“In His Kindness, Chesed… Loving Unsparingly.”

For what seemed eons as he suffered an increasingly decline in mental acuity, King Sole (Saul) persisted in his obsessive hunt of Daud (the Shepard boy, David) as though Daud was a rare and prized game animal. Interpretations had come to pass, and King Sole (Saul) was dead. As foretold by the prophet Shmuel (Samuel), Daud had been crowned King off all Yisroel (Israel).

It was the detestable and long-standing anticipated tradition to exterminate all members of a previous dynasty to prevent any descendant from attempts in claiming the throne during this period. As long as there was a possibility of the previous ruling family male heir who might stake claim in the bringing forth a challenge the throne, this was of great concern to a newly enthroned king.

in a surprise twist, as might only be expected of Daud, his direction to the court upon claiming the throne was clear and shockingly unexpected to the traditions of the times. Daud asked, "And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, {The meadow of the house of Maach"} up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down. Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee." (Book of Shmuel II 9:1/ 2 Samuel 9:1).

Among those times, kindness had far too been misperceived as weak softness or lack of steeled determination. What Daud was expressing was a deeper demonstration of love that seemed undeserved, unearned, and beyond repayable. Daud offers the truest love of Elohim (G-d) which is of course completely unconditional. Daud had made a promise to G'vente, his beloved brother, soul mate, and the son of King Sole, through which he would illustrate great kindness to the remaining members of Sole’s household.

(“And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.” Book of Shmuel I/1 Samuel 20:15-16.) Daud, a faithful man of integrity, now intended to keep that promise.

The search for the only remaining descendants of the bloodline of Sole's family would not be a simple matter, but Daud located a grandson by the name of Mephibosheth, the son of Daud's 'brother of the heart' G'venten (Jonathan). We first, we learn of him in the Book of Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel 4:4; “And G'venten, Sole's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Sole and G'venten out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”

He was crippled, existing in obscure poverty in a remote and barren corner of the kingdom. Once discovered, the man with the near unpronounceable name was brought to hobble before the throne of the great and most powerful King. When he appeared before Daud, I’m sure he expected the worse, 'I’m going to be killed as Sole was my grandfather.'

Very much to Mephibosheth’s astonishment… instead Daud spared him, “And Daud said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for G'vente (Johnathan) thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Sole thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” - {Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel. 9:7}. Daud’s words were no mere token gesture; they were most extremely extravagant… fully symbolic of his great and abiding love for G'vente (Jonathan). His words were an act of grace and were symbolic of Hashem’s (G-d)'s love for Daud.

His was a demonstration of love toward a man who did not deserve it, could never earn it and would never be able to repay it. Daud, the strong and mighty 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, astonishingly he heard the unbelievable words of acceptance from the King.

Mephibosheth was an outcast, a vestige of the bygone dynasty. Upon the hearing of Daud's gesture of grace, “Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “And he bowed down, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I?” - {Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel 9:8}. He called himself a dead dog, which was to compare him to the lowest, nastiest, foulest thing he could think of. For a Jew, it was a double slam; at such a time, in those times, a dog was the most repulsive animal imaginable. Moreover, anything dead was vile and unclean. He thought of himself as a heap of discarded refuse… a man of shame.

He reveals his low self-esteem and his astonishment at the grace being shown him. As he knelt to prostrate himself before the king in his moment of greatest vulnerability, perhaps the insults and name-calling of a lifetime came flooding over him. Perhaps he heard again the humiliating taunts of those who found him worthless and despicable. He most likely expected the disdain to which he had become accustomed.

Crippled… An outcast… Dead dog… Man of Shame. Daud never spoke in such terms. Rather, Daud said, “And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.” - {Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel 9:4}. One must wonder how long it had been since Mephibosheth was called a son. Surprisingly kind words truly have a way of influencing our spirit, don’t they?

Mephibosheth’s life had been one of rejection. When disaster came and Sole (Saul) and G'vente (Jonathan) had been killed in battle, the healer 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 outcast, lost, forgotten, and unimportant.

Daud in one magnificent gesture of kindness, reached out to him and restored him to an exalted position. “You can eat at my table,” Daud invited. Notice that four times in this short chapter we are made aware that Mephibosheth supped at Daud’s table. “ . . . you will always eat meals at my table." “Mephibosheth, they master's son, shall eat bread continually at my table." - {Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel 9:10} “So Mephibosheth ate at David's table just like one of the king's sons.” But Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and he was lame on both his feet.“ - {Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel 9:13}.

To eat at the king’s table was most certainly not a passing 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. Daud’s kindness would continue throughout Mephibosheth’s life. The castaway knew the wonderful feeling of love and acceptance. He knew the joy of being drawn into a family. He knew the contentment which soothes the soul which comes when someone cares.

Is it not sad and disheartening, that as we tend to stay away from the Mephibosheth’s of the world… the crippled, the handicapped, and the marginalized, we in a sense lose touch with the great kindness of Elohim (G-d) to which we are called. Yet their spirit too yearns to be held in the same esteem and respect as all others. They, like all people, matter to Elohim. Daud 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.

Let us reflect on our lives through Elohim Avinu (G-d our Father) who declared Kingdom for a moment. Why does the King of heaven adopt us into his family? Surely not due to our personal goodness, not our exceptionally likable personality. Adoption comes not from our compelling charm, not our stupendous talents. Our place at the King of King’s table is ready now, and for all eternity, for this promise will serve as a constant reminder of how Hashem (G-d) adopts a person others might have abandoned and reaches out to them and grants a place in His presence.

Daud was not through with Mephibosheth. He gave him a new identity and a new position. Now Daud was going to provide for his needs - food, shelter, and financial resources.

Daud proclaimed; “I “And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for G'vente thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Sole thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.”” {Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel 9:7}.

To restore, means to return into existence or use or to restore someone back in a proper position. What Daud did for Mephibosheth is what Hashem through Yehoshua (Y’shua) did for the prodigal son. For Mephibosheth inherited the riches of his grandfather. It was as if winning the lottery and having a rich uncle leave you his fortune all in a single day. It seemed far too good to be true.

Daud could have ignored Mephibosheth and no would have found Daud at blamed. Who would have confronted him if he had? However, Daua did not ignore him. What about the people like Mephibosheth in our lives today? Some with broken hearts, others with broken emotional states, a few with crushed spirits, many with wounded bodies and others with shattered souls, and so very many in need. Are we actually ignoring them as litter upon the avenue?

Among every walk of life, it is important to follow that old maxim: “Hold your friends close, but your enemies closer.” That’s what Elohei Chasdi (The G-d of my Kindness) does for us. Hashem is kind because He it is impossible to be contrary to His very own nature. Kindness is essential to the essence of His very being. Likewise, that kindness becomes a part of our new nature which comes to us through Rauch Ha' Kodesh (Holy Spirit; the very breath of Hashem Himself) as we draw closer yet to Hashem and Ben Elohim (son of G-d). Kindness becomes our second nature because our character is rooted in Elohim.

We must be drawn to the verse in which Daud askes, “And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Sole, that I may shew the kindness of G-d unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, G'vente (Jonathan) hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.” - {Book of Shmuel II/2 Samuel 9:3}.

The word for kindness is that great biblical word “Chesed”; it means loving faithfulness. Hashem had demonstrated grace and kindness to Daud in so many ways. His life had been spared on numerous occasions. He fought the giant Golyath (Goliath) and won. He had escaped the snares and dangers of wild beasts. His life had been redeemed from the pit of pain, hunger and desertion more than a few times. In honoring return, Daud wanted to reciprocate that kindness. Those who have been touched by the grace of Hashem want to pass it on.

Shelma (Solomon) wrote, “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.”- {Book of Mishlei/Proverbs 12:25).

Keeping in theme, we recall the words of the French Missionary; "I can only 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 us do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again,” (Stephen Grellet; 1772-1855).

Kindness is not an inconvenience, nor should it be avoided but rather it must remain a characteristic to be embraced. At times 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.

Amid our daily lives, among friends, at home, at school, at work, in church, wherever we are, we will find ourselves in situations where we are asked to comment, to speak, to use our words to express our very soul. Often the volatility of a situation may ignite or dissipate merely on the words we utter. We must choose our words carefully; they have the power of Elohim within them as they proceed from our soul.

In every situation, we may utter words that bring dignity or words which demoralize; words which show acceptance or words which communicate rejection; words which restore a person to wholeness or destroy them to pieces; words which are kind or words that hurt. Daud chose to utter words that built up rather than tore down Mephibosheth. We carry around both lots every day in every situation. From which lot do we draw our words? What Daud did for Mephibosheth, Yehoshua does for us. Just as the king had brought the outcast from the shadows of the streets into the palace and made him a son, Yehoshua does so with us in His great graceful mercies. We too are Mephibosheth's.

The similarities between his life and ours are astounding. in time prior to us having come before the grace of redemption in Yehoshua, we carried through our lives distant from Him in our brokenness and shame. We coward and feared that in entering His presence, we would bring judgment upon our heads. When finally, we lay prostrated and trembling in faithful loving submission before His feet, Yehoshua lifts our head in His hand and says,

“Don’t be afraid.” He lifts us up and says, “I’m going to give back to you everything you ever lost through the deceit of transgression. I am going to give you a great inheritance, abundant blessings, and the greatest riches in the heavenly places. Lo, more than that, I desire you forever in my presence eating at my table, and I call you, my child.”

In all of life, most especially in times of challenge, we must rise to the call of the love of our Redeemer, to share love unsparingly with all those among us!

Be well, be blessed, be kind and know that you are loved,

Pastor Mark