UNUSUAL KINDNESS

HOW DO WE SHOW UNUSUAL KINDNESS?

This is the kind of kindness that one shows to others or others receive from others that they do not deserve in any way (Acts 28:1-2) “Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the Island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.” Apostle Paul and his companions and the soldiers had encountered lots of challenges on their journey but the kind God did remember them causing them to escape to an Island called Malta, where the natives of that land showed then an unusual kindness because of the down pour of the rain and the cold on the Island. In spite of being strangers there, the Islander welcomed them and showed them that unusual kindness all together.

KING DAVID’S UNUSUAL KINDNESS TO THE HOUSE OF SOUL

King David showed an uncommon kindness to the house of Saul the man who had attempted to murder him for several occasions. But it was because of Saul’s son Jonathan’s sake (2 Sam.9:1-13) “Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”  And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!” Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.” Ziba might have thought if he tells the king of a lame son of Jonathan he would not go further with the inquiry. But to his surprise the king asked (V. 4-6) “So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephiboseth?” And he answered here is your servant!” Mephiboseth also was amazed as fear and terror fell upon him. Maybe, he might have thought that his day of death was due; as King David would have wished to revenge the house of Saul his grandfather for all that he had caused him to go through, pursuing his life. But David never had such kind of heart but only kindness (V, 7) “So David said to him, “Do not fear for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul you grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”  What a heart of kindness?  What manner of a king would do that? Instead of revenging the wickedness of his grandfather Saul, he showed uncommon kindness by restoring to him all the land of Saul his grandfather; and not only that, but also to be eating at his table continually as one of his princes or wise men as lame as he was. It was a blow to Mephiboseth who responded in this manner (V. 8) “Then he bowed himself and said, “What is your servant that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to his entire house. You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephiboseth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.  Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant so will your servant do.” “As for Mephiboseth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”  Mephiboseth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephiboseth. So Mephiboseth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet. “

GOD’S HEART OF KINDNESS

One of the most beautiful human illustrations in the Scriptures of God’s love and kindness to sinners is this story of David and Mephiboseth. Mephiboseth was Jonathan’s crippled son, who had been injured by a fall as a small boy. Reference; (2 Sam. 4:4) “Jonathan Saul‘s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephiboseth.” After he became king, David looked for a surviving heir of his closest friend, the fallen Jonathan, that he might show kindness to him. He is then told about Mephiboseth whose name means “He Scatters Shame.” He was living in Lo Debar (2 Sam. 9:4) “So the king said too him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the King, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.” a city east of the Jordan which literally means, “Desolate Land” Now note the similarities between this event and the story of salvation. The heavenly Father (like David) has determined to show kindness upon sinners (like Mephiboseth) for the sake of Jesus (similar to Jonathan). He thus found us, spirituality crippled, living in shame in a desolate land. Upon meeting Mephiboseth, David promised him that you shall eat bread at my table continually. We also as redeemed sinners will someday join our Lord at the marriage feast of the Lamb. Amen.

GOD’S UN USUAL KINDNESS TO KING SOLOMON

Because of the sacrifice King Solomon sacrificed to the Lord, he touched God’s heart and in return God showed him un usual kindness (1 Kings 3:4-14) “Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burned offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said, “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for me, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day.” Because of the thousands of burnt offerings, the Lord appeared to King Solomon asking him what he would wish to receive from the Lord. Then Solomon in his wisdom asked the most  unexpected thing that pleased God (V.7-9) “Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge these great people of Yours?”  Solomon because he understood God is a God of providence, he did not ask for material things like many of us would have asked, but for the knowledge ,  wisdom and understanding on how to lead the great many people of God.  And because He touched the heart of God, He did provide even for the material things which he never asked for. See (V. 10-14) “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked; both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” So the Lord appeared to King Solomon, gave him not only what he had asked, but also what he had not asked for, from a kind and generous Father.

A BY THE WAY!

Note my beloved; Solomon had touched the heart of God by the numerous numbers of bulls that he sacrificed to the Lord. And after the Lord appeared to him, he again sacrificed to the Lord to seal that which the Lord had promised him. Beloved of the Lord, may we get a revelation from this, that whatever prophecy we receive, for it to be fully established diligently, there must be a sacrifice to provoke the vision, the word and the prophecy that has gone forth.  (V. 15) “Solomon awake; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burned offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.” Solomon never assumed that the Lord has spoken and may He do according to His word but provoked God with another sacrifice and showered his royalty and generosity to his servants sealing that which the Lord has promised to him.  We can as well learn from this and do the same to provoke that word that has been spoken about our lives and it is taking centauries to be manifested and fulfilled in our lives. In the olden days when a person went to inquire from a seer in those days or a prophet or a servant of the Lord in our generation, they never went empty handed but carried a sacrifice to seal the word, the revelation or the dream that they received. Reference: (1 Sam.9:5-10) “When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us.” And he said to him, “Look now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there perhaps he can show us the way which we can go.” Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have? And the servants answered Saul again and said, “Look I have here at hand one fourth of a shekel silver. I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way.” (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: “Come let us go to the seer”; or he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) Analyze this beloved.

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”