David Being like Christ
2 Sam. 9:1-13
To be like Christ is a choice and, in my opinion, not a hard choice, when you have been touched by God’s grace.
David is one of two men God bragged on: 1 Sam. 13:14, "The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart…”
Because God is so gracious to David, he in return, is gracious to others.
When God’s grace covers us in the messiness of our life, when we make bad decisions over and over again, God’s grace covers us and makes us want to be like Christ.
Being like Christ is not seen in our kindness to our family and friends, it is when we are kind to those who are not our family and friends.
Being like Christ is to take the jabs, the insults, and persecution and not retaliate. Not to hit back physically or verbally.
David has an enemy, Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul was not David’s enemy, but he was Saul’s enemy.
Saul hated David, but David did not hate Saul.
Saul devoted a lot of his life trying to kill David, who had done him no wrong. But honored Saul as king and would not kill him, although he could have on many occasions.
I Sam. 24th chapter, Saul, after chasing David with 3000 men, went into a cave to sleep, and David and his men were in the cave, and they told David the Lord has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now kill Saul, but David said, I will not put my hand against Saul, for he is the LORD’s anointed.
David Being like Christ
I. David is concerned about someone who isn’t concerned about him- vs. 1-4
II. David shows kindness to Saul’s grandson and his entire family- vs. 5-9
III. David is gracious like Christ to Mephibosheth- vs. 11-13
To be like Christ is to treat your enemies like Jesus treated his enemies.
To be like Christ is not to hate folk who hate you, but to love them like God loves you.
God’s grace on our lives gives us grace to be gracious to all people
I. David is concerned about someone who isn’t concerned about him- vs. 1-4
“And the king said is there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Johnathan hath yet a son which is lame on his feet.”
a. People who are like Christ look for people to help, who don’t deserve any help.
- No one from Saul’s family came seeking help, but David, being like Christ, sought them.
b. David is like Christ because he did not respond to his predecessor like other kings, who would kill all the family of the monarch that they replaced.
c. David did not want to show him his kindness, but the kindness of God.
- The kindness of God is not human kindness but of divine origin.
- God’s kindness is a mixture of love, goodness, grace, and mercy.
II. David shows kindness to Saul’s grandson and his entire family- vs. 5-9
“And David said unto him fear not for I will surely show thee kindness for Johnathan thy father’s sake and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shall eat bread at my table continually.”
a. To show the kindness of God is to do something.
- Kindness is expressed through words and actions.
b. David sends for Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul.
c. David, being like Christ, calms his fears- vs. 7.
d. Being like Christ is to go beyond the norm, to do the unthinkable.
- Whenever there was a new king, the old king and his family were killed, and all his land and property were seized by the new king.
- But this new king, David, is a man after God’s own heart, and since God has been good to David, therefore David is good to Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, and Saul’s whole family.
Look at the God in David: “And will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shall eat bread at my table continually." vs. 7c.
It’s easy to be good to people who are good to you, but to be good to people who are not good to you is being like Christ!
III. David is gracious like Christ to Mephibosheth- vs. 11-13
“…As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the king’s sons.”
a. David is a type of Christ; he does for Mephibosheth what Jesus does for us.
b. Being like Christ is to bring people who are outside and bring them inside.
c. To eat at the king’s table is not just eating, but to have all your needs met.
d. David’s kindness to Saul’s son is not just an invited guest, but treated as a son.
- Son means he’s family with an inheritance.
- He’s crippled, but now he has servants to wait on him.
- He’s a landowner now, he has people working for him and bringing him the money
David is a type of Christ because he does for Mephibosheth what Jesus did and is doing for us.
David rescued Mephibosheth from living in Lo-debar and gave him a home in the palace.
Mephibosheth was poor, had no money, and owned no land, but David gave him everything that Saul had.
David showed Mephibosheth the kindness of God.
The Kindness of God is grace, mercy, and love all mingled together.
To be like Christ, we must show the kindness of God to everyone we meet.
- It doesn’t matter what they said to you.
- It doesn’t matter how they treated you.
To be like Jesus is to look beyond their faults as God looked beyond our faults and saw our need.
