Are You Kind to Outsiders? (2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles)
How do you treat people outside your circle? David’s kindness to Mephibosheth shows what it means to reflect God’s love to those we might overlook.
2 Samuel 8 - 10; 1 Chronicles 18 - 19
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
How kind are you to people who are not of your tribe?
It’s easy to be kind to those who can give us a hand. But one of the most powerful aspects of David’s character was his kindness toward those not of his tribe. After the death of Saul and Jonathan, David sought to show kindness to any surviving members of Saul's family for Jonathan's sake. In 2 Samuel 9:1, “David asked, ‘Is there anyone remaining from the family of Saul I can show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?’”
One of Saul’s former servants, Ziba, comes to David and says in Verse 3, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” 2 Samuel 4:4 tells us how this happened. “He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nanny picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame.” Mephibosheth, then living in obscurity due to fear of retribution, was brought to David.
5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. 6 Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, fell facedown, and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”
A brief look at history tells us how rare this action is. Despite Mephibosheth’s disability and the potential threat he could pose as a royal heir of Saul, David showed him kindness. He restored to Mephibosheth the lands of his grandfather Saul, and Verse 11 says, “So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons.”
But why did David do this? Because of the covenant he’d established with Jonathan in 2 Samuel 2. The word translated as kindness in 2 Samuel 9:3 comes from the Hebrew word “chesed.” It’s used nearly 250 times in the Old Testament and describes God's covenantal love for his people. Based on Yahweh’s covenantal love and kindness towards his people, Jonathan extends this kindness to David, and David does the same to Mephibosheth.
The beauty of covenantal love is that it is the perfect remedy for tribalism. In an age where Christians are often tempted to hold others at arm’s length because of their tribal affiliation, 2 Samuel 9 reminds us to extend kindness to those we might be tempted to view as a threat. We extend this love not just because we’re good people or because other people deserve it. We do so because we serve a God who has extended this same love to us.
