“The king asked, ‘Where is your master’s [grand]son?’ Tziva answered the king, ‘He’s staying in Yerushalayim, because he said, ‘Today the house of Isra’el will restore my father’s kingship to me.’”-2 Samuel 16:3
Let’s get back to the story of Tziva, Mephibosheth’s gentile servant.
When we last left off, he was bringing gifts to David just as David was hightailing it out of Jerusalem.
Of course, David was happy for all of the gifts Tziva provided.
But he was understandably angered that Mephibosheth himself didn’t show up.
Why would Mephibosheth show such little gratitude in response to everything David had done for him?
But things got even worse.
Tziva went on to report that Mephibosheth was happy that David’s throne had been overturned by Absalom.
Why?
Because in Mephibosheth’s mind that meant…
“Today the house of Israel will restore my father’s kingship to me”.
Essentially, Mephibosheth is betting that once David’s out, Absalom will hand the throne to its “real” owner.
This meant a descendant of King Saul.
And guess who that would be?
That’s right, homies.
Mephibosheth!
I think it’s pretty easy to see why David snapped back at Tziva, “Everything Mephibosheth owns is now yours!”
Problem is, the whole story was a lie (we’ll find that out soon).
And honestly, if David had just stopped to think about Tziva’s crazy claim, it wouldn’t have made sense.
But he bought it anyway—hook, line, and sinker.
There’s some interesting psychology going on here.
Why do you think David was so gullible to fall for Tziva’s claim?
I’d say David’s gullibility likely came from a mix of stress, exhaustion, and betrayal.
At this point in the story, he was fleeing Jerusalem, betrayed by his own son, unsure who was friend or foe.
When you’re in survival mode, your guard drops in strange ways.
You’re more likely to latch onto the first “plausible” story you hear, especially if it confirms your fears about someone.
Tziva’s accusation fit the mood David was already in:
“Yet another person I’ve trusted has turned against me.”
So instead of carefully weighing the evidence, David acted on impulse.
And that’s your takeaway for today.
When you’re tired, stressed, and feeling betrayed, your brain will grab onto any story that “fits” how you’re already feeling…
Even if it’s nonsense.
Ya feel me?
That’s what happened to David here.
And that’s why you’ve gotta hit the brakes before making big calls in the heat of the moment.
Check the facts.
Ask the hard questions.
Because if you don’t, you might just hand over your royal estate to the wrong person.
Generally speaking, those called by God tend to be trusting and even naíve individuals rather than jaded and cynical like most of the world, which is why they’re willing to believe in and trust God. Unfortunately this leaves them vulnerable to betrayal by those whom they may have trusted. However a trusting and naíve person can develop a thicker skin and a more discerning attitude towards others. Even if a person is paying terrible consequences for their sins they can still beseech God and ask for wisdom, insight and strength to bear up under the weight of those consequences. I speak from experience here. I wonder how much David asked God to help him deal with all this betrayal he was undergoing. He may have lost all hope that God would help him at all. Even under God’s curse we can still ask for strength and wisdom to bear up under the curse.
Hi Cory,
Great insight you provide with this point: “those called by God tend to be trusting and even naíve individuals rather than jaded and cynical like most of the world”
That’s why I find those who abandon their faith in God, whether it be early or late in life, to be the most cynical and pessimistic of folks.
Thanks for sharing.
Even though the prophet Nathan had told David that the sword would never depart from his house as a consequence of his sins, the way David reacted to all of this betrayal and mayhem suggests that he never quite understood what it all meant. He seemed perpetually dazed and confused and even addle brained by it all. I don’t think he really understood or believed that he was going to pay dearly. In all his psalms he asked God to avenge his enemies who were trying to destroy him, apparently not realizing that God was causing all this grief. He should have asked instead for God to give him the strength to bear up under this curse, and to forgive his enemies rather than wishing for their destruction. In essence he was asking God to remove the consequences of his sins and he should have known better. He even went to his death telling his son Solomon to kill his enemies. Yet God still called him a man after God’s own heart. God tells us not to gloat when our enemy falls lest God turns His anger on us. From this story we learn that God is very forgiving but it’s best not to push our luck. We all have our own individual capacities for repentance, and God apparently does not demand more than we can offer up. David’s repentance seems somewhat feeble albeit sincere, apparently the best he could do. From someone else God may demand much more.
Hmm…are you referencing Yeshua’s words when he said, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”
I would need to think about what you said here.
Yeshua called us to love our enemies, but not God’s enemies.
The Scripture makes it clear over and over again that God’s enemies are targeted for the Lord’s wrath and destruction.
As if David’s sins weren’t bad enough, he took a long time to see his sins and repent, and was initially angered by Nathan’s calling him out. This probably made what came later for David even worse. Delayed repentance is better than no repentance but if delayed for a long time it becomes just another consequence of sin. We tend to want to justify our sins as much and as long as possible, even after God has forgiven us. God’s justice reminds us that we were wrong no matter how much we try to justify ourselves. We tend to think that God’s justice was too severe. Instead we should realize that God gives us what we deserve but not all we deserve, else he would destroy us completely.
Hard truth, but the truth nonetheless. Thanks for sharing.