2 Samuel 9:1-3
Verse 1 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Now that things seem a bit more settled in for the king he can’t help but think of his dear friend, Jonathan. Oh how he must have wished to share the joys and headaches of kingdom life with his older, wiser friend. They had enjoyed so many fun times together as well as had many serious conversations. One such conversation had held a promise from David to Jonathan at the older friend’s insistence. Jonathan had asked his friend to be kind to his family after he was gone.
Jonathan had asked for this promise knowing that David was going to rise to the throne which according to worldly rules would have rightly been Jonathan’s. Jonathan was setting things in place for the safety of his family after what he knew would be an early death for him. He knew he would never live to see his best friend become king of the people of God. He was also acknowledging that his own family would end their dynasty before one really could begin.
It is this promise that caused David to start asking around to see if anyone had any knowledge of the possibility of a living relative of his dear friend. Someone remembered Ziba had served Saul’s family and so he is called to the palace to be questioned. It may have been a bit scary for Ziba as he may not have known the reason the king wanted to know if anyone was still living.
It wasn’t uncommon for a king to make sure the entire previous royal family had been killed off so there was no opportunity for the former royal member to try to take over the kingdom. On the other hand Ziba may have remembered that David hadn’t come after Ish-Bosheth during his 7 year reign over Israel when David definitely had the warrior power to do so.
While David stated that he was wanting to show kindness to Saul’s family, in the back of Ziba’s mind he may have questioned the king’s motive but the servant didn’t hide from the king what could have meant the death of any living relative. He takes David at his word and answers truthfully including giving details of Jonathan’s son’s lameness. Maybe he hoped those details would stir the king to compassion on the man. He had no idea the chain of events that admission would set into motion.
Making It Personal
Have you ever been in a position where you weren’t sure the motive of someone asking you for information? How do you respond when someone asks you about someone else? Is truth always the best policy?
Making It Personal Kids
Has anyone ever asked you to tell them about someone else? Do you feel comfortable about talking about someone else? Why do you need to be careful what you share about someone else?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for the reminder about keeping our promises and for helping us see the dangers of giving information about other people. Help us remember that we don’t like people giving information about us and so we need to show others the same respect. Help us also to go to all lengths to keep our word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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