After God’s Heart (Part 10)(2 Samuel 9:1-8)                                                                            2009.03.15    Pastor Edward Cheng

This morning we come again to the life of David, as we learn what it is to be after God’s heart. We’re still at a high point in David’s life—he’s at rest, he’s rich, he’s settled in his palace and no one’s attacking him.  Last week (2 Sam. 7:1-17) we saw that David desires to build a house for God, whose ark still resides in a tent.  God answers him and reminds him of everything He has done for him so far, and promises that David’s own son will be the one to build God’s house, and that David’s line will sit on the throne of Israel forever.  Not only that, but God promises an eternal love to be shown to the house of David forever.  David knows that this is far beyond what he deserves, and that God gave him all these things out of kindness (v. 18). 

Now today’s chapter and ch. 7 are both about kindness.  In 9:1, David says, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”  This “kindness” is the same word as in 7:15 when God says, “My love will never be taken away.”  The word for kindness, or love, is chesed, and it is one of the most meaningful words in the Old Testament.  It doesn’t just mean love—in our language, we sometimes tell people we love them, but then we don’t love them anymore after a time.  Chesed love does not change or end.  It’s also translated “kindness,” “lovingkindness,” or “loyal love.”  Some other meaningful passages that contain this word are Exodus 34:6, Ezra 3:11, Psalm 23:6.  Chesed love is what God has promised to you and me, and what God wants us to be changed by. 

In light of this kindness shown to him, David responds by reflecting that chesed to others.  Chesed is not something you hoard.  God wants to fill us to overflowing with chesed, and as it pours over, we’re supposed to reflect it so that other people are touched by God’s chesed.  David is actively trying to find people to show God’s chesed.  Likewise, we are not meant just to receive chesed; we should be sharing it.

When you’re talking about chesed love, it boils down to cats and dogs.  When you show affection for your cat, feeding it or stroking it or pampering it, it absorbs your affection.  The cat thinks to itself, “Wow.  My owner really loves me.  I must be God.”  Your dog on the other hand, receives your care and kindness and thinks to itself, “Wow.  My owner really loves me.  My owner must be God.” 

We have all been cats and dogs at some point.  When we are faced with difficulties or dissatisfaction, we think, “Where’s the blessing, God??”  When we are being cats, we receive the blessing, and just look for more. 

David is showing us what it is to be a dog—what it is to receive the blessing of the Lord, and then turn around and reflect it to other people.  And not just any other people—he’s looking among the family that tried to kill him!  But look at Mephibosheth’s response to the chesed shown to him (v. 8): “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?”  Compare that to David’s response to God’s chesed (7:18): “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD…?”  This is the appropriate response to the chesed of the Lord—“Who am I?  What have I ever done?” 

Look at 10:2.  “David thought, ‘I will show [chesed] to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed [chesed] to me.’”  This whole section, including ch. 7 and 9, is about chesed.  But what is Hanun’s response to chesed?  He receives David’s messengers who were bringing him kindness and sympathy, and he suspects them of ulterior motives and shames them, leading to war. 

Some people, when you reflect God’s kindness to them, will be suspicious.  “What does he want from me?  What’s trying to get at?”  God’s kindness does not have any strings attached, where we owe something in return for it.  The kindness that the world teaches us is the one where someone does you a favor and expects you to return the favor at some point down the line. 

Our example of being after God’s heart this morning is very practical.  Do we understand that the Lord is constantly blessing us and enabling us to reflect that blessing to others?  I encourage you to continue to examine your own heart—what is your response to God’s kindness?