In the early decades of the 1800s, the French experienced a revolution, where the old monarchy was overthrown. Emerging from this revolution was Napoleon Bonaparte I who took the title Emperor and began his march over Europe. Though he was liked by the French people and his army, the other nations did not, and so they stood against him. Napoleon was known for his fierce requirement of loyalty from the people he commanded. Any desertion was quickly punished. And, for the most part, he had their loyalty. One great example of this was after he returned from exile and made his way towards Paris. The military was sent out to stop him, but joined him instead.
That is why the story of a mother seeking mercy for her son has become a part of the mythos of Napoleon. The story goes that a mother came to the Emperor to plead for her son, who had deserted Napoleon’s army twice. He responded to the mother’s plea by telling her, “Your son does not deserve mercy.” To which she replied, “If he deserved mercy, he would not be in need of it.” This moved the Emperor, and he pardoned her son.
It’s the idea of compassion and mercy that brings us back to our summer series in Second Samuel, where we’ll be picking up in Chapter 19, and the second part of verse 8. And as we’re opening up to Second Samuel 19:8, let’s look back on what got us here.
David’s sin festered into adultery, conspiracy, and murder. It broke the spiritual covering over his family, and so God judged him, first by allowing David’s son through adultery to die, and then removing his protection over David’s family. With God’s protection gone, Amon and Absalom both followed their father’s example. The first allowed his lust to overtake him and so defiled his sister. While the second took justice into his own hands and murdered his brother. This eventually led to rebellion, bloodshed, and the death of Absalom. Through it all, we have learned that, sin that is allowed to fester will always bring more destruction, and so God calls us to confess, repent and seek the cleansing of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Yet through David’s Dark Days, he has learned to be content, to seek the purposes of God, and that every person stands in judgment before God for their own sin. And today, we’re going to see another lesson David has learned through this whole ordeal.
Let’s begin reading at Second Samuel 19:8.
8b Now Israel had fled every man to his own home. 9 And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
11 And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? 12 You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’ 13 And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’” 14 And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, “Return, both you and all your servants.” 15 So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan.
16 And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king, 18 and they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan, 19 and said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. 20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.” 21 Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?” 22 But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” 23 And the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath.
24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. 25 And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. 27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. 28 For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” 29 And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33 And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” 34 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” 39 Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. 40 The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.
41 Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?” 42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
There’s several moments that happen in rapid succession, so let’s slow down and look at each one.
v.8b-15 & 41-43 - The whole scene is bookended with eleven tribes being represented with the term Israel on one side, and the tribe of Judah on the other. Here we begin to see the rift that will eventually become a chasm under David’s grandson. Israel is wanting to bring back David and have him as king, however, possibly because they had backed David’s son, the tribe of Judah was slow to reach out to David. It’s only after David reaches out to them, that they decide to come out and meet him before Israel. This causes a problem at the end where the other eleven tribes feel as if they have been betrayed, and made less than the tribe of Judah. We’ll actually spend more time on this issue next week, so for now, we’ll leave it there.
v.13 - In between these bookends, we have three acts of compassion, and one act of honor. David reaches out with an olive branch of peace to Amasa. Amasa was Absalom’s general and so was on the chopping block of people who David had the right to execute for their rebellion. However, David grants him clemency and even offers him the position of general over all his armies; a position that Joab was currently in. David probably offers him this position, because Joab is such a wicked person, and David has probably heard by now who actually killed his son.
v.16-23 - Dropping down to verse 16 and Shimei, the one who cursed and threw rocks at David as he left Jerusalem, has come and is requesting mercy. Why? Because he’s afraid. David’s back and now he has the right to kill any that opposed him. Shimei cursed David as if it were from the Lord, and he did it on false accusations that the Lord was giving the kingdom to David’s son, because of Saul. We know that’s not true because we have seen the behind the scenes, and now, Shimei has been proven wrong. Yet, instead of killing him, like others want to, David let’s the vitriol go and gives mercy to someone who didn’t deserve it.
v.24-30 - The final act of compassion comes to Mephibosheth. His servant had brought supplies to David, and told the king that Mephibosheth was hoping that he could now take, what he believed, was his rightful place as ruler. However, Mephibosheth disputes these allegations, with his ragged look echoing his case that he was loyal to David. So who’s telling the truth? David deals with them, like a parent deals with two kids that are telling two opposite stories, and not knowing which was telling the truth. David dismiss the whole thing, and divides the land he had given to Mephibosheth between the master and the servant.
v. 31-40 - The final scene comes, not with people seeking him, like the other scenes had, but David himself seeking out someone. In this case David seeks out Barzillai, an older man who came to David and provided for him while he was in self-exile. Where the others are given compassion they didn’t earn, Barzillai is given honored that came from humble service. Yet, the older man does not seek the riches of the king, but rather did it because it was the right and godly thing to do, and just wished to return home to die. Instead, David bestows the honor of Barzillai on to one his sons, Chimham (1 Kgs. 2:7).
Through this we can see the growth of David. David could have taken his right of war and kill those who opposed him, but instead, he chose compassion. He was no longer the quick to fight boy he had been in his youth. David had become a wise and compassionate king. That growth came by way of personal and self inflicted pain. David had learned the lesson of how our personal sin can affect the people around us, and so took a merciful route that sought to curb bloodshed, rather than feeding the desire of the flesh to get revenge.
Now we may say that David had already acquired compassion, because of how he dealt with Mephibosheth before. But this time it’s different. David was on top of the world the first time he showed compassion. No one was left to challenged his reign at that point. But this time, David has enemies that could quickly turn on him. We’ll actually see this next week. So giving compassion at this point could be a sign of weakness, yet David takes the merciful route, rather than the vengeful path.
This very point of growth is where the Lord desires to take his people. In describing the new life that believers in Chris have, Paul writes this in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
We are called to this kind of compassion and mercy, and that calling is in light of what Christ has done for us. We are not merely people who are to say we are to have compassion and mercy. When someone seeks forgiveness, or repents of their evil, we are supposed to overlook the evils done to us, and respond with forgiveness. We don’t have the right to hold someone’s repented evils over their head who outwardly seeks reconciliation. Since we have been bought by Christ, we no longer have the right to respond in retaliation, or to deny forgiveness. God has forgiven us in Christ, and so we must extend that mercy and compassion to those who seek it.
How is this accomplished? Through the power of the Holy Spirit as we seek his work in our inner lives, and by self-reflection. We are to be always growing in our understanding of how much God has forgiven us, that we may extend that to others. When we understand how far God has brought us by extending to us compassion and mercy, we can see how far we must extend it to the people who have wronged us.
So my challenge for you this week, is to first seek God to help you better understand the mercy and compassion you have received from him. Then ask him to bring one person back into your life who is seeking forgiveness, so that you can extend compassion and mercy to them.
Let us be a people who understand what God has done for us, so that we can be in a position to extend it to others, as point back to him as the one who is working through us. Amen.
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