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2 Samuel 10:1-2 – Two Reactions to the King’s Kindness

Have you ever spent time with two different people in quick succession. Seeing the two of them in a short space of time highlights just how different they are. It’s not that you need to see the two people in the same day to realise they’re different, but seeing them side-by-side just highlights it. God has given us a contrast like that in 2nd Samuel 9 and 10. The chapters are linked by the word ‘hesed’, which most Bible versions translate as kindness in both chapters. It’s the same word used in chapter 9, when David says ‘Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ The big contrast is that in chapter 9, David shows kindness to a son for the sake of his father – and it’s gratefully accepted. Whereas here in chapter 10 David again shows kindness to a son for the sake of his father – but it’s contemptuously rejected. And because David isn’t just anybody – because he’s God’s chosen king, those two reactions picture for us two reactions to God’s kindness to us in Jesus Christ – his ultimate chosen king.

Last week, I trust we were encouraged by seeing the Gospel According to Mephibosheth. We were reminded how Jesus Christ says to us in the gospel: Don’t be afraid; Eat at my table; Be like a son. As we share that message with others, by God’s grace some will accept the message we bring. But we need to be prepared for the fact that others will throw it back in our faces. They don’t want to hear our king’s kind offer. They think it’s a threat to them. They will try to shame us as his ambassadors, because of how they feel about him. We need to be prepared for both reactions. If we don’t expect anyone to accept the gospel, then we’ll probably not make much of an effort to share it with them, because what’s the point? But on the other hand, if we aren’t prepared for some people to reject the gospel, then we could easily be disillusioned when it does happen. So God in his grace and kindness prepares us for both reactions.

Question

  1. What are the two reactions to David’s kindness in chapters 9 and 10?

Prayer Points

  1. Pray that our friends and family would see the foolishness of rejecting Christ.
  2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
  3. Pray for family matters.