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Leading up to the recent election for new local mayors, candidates around the country have been doing their best to promise two main things; This is the kind of leader I am, and this is the kind of city/life you can expect. But the problem is, promises are only as good as they are kept. So, it’s common human instinct to think ‘That sounds good, but I’ll believe it when I see it.’
‘That sounds good, but what is it really going to look like?’ In a similar way, sometimes as Christians we can start to doubt if our heavenly king is really ruling and wonder if the kingdom we’re a part is actually good.

Well, we’ve just come out of a key part of the Bible where God makes some of the biggest promises to establish his kingdom through his king. And again, common human instinct says ‘That sounds good, but what is it really going to look like?’ God shows his people in these chapters that God’s king rules with kindness and justice. Before we dive in, let’s pray.

[PRAYER]

You don’t want to miss the action in these three chapters, so do keep your Bibles open to page 260. Starting from 2 Samuel 8, God shows us a kingdom with all nations.

1. A kingdom with all nations (2 Samuel 8.1-14).

Here’s a quick reminder of what God promised in the last chapter (2 Samuel 7.10-11):

..I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more… And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

So, now in 2 Samuel 8.1:

After this [all God promised] David defeated the Philistines and subdued them…

And he would go on to do the same – defeat and subdue (rule) enemies, as one after another would submit to his rule. 2 Samuel 8.11 sums it up:

These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, from Edom [in the south], Moab [in the east], the Ammonites, the Philistines [in the west], Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer [in the North]…

Now, it’s easy to overlook those victories as no big deal because as we read, it just seems like the same thing is happening again and again. But David and his people are outnumbered and completely surrounded by powerhouses they should not even stand a chance one-on-one. If you’ve ever played the board game Risk (it’s a short 3 to 12-hour game where nations on the world map fight for territory), if you’ve played it, you’d have the military expertise to know that if you’re surrounded by enemies, you don’t just go north south east west unless you really want to end the game and go home. So, the writer makes it clear for the second time, at the end of 2 Samuel 8.14 the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. Wherever David went, God’s hand was there to sweep the enemies pieces off the board because whoever was against David was against God’s anointed King. And whoever was against God’s king, was against God and God’s purposes – to appoint a place for his people and establish his kingdom through his king. So, that’s the picture we have of God’s kingdom. If you’re part of his kingdom, you’re in his safety, protected and at rest from all enemies of God. Next, we get a summary of David’s rule over Israel which shows us:

2. A kingdom that reigns with justice (2 Samuel 8.15-18).

2 Samuel 8.15:

So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.

David ruled over all Israel: there wasn’t a part of his kingdom that was neglected or a people group who weren’t taken care of. Everyone under his reign willingly submitted to him as king. And who wouldn’t want to be under David at that time? A time where the nation was at its peak – safe and secure, stable and prospering. There David was giving justice and equity (or righteousness) to all his people. Mistreated victims protected and wrongdoers brought to face the consequences. Looking back at Israel’s history, this was a true turning point from past rulers and priests who did whatever was right in their own eyes – forsaking the needy and misleading people away from God. But here was a king who ruled with fairness and righteousness. And not just a righteousness that was concerned about doing what was right – but most of all being in the right relationship with God. David did that in the way he ruled and put priests in place to help people draw close to God.

Because David was a man after God’s heart, he ruled in a way that reflected God’s rule. And when a king rules God’s way, we see God’s promises and purposes can be enjoyed in a kingdom that reigns with justice. It’s a beautiful picture of kingdom that is just as promised. Yet we know God’s kingdom wouldn’t remain like this for ever. The height of David’s rule was still only a foretaste of God’s completely fulfilled kingdom through his perfect King who would later come. King Jesus will one day return to reigns with complete justice and righteousness. Making all things right and keeping it that way. Years pass since David became king, the nation is prospering, and people are safe. So far, it’s all been big picture, but now we’re brought closer to see what God’s king really looks like on a personal level. 2 Samuel 9 shows us a king who rules with kindness.

3. A king who rules with kindness (2 Samuel 9.1-13).

2 Samuel 9.1:

And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul…”

This would have been a natural move to ensure the house of Saul, your biggest enemy who had already been defeated, stayed defeated by eliminating anyone in the family. Which included David’s old best friend Jonathan and anyone else down the line. But David’s trying to find anyone remaining…that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9.1). This goes back to a covenant he made with Jonathan back in 1 Samuel that he would still show steadfast love to Jonathan’s house even after taking Saul’s place as king. David searches and finds out the only one alive is a son of Jonathan, a crippled man named Mephibosheth. So, David has him brought over and here’s the exchange from 2 Samuel 9.6:

Mephibosheth came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”

Mephibosheth knows his rightful place before the king. He falls on his face – barely able to look at David because there’s the king of highest honour and here he was, an enemy filled with shame. Mephibosheth knows, ‘I should be killed right here and now, or at very best your servant just like others you’ve defeated.’ 2 Samuel 9.7-8:

And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” And he [Mephibosheth] paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

Mephibosheth is expecting wrath, but David reassures him that he’s safe. Still David’s kindness goes further by restoring his land and welcoming him to eat at the king’s table always. You could almost imagine what people would’ve thought; “Really? This crippled man who’s from the enemy’s house? Sure, show him kindness by sparing his life, but to restore his land and welcome him at your table – that’s the opposite of what our enemies deserve. And to let him live in Jerusalem when he could have stayed outside!?” And Mephibosheth himself thought it was crazy. “Who I am that you should care or have the slightest concern for a dead dog like me?”

It’s an excessive act of kindness that almost doesn’t make sense. Or as we would say, that’s a bit much. But that was the type of extraordinary kindness God’s king showed because of the promise he made. It's kindness that leaves us stunned and leaves Mephibosheth still unconvinced and in disbelief. So, what David promised Jonathan, and what he said he will do for Mephibosheth, he does. 2 Samuel 9.11:

… So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons.

King David went the extra mile to fulfil a promise he made to show kindness to the underserving. Now doesn’t that remind us of someone who would come later? Someone who went out of his way to find the unworthy to bring the helpless close to himself. A king who would be rejected by many but still offered saving to his enemies. Jesus would do all that to restore us to God at the cost of his own life. Maybe in a way, you can relate to Mephibosheth in feeling unworthy to come to Jesus. All the things you’ve done and thought make you feel inadequate. You’re exhausted of trying to make things right by yourself. You’ve turned away from God for too long, that it feels like it’s going to take too much for you to be accepted. It’s a hard place to be in, but it’s the right way to see ourselves before we come to God. Because Mephibosheth is a picture of the spiritual state all of us are in before Jesus restores us. Perhaps, it’s looking back that you realise you ought to have the same reaction to Jesus’ kindness. Who am I that you would care for a dead dog like me? Paul says in Romans 5.6-10 that:

…while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly…while we were still enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.

So, today, the true and perfect King Jesus says to you do not fear, for I will show you kindness (2 Samuel 9.7) not because you’re worthy but because he is merciful. And because he won’t go back on his promise to save his kingdom. But his invitation to be in his kingdom is only useful if it’s accepted. Like Mephibosheth, being accepted by the king involves submitting to his rule. And as we’ve seen, this is a rule with justice and kindness, safety and protection. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? So, would you trust that Jesus offers restoration and relationship with God? Would you continue to trust that it’s his kindness and steadfast love that keeps us in his kingdom. May our hearts be filled with thankfulness and joy to be living under a king who rules with kindness. We’ve seen much of the king’s kindness and justice. But what about those who decide not to accept it? Well, we see in 2 Samuel 10 a king who prevails over those who dishonour him.

4. A king who prevails over those who dishonour him (2 Samuel 10.1-19).

We’re back to the battle scene where it starts off with David offering kindness again to another nation but this time, it’s met with rejection and dishonour. 2 Samuel 10.1-2:

After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. And David said, “I will deal loyally [kindly] with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites.

Again, although David doesn’t need to, extends his loyalty (which is the same word used for kindness before). He wants to extend his condolences to their late king. Instead of receiving it with thanks, the Ammonites think it’s a sneak attack, so Hanun the king does the only sensible thing (2 Samuel 10.4):

[He] took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away.

Complete rejection and humiliation of David’s servants followed by sending a full force of army to go to war against King David. As David’s army prepares for battle, the key dialogue is in 2 Samuel 10.12:

Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.

It all sounds familiar. They’re seemingly outnumbered and surrounded, but David’s troops trust that God would carry out his purposes whether through victory or defeat. In this case, it ended in another victory as the enemies fled. What would happen to the Ammonites who rejected the king’s kindness? We find out early in the next chapter that they would be ravaged and besieged – wiped out. Sometimes it’s hard to see how we fit into these big battles. In this chapter, the simple message is; those who reject the king’s kindness will face his wrath. Because if you’re not submitting to him as king, then you are against him and his kingdom. And we’ve already seen a lot of what happens to nations and people who are against God’s purposes. Just like the game of Risk, there isn’t a neutral team. A hard reminder that we need hear today.

Often, we’re used to thinking I’ll subscribe or believe in something if I want to or if it suits me. If I choose not to, life continues the way it is, and all is fine. But here we see that if you’re not accepting the king’s kindness, then you’re an enemy of God – just like all of us were by default before he saved us brought us into his kingdom. So, it’s hard for me to say this, but if you’re not yet trusting in Jesus as your King, then you’re on the trajectory of facing his wrath when he returns to judge all. In his mercy he has delayed his return but because we don’t know when that’ll be or when our time is up, we need to decide sooner rather than later. In these few chapters we witness God’s amazing promises for his king and kingdom lived out through king David. We’re reminded why David was truly a man after God’s heart as there’s hardly anything we can find in these chapters that would make us think otherwise. But it’s all only partial fulfilment since this would be David at his highest before his fall in the very next chapter. So, all this points us to the perfect King in Jesus who would later come to save the unworthy and prevail over all enemies, to establish and rule God’s kingdom forever. Who wouldn’t want to be under an everlasting king who reigns with kindness and justice? Let’s pray.

[PRAYER].