Tuesday, May 04, 2004
2 Samuel 9 - Kindness
I complained of the lack of overflowing justice and righteousness in David's actions in the last chapter as David committed a variety of atrocities against his enemies, and in the following chapter we have the beginning to the story of David's sin with Basheba and her husband Urriah. So, what are we to make of this chapter, in which David does kindness to Mephibosheth, the lame son of Jonathan?
The cynic can see in it a ploy similar to David's treatment of his former wife Micah. In his attempt to cement his claim upon the throne of a re-united Israel, David brought Saul's daughter back into his home. Evidently, there was no love remaining between them; and she who had once loved David now openly expressed her contempt. Here, David brings Saul's grandson into his household. This means that he lives in Jerusalem, under David's eye, rather than at his ancestral home. This cynical view may be justified because of his ambiguous role during the rebellion of Absolom (2 Samuel 16 and 19).
There is, regardless of the truth of David's heart in regards to Mephibosheth, an lovely thing in what David says as he proposes to act favorably to him. Twice, he asked,
2 Samuel 9:1 "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
but the second time, employing the poetic parallelism that is so familiar from David's psalms, he says:
2 Samuel 9:3 "Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?"
And when he is finally able to address Mephibosheth, his first words are:
2 Samuel 9:7 "Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness..."
In this, David's words reached deeper into the truth than perhaps even he knew. This is the kindness of God, that reaches to potential enemies with the words, "Do not be afraid."
The cynic can see in it a ploy similar to David's treatment of his former wife Micah. In his attempt to cement his claim upon the throne of a re-united Israel, David brought Saul's daughter back into his home. Evidently, there was no love remaining between them; and she who had once loved David now openly expressed her contempt. Here, David brings Saul's grandson into his household. This means that he lives in Jerusalem, under David's eye, rather than at his ancestral home. This cynical view may be justified because of his ambiguous role during the rebellion of Absolom (2 Samuel 16 and 19).
There is, regardless of the truth of David's heart in regards to Mephibosheth, an lovely thing in what David says as he proposes to act favorably to him. Twice, he asked,
2 Samuel 9:1 "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
but the second time, employing the poetic parallelism that is so familiar from David's psalms, he says:
2 Samuel 9:3 "Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?"
And when he is finally able to address Mephibosheth, his first words are:
2 Samuel 9:7 "Do not be afraid, for I will show you kindness..."
In this, David's words reached deeper into the truth than perhaps even he knew. This is the kindness of God, that reaches to potential enemies with the words, "Do not be afraid."
