Insight
Jonathan’s father, Saul, had hated David with murderous envy (1 Samuel 18:1–16). Even though showing kindness to a surviving member of Saul’s house could’ve been met with lingering animosity, David made the choice to honor Jonathan’s family. He learned that one of Jonathan’s sons, Mephibosheth, was still living, although injured and permanently disabled. He’d been dropped by a nursemaid in the confusion following news of his father’s and grandfather’s deaths (2 Samuel 4:4). David himself would someday need mercy (Psalm 25:11). His kindness foreshadowed the coming of Christ (Luke 1:26–27), for whose sake God asks us to show mercy and kindness to one another.
By: Mart DeHaan
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