What’s My Role in the Kingdom? (2 Samuel 8-10)

Going away to university was the first time I started living on my own, and the last time I really lived with my parents. For that next season of life, my parents lived about an hour and 15 minute car ride away, though I could get there in an hour.  

I’d go home for the holidays; end of semester; sometimes for a few days, sometimes a few weeks. But every time I went back to school, without fail, my dad would make me drive him in my car to the petrol station so he could fill up my tank. All four years of university he did this. Every single time. 

At first, I was like, you don’t need to do that. But over time, I just accepted it. One time I asked him, “Dad, why’s this so important to you?” I expected him to say “Because I’m your dad.” But instead he said, “Because I know what it’s like to be in your shoes, and when I was your age, my father always did this for me.”  

My dad was basically telling me I have nothing. Debt. But even when you have nothing, you still have me. There’s an important principle there: My grandfather’s persistent act of kindness toward my dad grew in him a desire to pass on that kindness toward me.  

The same is true when we apply that principle to the gospel and the kingdom of God.  

Today, we’re talking about how God’s Kingdom advances. And we’re gonna talk about war and military success. But we’re also going to talk about grace, mercy, and kindness.  

See, God’s Kingdom advancing is not about us and what we can do for God, but about God and what He’s able to do in and through us.  

Here’s the big idea: People changed by the gospel seek to reach others by the power of the gospel.  

That’s how God wants us to partner with Him for his Kingdom purposes today.  

Last week, we learned that David wanted to build God a house. But instead God showed David radical kindness and generosity. See, God made David these incredible promises: a great name, peace from his enemies, and an everlasting Kingdom through his son.  

So David decides, if God’s promised us peace, then it’s time to subdue those who oppose God’s plans. Which is exactly what David does in chapter 8… 

[2 Samuel 8:1] – After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the

Philistines.  

2 And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute. David spared a third of the army, which in those days, you show no mercy.  

Now, I realize God’s support of David’s military ventures might make some of you uncomfortable. But there are others who know what happens when evil leaders are in power. For some of you, the only prayer you can imagine praying for your nation’s leaders is, “God, remove them.” 

This is why context matters. David’s not dealing with conflict over land and resources. [Psalm 2] David says: 

“Why do the nations rage     and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves,     and the rulers take counsel together,     against the Lord and against his Anointed

David’s talking about the surrounding nations who plot evil against God. That word plot is the same word that gets translated elsewhere as meditate. The evil kings of this world carefully and continually think about how to stop God.  

You can leave them alone all you want, but they won’t leave you alone. It’s like when a mosquito gets in your room. If you let that thing linger, it’ll come back to bite you; risk of dengue fever and all. Or you can keep looking for it until you crush it.  

We all want peace, but peace is impossible as long as the kingdom of darkness opposes the Light. [v. 3] –  David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. 5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. 

We’re literally seeing God’s Kingdom advance in every direction, north, south, east, and west.^[1] And again, David’s plans are not to steal, kill, and destroy. That’s the motto of the Enemy. No, David’s turning enemies into servants of the Kingdom. We even see that anyone who bows the knee is welcome to join.  

[v. 9] – When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and ofbronze. 11 These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.  [13] And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 14 Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

As we think about seeing God’s Kingdom advance, it’s important to understand David’s role in the story. The kingdom doesn’t expand because of David’s leadership, resources, or strategy. Samuel has plenty of good things to say about David, but it also makes clear he’s not the King we’re looking for.  

For example, David does all these great things for God, but then he cripples some horses and keeps a few chariots for himself. That’s kinda weird. What’s up with that?  

Deuteronomy 17 says Israel’s king shouldn’t acquire many horses because he’s supposed to trust in God, not his military.^[2] So David doesn’t put all his trust in horses. We don’t put all our trust in good health. Our jobs. Our families. Just a little. No harm in diversifying your portfolio, right?  

But here’s the point: The Bible has no problem presenting people as they are; flaws and all. That’s why when Jesus shows up, we can say read him with a critical eye. He’s exactly who the Bible says he is. That’s why we call him Lord and Savior.  

But for everybody else, God’s ability to use us has less to do with what we bring to the table and more to do with what He can do through willing people. What do you think God wants to do through you?  

Let me offer three principles from 2 Sam. 8-10 that teach us what it looks like for people changed by the gospel to seek to reach others by the power of the gospel:  

1. Those who trust God build their lives around His promises.  

After God told David not to build him a house, David didn’t sit around doing nothing. He went out and subdued God’s enemies. That’s what happens when you trust in God’s promises. You begin to pursue the future God envisions.  

Now, how you respond to a promise depends on the person who said it and how much weight their words carry.  

If my five-year-old promises to split her tooth fairy money with me, I’m not quitting my day job. But when Sarah and I decided to get married, we both took steps to make that promise a reality. We went all-in. 

Now, that’s two flawed people making a promise. How much more secure are God’s promises? Over time, a life of faith should show that you’ve taken God at His word. Have you fully surrendered to God, willing to go wherever He sends and do whatever He asks?  

God has promised a Kingdom that will bless the whole earth. Now, it’d be one thing if God said that in some obscure way one time. But He says it clearly and repeatedly:  

• [Gen. 12:3] – all the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham. 
• [Ps. 22:27] – All the nations will turn to the Lord and worship Him. 
• [Lk. 13:29] – Jesus says people from every direction will gather at God’s table in His Kingdom.  
• [Matt. 28:19] – Jesus sends his disciples to make disciples of all nations. 

The Great Commission isn’t just a task Jesus gives the Church. We’re being called to announce that the battle’s been won, Jesus reigns, and everything’s about to change. Meaning, our starting point is the finished work of Christ.  

The book of Revelation gives us a taste of what’s still to come. [Rev. 7:9] – “…a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…”

If this is what God’s promised, then we should contend for it now. That’s what it means to build our lives around God’s promises. If Jesus has given his life for this future, then so should we.  

God’s promises show us what matters to Him: people from every nation entering His Kingdom through Christ’s victory on the Cross. And if it matters to God, it should matter to us. 

For the Christian, the question isn’t whether God will do this, but how can I partner with Him in what He’s already doing? 

See, the Church is God’s plan A for spreading the gospel and making disciples. All of us have a role to play in that. But to choose to stay on the margins and to not be meaningfully involved in the church just seems like an underwhelming response to everything God’s promised.   

One day, people from every nation will worship Jesus as King. And God wants to use you toward those ends.  

Maybe your life is incompatible with God’s promises because of unbelief or because you have a vision for your life that differs from God’s.  

I’ve shared this story before, but during my first year as a university student, a guy came to speak at my Christian Fellowship. Now, I couldn’t tell you anything about this guy except for him asking this one question: Do you think it’s okay to be a Christian and not care about the nations?  

At the time, I thought, “Of course!” But this guy said absolutely not. I thought, man, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And I could’ve just left it at that, but what he said bothered me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  

Later that week, I brought it up with some guys who were discipling me, thinking they’d agree with me so I could move on. But when I asked them about it, they agreed with him. And that annoyed me even more. Why? 

I didn’t realize this at the time, but I had made an idol out of my comfort. And I was a Christian. Now, I very easily could’ve lived a life where I follow Jesus, have a family, get a good job, and enjoy the spoils of my labor. But this random guy on a random Thursday night came and crushed that idol.  

If we’re going to live for God’s Kingdom come, we don’t get to pick and choose which of God’s promises matter. And we especially don’t get to ignore the ones He’s made central to His mission.  

As we share the gospel, sometimes we’re gonna literally need to crush idols and dreams. But what they’re being called into is so much better.  

That guy crushed my dream. But the next summer I went on a mission trip to China, and that trip changed the trajectory of my life. I remember on the plane ride home thinking, God’s going to bring me back to Asia one day. I didn’t know when or what for, but I just remember feeling okay with that. 

Some are called to go; others are called to support. But we’re all called to invest in the Church, and none of us can say, the salvation of the nations doesn’t matter to me. 

In fact, those who’ve received the love of God personally should want to share it with others. That’s exactly what David does in chapter 9… 

[9v1] – And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 

Just to refresh your memory: Saul was the previous King who wanted David dead, even though David sat at his table and served as one of his military leaders. Saul’s son Jonathan was David’s best friend. Jonathan protected David, and even gave up his claim to the throne so that David could become king.  

Now that David’s king, he wants to know if any of Jonathan’s relatives are still alive so that he can show kindness to them. So he searches the kingdom and finds one of Saul’s former servants, a man named Ziba. [v. 3] – And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba saidto the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”  

This is the same son last mentioned in 2 Samuel 4. After the news broke that the Philistines had killed Saul and Jonathan, the family nurse grabbed Jonathan’s son and ran to escape the enemy raid, but in the process, Jonathan’s son suffered an injury that permanently disabled his legs.  

[v. 4] – The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king,

“He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” So 

David sent for him…[v. 6] – And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”  

Now, why would Mephibosheth be afraid? Because he was technically an enemy of the King. See, in those days, when a new king came to power he would wipe out the sons of the deposed king as a way of consolidating power for future generations. That’s why Mephibosheth’s been in hiding.  

[v. 7] – And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

But David made arrangements for Ziba and his house to manage the land he’d given to Mephibosheth. [v. 13] – So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

There’s some symbolism in the names and places in the story. Mephibosheth’s name means spreader of shame. In a military and agrarian society that valued strength, Mephibosheth is disabled. And Mephibosheth’s been living in a place called Lo-Debar, which means nothing, and he’s been staying with this guy named Machir, which means sold.  

IOW, in Mephibosheth, you have a man from the house of the king’s enemy, disabled by a fall, living in obscurity with nothing to offer. 

And yet…none of that matters because David’s experienced the kindness of God. And God’s promise to David motivates David to remember his promise to Jonathan to never stop showing his loyal love to Saul’s house.⁴

For Jonathan’s sake, David seeks out one of Jonathan’s family members to show him kindness. Which brings us to principle #2… 

2. Those who’ve received God’s kindness go out of their way to share His kindness with others.

After receiving God’s promises, David’s like, “Who am I that you would do such great things through me?” He knows he doesn’t deserve it, yet God shows him kindness anyway.  

In chapter 9, that word kindness shows up three times. It’s the Hebrew word, HESED. It’s like a super word because it ties in God’s mercy, love, and loyalty all-in-one. 

God’s kindness toward David moves David to do the same for Mephibosheth. 

When you read their interaction, Mephibosheth’s terrified, but David sounds like a child in a candy store. He cannot wait to bless Mephibosheth. David restores all his family’s land, brings him back to Jerusalem, and gives him a permanent seat at David’s table. 

Last year, moments after my son died, a couple of families came to visit us at the hospital. They weren’t even allowed in our room, but they said we don’t care. We’re not leaving. 

I’ve never felt so broken, lost, and worthless in my life and they came and treated me like I deserved a seat at the King’s table.  

Receiving that kind of love does something to you. There’s a bond there I can’t describe, but it also makes you want to do that for someone else.  

And that’s exactly what Jesus did for us on the Cross. See, like Mephibosheth, we were enemies of God, crippled and by our sin. We were cast out, sold into slavery. But [Titus 3:4] says while we were still foolish, disobedient, and led astray, “…the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…”  

In Christ, God adopts us and gives us a permanent seat at his table.  

Why does God do this? Well, David showed kindness to Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake. God shows kindness to us for Jesus’s sake. 

Man, if God’s done that for us, who can we show His kindness to? Who’s Your 1? Who’s your Mephibosheth? Who’s God calling you to show his kindness to?  

Today, after the second service, there’s a training for those interested in mentoring students at TPEC. Maybe that’s your Mephibosheth. Maybe it’s someone at work; someone at home.  

Last month, some pastors from US partner churches came to help with the GCN Conference. One of them, in particular, has been a spiritual giant to me…from a distance.  

That Sunday, their team joined us for worship. I was standing in the back, when this guy came and stood near where I was. Not to see me; he was taking a picture of all of you.  

But right as this was happening, in the middle of worship, there was like this parting of the sea of people in front of me, and in the gap, I could see my son worshiping Jesus.  

In that moment, it felt like God was reminding me that the greater joy to be had is not in those who poured into my faith, but in taking what they invested and seeing it multiplied in others.  

Who has God burdened your heart with, to show His kindness to? Honestly, I believe one of the things that will make us zealous for the nations as a church is seeing our Mephibosheth’s come to repentance and faith and watching them get baptized.  

Now, I’m sure some of us will say, “That sounds great, but what about when we do all of that and people don’t receive it? Isn’t that what kills a zeal for evangelism? What then?”  

Show kindness anyway. We don’t get to decide who gets saved, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing everything we can to make His grace available to others.  

Pick up with me…[10:1] – After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” David obviously had some agreement with the Ammonites. But with the death of their king, they have reason to wonder if their allies will stay loyal. So David sent by his servants to console [Hanun] concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. 5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men weregreatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

The Ammonites assume David’s kindness is a trick. He’s trying to take advantage of us while we’re weak. Which makes sense from a worldly perspective. But citizens of God’s Kingdom are called to live by a different set of values. Our priorities change, and over time, our lives should look different from the world around us.  

David’s kindness backfires. The Ammonites assume the worst about David, and humiliate his servants. They shave off half their beards and cut their clothes so their backsides are exposed as they run away, like a child running from a spanking. 

Wars have been started over less, which is exactly what happens. The Ammonites join forces with the Syrians to fight Israel, while David tells his men to stay in Jericho to cover their shame. 

David sends out his army, but when Joab leads them into battle, he quickly realizes they’re facing enemies on two fronts. [v. 9] – When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. 11

And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”  

This all started because David decided to show kindness. It reminds us that God’s Kingdom has real enemies. As we share the gospel and make disciples, we’re engaged in a battle against powers and principalities. As we press on, we need to remember… 

3. Those who serve the Kingdom for Jesus’ sake will not be put to shame.

Maybe fear has stopped you from sharing your faith. Rejection hurts, and following Jesus comes at a cost. People will reject the gospel, and even mock you for it. But show them God’s kindness anyway.  

1 Corinthians 15 tells us that nothing done for Jesus is ever wasted. And Jesus promises that every sacrifice made for His sake will be rewarded in the Kingdom. 

But we should also be wise and strategic as we go about the work. Like Joab, we face battles on multiple fronts. In a place like Malaysia, some people are harder to reach than others. Some will misunderstand us. Some will reject us repeatedly. All the more reason to be faithful in prayer and strategic in battle.  

It’s wise for us to look at our ministries and ask, Is what we’re doing biblical? Is it effective? Are we seeing people come to faith? Is it making the best use of our time and resources? Is Jesus being glorified?   

Faithfulness doesn’t mean we avoid evaluation or strategy. We do the work, we learn, adjust, and leave the results up to Him. Because what’s impossible for us is possible for God.  

Fifteen years ago, during a short time in China, I quickly became friends with a student named Aaron.  

Aaron was older, smarter than me; studying to be a lawyer; practically engaged. On top of that, we came from different worlds. He had never even heard the name of Jesus.  

My friend Mark and I started sharing the gospel with Aaron, while some of the women on our team met with his girlfriend, Echo. Their conversations seemed to go nowhere. Meanwhile, we had these lively conversations with Aaron, but he always seemed to outmaneuver us.  

Mark and I used to joke about the ridiculous things we’d do if Aaron ever came to faith [I’ll eat my hat. I’ll clean our bathroom.] because it just felt impossible.  

During what we thought was our last meeting, we met Aaron at a nearby park. Knowing we might never see him again, we wanted to share the gospel one last time. But there was never a good time to bring it up. So toward the end we just said, “Hey Aaron, we might never see you again, so we just want to tell you the gospel one last time.” And before we could even get the words out, he said, “Yeah, I wanted to tell you guys I believe Jesus saved me and I want to follow him.” Stunned! 

That same day, Echo shared that she’d also come to faith after Aaron shared the gospel with her.  

After that, I used to wonder, “Was their faith genuine?” Well, a year later, I reconnected with Aaron over video call. He had been attending a church and being discipled by one of the local ministry workers. 

God is still writing stories like that. He’s working in people’s lives throughout our city. He’s even doing it this morning. Maybe there’s someone here right now and you know God is calling you.  

Listen, Jesus has covered your sin and shame at the Cross. Though family, friends, your government  may reject you, Jesus promises that anyone who calls on His name will be saved and that you will never be put to shame.  

See, to do the works of God is to believe in the one He sent and to receive His kindness; to let it change you. That’s what mobilizes us for mission. People changed by the gospel seek to reach others by the power of the gospel. 

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¹ Works Consulted:  

1 & 2 Samuel – Vannoy; 1 & 2 Samuel – Long; “Find Your Mephibosheth” – Greear; “The Lord Gave 

Victory” – Begg; “People Changed by God’s Love Practice God’s Love” – Shelton 

⁴ 1 Samuel 20:14-15

^[1] Just like God promised Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21. 

^[2] Psalm 20:7