TO WHOM THE LORD WANTS TO SHOW KINDNESS

IN THE DAYS OF HIS POWER SERIES.

TOPIC: TO WHOM THE LORD WANTS TO SHOW KINDNESS

COMPILED/EDITED BY:-
Rev. Innocent Peace-Udochukwu
President Living Fountain Ministries Int’l LIFOM

King David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
(2Samuel 9:1)

We all need kindness. It is a language the dumb can speak, the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.
• Kindness is more than just loving people. It is loving people more than they deserve.
• Kindness is ‘going the extra mile’, it is grace put into action.

Summary: David showed God’s kindness, when he brought Mephibosheth (descendant of Saul) into the palace, restored to him everything that belongs to Saul and having him sit with him at every meal. Grace found Mephibosheth. He was blessed to have fellowship with the king.

What marvelous loving kindness there is for us to look at! Old as the everlasting hills—but old as it is, and majestic as it must be—there are some eyes that never saw it! Others, too, who, though they have read their Bibles and heard Gospel sermons from their infancy, have never yet seen God’s marvelous loving kindness!

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth, reflects the character of God whom extends his ultimate kindness and grace to all who call on the Lord Jesus. Just like in the life of Mephibosheth from Lo-debar, King Jesus can make good out of what seems to be an irreversible-hopeless situation, as we welcome his invitation of ultimate kindness; and when we do so a beautiful redemptive story will unfold.

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:4.

IT is a great sign of love on God’s part that He condescends to reason with men. When they had offended against Him, He might have said to them, “I will punish you for your offenses,” and He might have gone His way until the day for carrying out His threat arrived. But instead of doing so, He is unwilling that any should perish. According to His own declaration, He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but would rather that he should turn unto Him and live.

David is now the reigning King of Israel. The previous King – King Saul and his son Jonathan died in the war with the Philistines.
• They had a descendant, now an orphan, Mephibosheth. He was lame in both feet.
• 2 Sam 4:4 tells us why – “Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.”
King David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (9:1)
• He remembers them. King Saul was his predecessor and God’s anointed. Jonathan was his good friend.
• When Jonathan died, David wrote a lament. See 2 Sam 1:25-26 “How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights. I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” They were very close friends.
So David asked Ziba, King Saul’s servant. “Is there anyone to whom I can show God’s kindness?” (9:3)
• Is there anyone in your life that you can show God’s kindness? Having received God’s blessing, is there someone that you can share this blessing with? Is there someone that needed God’s grace too?
The servant answered the King, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.” (v.3)
The King asked for him to be brought to the palace. He wants to see him.
• I believe Mephibosheth would never forget that day. His grandfather and father have already passed away. He is a ‘nobody’.
• But now the King has asked to see him. He must be afraid. In those times, it is quite common that when a King takes the throne, he would eliminate the family of the King before him, to prevent future revolt or other problems.
The first words that David said to him were: “Don’t be afraid.” (v.7) He was afraid, as expected.
• But the King shows him kindness. He restores to him all the land that belonged to his grandfather Saul.
• And He wants him to sit with him at every meal. He is going to share the same table with the King.
Mephibosheth found grace that day. Or rather, grace found him.
• He did not seek the King; King sought him out. He did not do anything to earn it. He just receives it.
• Even though Mephibosheth felt small, crippled, and unworthy, he ended up spending the rest of his life with the King, sharing the same table with him.
• He got what a prince would have received, because the King showed kindness.

“What shall be done to the man in whom the King delights?”
Esther 6:6

King Ahasuerus had a sleepless night. He brought out the book of remembrance and read something in it that really tore his heart. At that time, his Prime Minister, Harman came in and the king said to him in verse 6, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honour?” This is the sentence we want to consider. This sentence presupposes that the King had been pleased by a particular man; so pleased was the king that he just wanted to honour this man.

When you honour somebody, you do not give him pittances. You give him something great; something of tremendous value. That was what king Ahasuerus had in mind. He did not actually know what to give. He thought about many things but every idea did not seem enough; he wanted something more. At that point, Harman came in and incidentally, Harman was an arch enemy of the man that the king was pleased with and he was the one who gave the suggestion that the king took.

“Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”
Esther 6:10

Mordecai is probably the most confused man on the planet. He and his people have been set for destruction, and yet, his mortal enemy has come to him with a royal robe, and the king’s horse, and after placing the robe on him and placing him on the king’s horse, he has conducted him through the city square honoring him as a town crier would – “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.”

Just like Joseph who once was sold into slavery by his brothers but now he is being honored by Pharaoh, once you were condemned; but, being in Christ Jesus, “there is therefore now no condemnation.” “Thou art now the blessed of the Lord.” Once you were at enmity against God; but now, being reconciled to God by the death of his Son, you are his friend: “Thou art now the blessed of the Lord.” “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.” How great the change for the man or woman to whom we can say “Thou art now the blessed of the Lord”!

“Lord, I hear of showers of blessing,
Thou art scattering full and free;
Showers, the thirsty land refreshing;
Let some droppings fall on me,
Even me.”

Today we are blessed because God has been kind to us.
• It is the grace of God that finds us. It is not that we have been seeking God.
• He was the One looking for us. He came because He loves us.
• We did not do anything to deserve it. We were sinners when Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). He died for our sin on the cross.
We were crippled by sin and living in misery, and God showed His love towards us by seeking us out and bringing us home to be with Him.
• God’s grace will find you, and His grace will sustain you.
• When you are weak, He carries you. When you are in need, He provides.
Mephibosheth would not be able to reach the King; he could not walk.
• David’s men find him and carry him to the King.
• His handicap and his past left him feeling worthless and useless. He called himself “a dead dog” (v.8).
• But now he realises that he had value in the eyes of the King.
We have a value in the eyes of God. We are so precious to Him. I know that because He sent His Son Jesus Christ into this world to die for me.
• He died for my sin, so that I can be saved and be given “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

He that believeth in Jesus hath all the blessing which Jesus can give to him; forgiveness for the past; grace for
the present; and glory for the future. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed,” is the word of the Lord to thee, thou doubter. He was made a curse for thee, that he might redeem thee from the curse of the broken law, for it is written, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” He hung on the tree for guilty man. Believe thou in him, and as thou believest, eternal joys shall come streaming down into thy dry and desolate heart, and it shall be said to thee, “Thou art now the blessed of the Lord.” You shall be blessed now, and blessed for evermore! God grant it, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake! Amen.

SHALOM!

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