Today, we begin 2nd Samuel Chapter 9.
To read the Complete Jewish Bible, click HERE.
To read the King James version, click HERE.
“David inquired, ‘Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha’ul, to whom, for Y’honatan’s sake, I can show kindness?'”-2 Samuel 9:1
As we dive into 2nd Samuel chapter 9, remember this book doesn’t follow a strict timeline.
The writers weren’t trying to give us a step-by-step history of David’s reign.
Instead, they gathered the various elements that shaped his life and stitched them together.
This included David’s strengths, his flaws, and, most importantly, God’s plan.
Well, moving forward, I’m gonna be doing some stitching myself to connect the dots.
We’re about to discover that what might appear to be a simple story is anything but!
So brace yourself for a couple of surprises that are gonna be nothing less than mind-blowing if I may say so myself.
Alrighty, let’s get into it.
So, in a nutshell, what’s this chapter 9 all about?
It’s all about David keeping his promise to his best friend, Jonathan, and showing kindness to Saul’s family.
Why did he do this?
What was his motivation?
To answer that question, let’s rewind the tape to the book of 1st Samuel and read the following verses together:
“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.
Then Jonathan said to David, ‘I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father.But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed,and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.‘
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ‘May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.’And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him because he loved him as he loved himself.”-1 Samuel 20:11-17
So, what are these verses about?
They’re about David’s covenant with Jonathan and his promise of kindness (CHESED in Hebrew) to his descendants.
With his military battles behind him and life more stable, David could finally focus on other things.
Now it was time for David to honor his oath to Jonathan…
And show CHESED(kindness) to his children.
So let’s stop here and transition over to the takeaway.
Here’s what’s coming to me today.
In a cynical world where promises are made easily but kept rarely…
Here, we see a powerful example of what it means to keep your word…
No matter the circumstances or how much time has passed.
And honestly?
That’s a far cry from the world we live in today.
Take marriage, for example.
“Till death do us part” has become a locker-room joke, with divorce rates in the U.S. soaring past 50%.
We’ve lost our sense of honor when it comes to keeping our word.
But contrast that with the God we worship.
We serve a God who always makes good on His promises.
As the Torah says…
“God is not a man,
so he does not lie.
He is not human,
so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?“
-Numbers 23:19
And in case you’re wondering…
The answer to those questions?
A firm, unshakable, resounding NO!
God has NEVER spoken and failed to act.
He has NEVER made a promise and not fulfilled it.
And all His Messiahs have lived by this same standard.
David?
He kept his word.
Yeshua?
He did, too—perfectly.
Let that sink in homies.
See ya next time!
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