes for those promises to be fulfilled we are quick with the excuses on why we not longer need to keep the promises we have made. I have said this before, but rarely are we as schrewd and cunning as when we are trying to justify the braking of a promise or commitment that we have made.
The problem with this is that the Children of the Promise Keeping God should be the best at keeping our promises. This is a good and godly endeavor and yet we don’t often take our commitments or our promises as seriously as we should. The excuses are just too quick to come. Most of our excuses that we throw out there are aimed in two directions:
Promise Keeping God should see his Children become a promise keeping children.
The Nature of Promises Kept and broken
(we feel that) The circumstances have changed since I first made the promise. (and/or)
It appears to cost me more now then it did when I made the promise.
1 Sam
are now more costly then often are costly and can work against ones self-interest (A grandson of the former King could pose a threat to the throne)
Think about the promises that you have made...and broken. True, sometimes there are circumstances beyond your control but most of the time they fall into one of these two categories don’t they?
We promise to show up on Saturday to help someone move, until someone else invites us over to watch the game.
We promise to drive out to see our family this weekend, but then we have a hard week at work and just wanna relax this weekend.
get swamped at work and just need to rest.
We promise to go spend the weekend with our extended family, but then we get swamped at work and just need to rest.
We promise to make it to our kids game, but we are so close to finishing something at work that we ignore that reminder that we set to leave on time.
We promise to be home to finally have meal together as a family, but the weather forecast changes and it turns into the perfect night to sit in a deer stand.
Sure we promised, but
The circumstances have changed since I made the promise. (and/or)
It appears to cost me more now then it did when I made the promise.
But will we people of our word?
These were just as true for David. The circumstances surely have changed. When he made these promises to Jonathan and Saul he was still an outlaw who was running for his life in the wilderness. Now he has become King, with all the pressures, threats and responsibilities that go along with that. To keep his promises to these two men would mean to spare the life of those who could try and lay claim to the throne. Not only that but a king who spares the family of his enemies could be seen as a soft or weak King and this might embolden other nations to come against him.
But once again we see David choosing to be a man after God’s own heart and to obey God’s law. says:
2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
The big idea here is that being a promise keeping man brings glory to our Promise Keeping God.
But David recognized that Being a promise keeping man brings glory to our Promise Keeping God
When he made these promises to Jonathan and Saul he was still an outlaw who was running for his life in the wilderness. Now he has become King.
So by way of a quick application, how are we doing following through on “all that proceeds from your mouth?” Have we made commitments to our family, friends, co-workers or community and found excuses for why you shouldn’t have to follow through? What about promises that you have made to God? Understand that to call Jesus your LORD is a promise and commitment to submit to his Lordship in your life. This was bewildering to Jesus, he said
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Luke
If you are living in sin and you have no intention of ever submitting that part of your life to Jesus then stop calling Jesus your LORD because it just isn’t true. But if Jesus is your LORD, then confess your sin for what it is and turn from it and live in the freedom that Jesus bought for you. We can’t promises to our God and then make excuses for why you shouldn’t have to keep them.
David didn’t. He promised before the LORD to show kindness to the family of Saul, so when God gave him rest he set out to fulfill that promise.
1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.
2 Samuel 9:
Ziba seems to be an observant type person. As a former servant of King Saul, he starts out right away to assure the new King of his allegiance to him. Even when David asks about showing “kindness” to someone from Saul’s line he does not give him a name. He just says that he is Jonathan’s son and he is crippled. It seems that he is building a case to argue that this person is not a threat to King David, even though David truly desires to show him Kindness as we will soon see.
Mephibosheth was not born crippled, but it was a result of the conflict between Saul and David. Back in chapter 4 verse 4 it says:
, and we know from Scripture that he was crippled in an accident when he was 5 years old. Earlier we read in that
4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
2 Samuel 4:4When the news of both Jonathan and King’s Saul’s death reached the family they all ran for their lives includ his nurse maid was sent running from the house upon the news of the death of both King Saul and Jonathan.
This young boy’s life was changed in many ways that day. His life was once full of love and luxury as he dwelled peacefully in the household of the King, until one fateful day when it all changed. On that that day he experienced both banishement and brokenness in ways that were never a part of his world previously. Now, many years later, he ends up far from his childhood home across the Jordan river in a city called “Lo-debar”. There he tried lived quietly among a few faces that were still friendly to his family line. The household he lived in was not poor, but “Lo-debar” was not a well respected city. The name of city translates to mean “No Pasture”, so you can image how much value an agricultural society would have given to a place like this. And this is where Mephibosheth lived so quietly that none of David’s people even knew that he was alive. But now that the King does know, He wants to see him.
Lo-debar= means “No Pasture” it was a place with a poor reputation
And now the King wanted to see him.
They often must be kept under different circumstances then when they were made (David’s now King - in power)
T
They often are costly and can work against ones self-interest (A grandson of the former King could pose a threat to the throne)
Kindness often is recieved as softness or weakness
2 Sam 9:6-
6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” 9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
2 Samuel 9:6-10
The king looks for someone to whom he may show kindness, and when he finds him in Mephibosheth...
The king looks for someone to whom he may show kindness, and when he finds him in Mephibosheth...
The king restores a lost estate (1a)
The king restores a lost estate (1a)
Can you imagine the emotional roller coaster of an experience like this. Mephibosheth enters the former throne room of his grandfather Saul fearing the worst, and now all the land that once belonged to his family has been restored to him. He would have been happy to leave still breathing, but the kindness of the King takes his breathe away in a decidedly positive way.
Make no mistake this decision costs David. Not only does he lose the financial value of the real estate that was previously forfeit to the crown, he has invited a threat that was quietly far off in a distant corner of his kingdom, right into the midst of the power and influence of Jerusalem. From the outside this does not really seem a very wise decision. Wouldn’t it have been better to just leave him back in Lo-debar where it would be harder to stir up trouble?
The situation has changed, but David’s trust in the LORD and his zeal to keep his promises has not. David would live his in reflection of his promise keeping God.
This was costly for David. Not only does he lose the lands that were previously forfeit to the crown but now he has invited a threat to his leadership into his Kingdom. The situation has changed, but David’s zeal to keep his promises, as a reflection of his promise keeping God, has not.
But there is a bit of a problem. What good is land to a man who cannot stand up to work it? What good is land here in Jerusalem when a man has been stripped of his status and has been in hiding in a far away city without the loyalty of people to serve and work for him. Sometimes in our zeal to bless someone with something, we might actually end up hurting them instead.
A while back I remember being introduced to a book entitled “Helping without Hurting”. The general idea is that often, with good intentions, we can hurt people we are trying to help by giving them something that by closer examination doesn’t meet their actual needs.
The classic example they used is when a Church gathers together a team of people and raises $2,000 a person to fly this group to a under resourced country and do their very best to build an orphanage in an unfamiliar environment, with tools and challenges they have never used before. In the mean time, the men of the village are standing nearby with a wealth of knowledge and skills in constructing buildings in this very environment. These men have been without work for a long time and they have not been able to feed their families. Many of them have felt so much shame over not being able to feed their families that they simply left home and didn’t return. They believed that their family would better of without them. You see many of the residents of the orphanage are the children of these men who have been desperately looking for work and with their skills in this environment they could have done the job better, faster and even cheaper than the price of one plane ticket to their country.
and know how to work in this environment watch in bewilderment as they have been looking for work for months so that they could feed their families. And after more investigation, they came to find out that many of these men are the fathers of the children in the orphanage. They sent their children their because they could not afford to take care of them any more. Not to mention, that they could and would have done the whole job for lest than on air plane ticket. And they would have done a better job.
Do you see how the medium can be the message. With hearts in the right place we go on this mission trip to tell the people that we love them, but without knowing the people and their situation well we can actually be sending a very different message. When our primary focus is on what we would like to give, instead of what is truly needed we can end up hurting someone more than helping.
When we don’t think of long term consequences we can easily put people in positions that actually hurt them instead of helping them in the way that we intended.
beyond what we would like to giveof long term consequences we can easily put people in positions that actually hurt them instead of helping them in the way that we intended.
too often our actions said we are here to tell you that we can do anything better than you.
David did not want to make this mistake when it came to Jonathan’s son, he wanted to show him true kindness. So he provided for more than just the land that he would never be able to work himself...
David did not want to make this mistake of hurting when he ment to help, so he gave Mephibosheth more than just land that he would never walk on -
helping without hurting
Extreme makeover Home edition
8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” 9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons.
9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
2 Sam 9:8-
David commands Ziba and his household to return to the service of the house of Saul by not serving his grandson Mephibosheth. Convenient? No. Costly? Yes.
But David wanted to make sure that he followed through on his commitment. And did you hear, Ziba and his household will manage the crops, the land, and the business side of things to increase the wealth of Mephibosheth, but for the man himself...
The king provided a seat of honor at his table ()
The king provided a seat of honor at his table ()
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
Do you understand what is happening here? Mephibosheth is being treated by David as if he was his own son. The son of his beloved friend Jonathan would sit with the King as if he was one of David’s own sons. There was no greater honor in the kingdom then to eat at the King’s table. In effect this was an adoption of Mephibosheth. As close as you can get to adopting a grown man.
And understand that the people in this day believed than any physical handicap like this was a punishment for sin. Surely Mephibosheth saw the sins of his grandfather Saul as being the cause of his broken legs, and in a very real sense the accident that caused it was directly related to the poor decisions of Saul. And yet David honored him not only by not ending him as a enemy, but by treating him as a son.
by accepting him, even in his brokenness, and treating him as his own child.
The King looked for someone to whom he may show kindness.
The king restores a lost estate.
The king provides a seat of honor at his table.
in
Gospel Application
These are impressive choices made by King David, but there is more here than just a good example. For we have an even greater King than David. What David did for Mephibosheth, God does for us. Just as the king brought the outcast into the palace and made him a son, God adopts us into his family. You and I are Mephibosheths, too. The similarities between his life and ours are so striking.
What David did for Mephibosheth, God does for us. Just as the king brought the outcast into the palace and made him a son, God adopts us into his family. You and I are Mephibosheths, too. The similarities between his life and ours are astounding. Before we came into a relationship with the Father, we spent our lives distancing ourselves from him because of our brokenness and shame. We feared that entering his presence would bring judgment upon our heads. When finally we lay trembling at his feet, he touched us and said, “Don’t be afraid.” He lifted us up and said, “I’m going to give back to you everything you ever lost because of sin. I’m going to give you an inheritance, blessings, and riches in the heavenly places. But more than that, I want you forever in my presence eating at my table, and I’m going to call you my child.”
Before we came into a relationship with God, we spent our lives distancing ourselves from Him because of our brokenness and shame. Just like Mephibosheth, we feared that entering his presence of the King would bring judgment upon our heads. But he calls us. And when finally we lay trembling before him, he touched us and said, “Don’t be afraid.” He lifted us up and said, “I’m going to give back to you everything you ever lost because of sin. I’m going to give you an inheritance, blessings, and riches in the heavenly places. But even more than that, I am going to give you a pure and uninterrupted relationship with me. You won’t need anyone else to deliver messages for you, for I have prepared a place for you to be with me. Dining in my presence and I am going to call you my child.
Landing
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
It seems to me that there is no where that the phrase, “The Medium Is the Message” is more fitting then when speaking of Jesus. God could have just phoned it in. He could of just wrote His principles for right living across the sky. But he didn’t do it that way.
It was not… “For God so loved the world that he sent a message…No he sent his son. In the flesh, face to face. The medium was the message. And one of the many glorious things Jesus told us was:
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Have you recieved the message of Jesus? He has prepared a place for us, not only a seat at his table but a room in his Kingdom. King David treated Mephibosheth with such kindness, but we have been given even better. Because we have a place with God, to dwell at his table forever...
Because we have a place with God, to dwell at his table forever...
We are to show kindness to others because we have been shown the greatest kindness in Jesus
We are to keep our promises no matter the cost because we have been exceedingly blessed by our promise keeping God.
We are serve Jesus as our Savior and Lord because he is coming back to take us with him, that where He is we will be also.
Landing
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 652 I Wish I Were Blind
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I Wish I were Blind
The hymnwriter Fanny Crosby gave us more than 8000 Gospel songs. Although blinded at the age of 6 weeks, she never held any bitterness in her heart because of it. Once a preacher sympathetically remarked, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you.”
She replied quickly, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?” “Why?” asked the surprised clergyman. “Because when I get to Heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior!”
Introduction
Introduction
The king restores a lost estate (2 Sam 9:6-10)
The king restores a lost estate (2 Sam 9:6-10)
A king expressed one of the most beautiful acts of kindness to an outcast. For years the half-crazed lunatic Saul had obsessively hunted David like big game. Now that Saul was dead David had been crowned king of Israel. It was common practice in those days to exterminate all members of a previous dynasty to prevent any descendant from seeking the throne. As long as a spark of life from that family still smoldered, it was a threat to the new king. Yet David’s response was quite the contrary. He asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul's family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?" ().
The king provided a seat of honor at his table (2 Sam 9:11-13)
The king provided a seat of honor at his table (2 Sam 9:11-13)
Kindness often smacks of softness. What David was expressing was a deeper demonstration of love that is undeserved, unearned, and unrepayable. David had made a promise to Jonathan, his beloved friend and the son of Saul, that he would show kindness to the remaining members of Saul’s household. (See .) David now intended to keep that promise.
Finding the only remaining blood of Saul’s family was not a simple matter, but David located a grandson by the name of Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. We first learn of him in . “Saul's son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth” (). He was crippled, living in obscurity and poverty in a remote and barren corner of the kingdom. Once found, the man with the near unpronounceable name hobbled into the throne room of the most powerful king. When he appeared before David, I’m sure he expected the worse, “I’m going to be killed because Saul was my Grandfather.”
But instead David said, “‘Don't be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul's fields, and you will always eat meals at my table’" (). David’s words were not just a token gesture; they were extravagant - symbolic of his love for Jonathan. His words were an act of grace - symbolic of God’s love for David. His was a demonstration of love toward a man who did not deserve it and could never earn it and would never be able to repay it. David, the strong and famous king, reached out to Mephibosheth, the cripple and outcast, and expressed kindness to him like he had never known before.
Mephibosheth must have felt the greatest release at that moment. Expecting a sword to sever his neck from his head, he heard the unbelievable words of acceptance from the King.
What can we learn about the words we can speak from this story?
I. Dignity is a most valuable asset
I. Dignity is a most valuable asset
The crippled Mephibosheth was an outcast, a vestige of the previous dynasty. Upon hearing David gesture of grace “Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?" (). He called himself a dead dog, which was to compare himself to the nastiest, foulest thing he could think of. For a Jew it was a double slam. To them, a dog was the most repulsive animal imaginable. On top of that, anything dead was vile and unclean. He thought of himself as a pile of garbage - a man of shame. He reveals his low self-esteem and his astonishment at the grace being shown him.
As he lay prostrate before the king in his moment of greatest vulnerability, perhaps the name-calling of a lifetime came flooding over him. Maybe he heard again the humiliating taunts of those who found him worthless and despicable. Probably he expected the disdain with which he had become accustomed.
Crippled. An outcast. Dead dog. Man of Shame. David never spoke such words. Instead David said, “Where is this son?” ( NCV). One wonders how long it had been since Mephibosheth was called a son. Words have a way of changing us don’t they?
My Daddy traveled a lot buying shoes for the shoe store he and mother owned and operated. On some of his overnight trips he would take someone with him for company. Sometimes it was one of us children. Sometimes it was an African-American man named Willie.
On one overnight trip Daddy pulled into a motel to stay the night. Daddy and Willie walked to the front desk and requested a room for the two of them. Looking at Daddy the desk clerk said, “I can give you a room, but I will not give one to him (pointing toward Willie).”
“If he can’t stay then I won’t stay,” answered my father.
They walked out.
Out in the parking lot Willie said, “Mr. Ezell, you can stay in that room and I’ll sleep here in the van. I’ll be all right.”
“No,” replied Daddy. “If they won’t let you stay in that motel, then I won’t stay either. You are like family to me.”
They both slept in the van that night.
At my Daddy’s funeral, Willie related this story to me. He said that my Daddy’s words changed his life. For years he had thought of himself as second class and second rate. But when my Daddy said, “You are like family to me,” it raised his esteem and his dignity.
I suspect that David’s words changed Mephibosheth’s life, too. Words have a powerful way of bringing healing and restoration. A kind word can restore one’s dignity, setting one on an esteemed path. Whoever said “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” lied. Unkind words can damage, while kind words can lead one to wholeness.
II. Acceptance is a most wonderful feeling
II. Acceptance is a most wonderful feeling
Mephibosheth’s life had been one of rejection. When disaster came and Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle, the nurse who was to care for him fled in fear. Mephibosheth suffered a fall and was left crippled for the rest of his life. He lived in obscurity and in fear. He felt lost, forgotten, and unimportant.
David in one magnificent gesture of kindness reached out to him and restored him to an exalted position. “You can eat at my table,” David invited. Notice that four times in this short chapter we are made aware that Mephibosheth ate at David’s table. “ . . . you will always eat meals at my table." “Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, is always to eat at my table." “So Mephibosheth ate at David's table just like one of the king's sons.” “Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king's table. He was lame in both feet” (,,,).
To eat at the king’s table was not a temporary honor; it meant he would have a pension from the king for the rest of his life. Mephibosheth would “always” eat at the king’s table. David’s kindness would continue throughout Mephibosheth’s life. The castaway knew the wonderful feeling of acceptance. He knew the joy of being drawn into a family. He knew the warmth of love. He knew the contentment that comes when someone cares.
While traveling in Switzerland I was sitting at a crowded bus stop. People were milling around waiting on the next bus to come along. Since the Swiss are perfectionists, everyone knew that the bus would be right on time.
As I was waiting, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a little boy about six or seven years old ambling toward the bus stop. He appeared to be walking aimlessly without a care in the world. When he looked behind him he realized that he was walking alone. Fear came over him. And he began to cry out, “Somebody! Somebody!” The closer he got and the words he spoke confirmed that he was a Down-Syndrome child. The louder he called for “Somebody!” the wider the people parted to avoid this child. He began to look around at the people almost as if he were a cornered animal with the attacking force surrounding him. “Somebody! Somebody!” he shouted, as his face grew whiter with fright.
I thought to myself, “Somebody ought to do something.” Finally the bus pulled up and people started to get on while this boy kept yelling “Somebody!” Then out of the crowd came a young woman who answered “Somebody.” She gathered him up in her arms, held him tightly, and quieted him by whispering, “Somebody. Somebody.”
By now I had boarded the bus. As I waited for the bus to pull away from the curb, I saw another woman running toward the lady holding the Down-Syndrome child. At that moment I realized that the second lady was the mother of the child while the first lady was just a kind person who saw someone hurting and in need and reached out in love.
What an unbelievable response.
Isn’t it funny that we tend to stay away from the Mephibosheth’s of the world - the crippled, the handicapped, and the marginalized. Yet they need to be held in the same esteem and respect as anyone else. God sees them no different than anyone else. They, like all people, matter to God.
David restored Mephibosheth from a place in the wilderness to a place at his table. From a place of barrenness to a place of honor. From a place with no pastureland to a place of plenty. He brought him into the very palace of the king. For years he had been crying out “Somebody! Somebody!” Now that somebody who reached out to him was none other than the king. He not only helped him; he embraced him in his arms adopting him as a son.
Think about life in the kingdom of God for a moment. Why does the king of heaven adopt us into his family? Is it because of our personal goodness? Our likable personality? Our compelling charm? Our stupendous talents? Well, think again. My place and your place at the King of King’s table now, and for all eternity, will serve as a constant reminder of how God takes a person others would have abandoned and reaches out to and grants a place in his presence.
III. Restoration is a most cherished need
III. Restoration is a most cherished need
David was not through with Mephibosheth. He gave him a new identity and a new position. Now he was going to provide for his needs - food, shelter, and financial resources. David said, “I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul's fields” (). Restore means to bring back into existence or use or to put someone back in a proper position. What David did for Mephibosheth is what the Father in Jesus parable did for the prodigal son. He inherited the riches of his grandfather. It was like winning the lottery and having a rich uncle leave you his fortune all in a single day. It was too good to be true.
David could have ignored Mephibosheth. Who would have blamed him? Who would have confronted him if he had? But David did not ignore him.
What about the people like Mephibosheth all around us? Some with broken hearts, others with damaged emotions, a few with crushed spirits, many with wounded bodies, others with shattered souls, and a lot with physical needs. Are we ignoring them like a ding in our car door? Like garbage in the dumpster?
IV. Kindness is a most godly trait
IV. Kindness is a most godly trait
In every walk of life it is important to follow that old Texas maxim: “Hug your friends tight, but your enemies tighter - hug ’em so tight they can’t wiggle.” That’s what God does for us. God is kind because he cannot be otherwise. It is essential to his nature. And likewise that kindness becomes a part of our new nature that comes to us through the Holy Spirit. Kindness becomes a part of our conduct because our character is rooted in God. The poet Robert Burns stated: “The heart benevolent and kind The most resembles God.”
Let’s not overlook the verse where David asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul's family I can show the kindness of God to?" (). The word for kindness is that great biblical word hesed. It means loving faithfulness. God had demonstrated grace and kindness to David in so many ways. His life had been spared on numerous occasions. He fought the giant Goliath and won. He had escaped the snares and dangers of wild beasts. His life had been redeemed from the pit of pain and hunger and desertion more than a few times. Now, David wanted to reciprocate that kindness. Those who have been touched by the grace of God want to pass it on.
Solomon wrote, “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up” ().
“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow-creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again,” goes the old saying. Kindness is not an inconvenience to be avoided, but a characteristic to be embraced. Sometimes it is as simple as a pleasant smile, or a warm handshake, or sending a thank you note, or assisting a neighbor with a household project, or being with a friend in distress.
Someone once said, “The greatest thing a man can do for his heavenly Father is to be kind to his other children.” Kindness originates from the heart of God. God is kind because he cannot be otherwise. It is essential to his nature. And, likewise, that kindness becomes a part of our new nature that comes to us through the Holy Spirit. Kindness becomes a part of our conduct because our character is rooted in God.
The poet Robert Burns said that the kind heart most resembles God.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox wrote
William Wordsworth was right when he wrote
Conclusion
Conclusion
As you live each day - at home, at school, at work, at church - wherever you are, you will find yourself in situations where you are asked to comment, to speak, to use your words. Often the volatility of the situation can ignite or dissipate merely on the words you utter. Think of it this way. That situation is like a little fire - not big, not out of control, not destructive, yet. And you have a bucket in each hand. In one bucket is water; in the other is gasoline. At that point you are given a choice, you can pour the bucket of water on the fire and put it out or you can pour the bucket of gasoline on the fire and see it spread out of control. Your choice.
In every situation, you can utter words that bring dignity or words that demoralize; words that show acceptance or words that communicate rejection; words that restore a person to wholeness or destroy them to pieces; words that are kind or words that hurt. David chose to utter words that built up rather than tore down Mephibosheth. We carry around both buckets everyday in every situation. From which bucket do you draw your words?
One last thought. What David did for Mephibosheth, God does for us. Just as the king brought the outcast into the palace and made him a son, God adopts us into his family. You and I are Mephibosheths, too. The similarities between his life and ours are astounding. Before we came into a relationship with the Father, we spent our lives distancing ourselves from him because of our brokenness and shame. We feared that entering his presence would bring judgment upon our heads. When finally we lay trembling at his feet, he touched us and said, “Don’t be afraid.” He lifted us up and said, “I’m going to give back to you everything you ever lost because of sin. I’m going to give you an inheritance, blessings, and riches in the heavenly places. But more than that, I want you forever in my presence eating at my table, and I’m going to call you my child.”