For the sake of His Servant David

For The Sake Of His Servant David 

II Kings 8:16, 18-19 NKJV

[16] Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Judah....[18] And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. [19] Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

There's an element of fatherhood in God. Its called mercy. Mercy is a compassionate treatment. Mrriam Webster describes it as, " compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power". God should have judged Judah because of its sins as He did Israel. The difference in treatment ss we see here is because of a man called David. 

   David loved God. He trusted in God and waited for God to remove Saul, the king, instead of taking matters into his own hands. Someone says, " However imperfect David was, the fact remains, he did humble himself before God in love, obedience and worship and God commended His love toward him". Today's verse adds to that cv. God wouldn't destroy Judah because of him.

  In James 2:13, we are given reasons for Gods actions in the story of David. It explains why mercy triumphs over judgement. " Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.” We dare not violate the law of liberty in our hearts by withholding mercy from others. If we who have been shown such great mercy act unmercifully toward our neighbors, then we will be dealt with in similar fashion. Jesus made the same point in the parable of the unforgiving steward (Matthew 18:23–35). And the principle goes back to Solomon’s time: “Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered” (Proverbs 21:13)". Its just the principle.

   This writer submits, " The idea is that mercy “glories” or “boasts” against judgment, knowing that, where mercy and judgment seem to conflict, mercy wins. The good news for every child of God in Christ is that God’s mercy toward us will triumph over His judgment of us (see Romans 8:1). Our sins may argue against us, but Christ is our loving Advocate who argues for us and prevents us from receiving the judgment we deserve. We, in turn, display God’s type of mercy toward others". Did you feel a sense of fresh air?

   I watched a prisoner being released from a Syrian prison yesterday. He couldn't believe it. He kept holding unto the News reporter. The news was too good to be true. Yet it was true. He was free. Mercy triumphed, because the former ruler was gone. For David's sake. For Christ's sake, we are excused from damnation. Praise God! Good morning.