POST 1000: Making Room For Others
NOTE: If you are new to this blog, it started on blogger and is duplicated on Tumblr. The Tumblr page may not have all the posts from the beginning. Therefore, this is #1000 on the blogger page: https://365reflect.blogspot.com/
POST:
It is appropriate that this is my 1000th post on the Bible. We come to an important story surrounding David's return with an aged man named Barzillai offering a place in David's house to his son.
2 Samuel 19:37–38 (ESV) Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.”
The story tells us as David returned he met Barzillai, an aged wealthy man who cared for David and his men while they were in exile during Absalom's rebellion. Now David seeks to repay Barzillai for this kindness and Barzillai confesses that he is too old to enjoy the pleasures and privileges of the king's house. Instead, Barzillai offers his place to his son, Chimham. David agrees and Chimham will not only receive blessings in David's kingdom but in Solomon's as well. Chimham will be mentioned again, 400 years later in Jeremiah 41:
Jeremiah 41:17 (ESV) And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt.
POST:
It is appropriate that this is my 1000th post on the Bible. We come to an important story surrounding David's return with an aged man named Barzillai offering a place in David's house to his son.
2 Samuel 19:37–38 (ESV) Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.”
The story tells us as David returned he met Barzillai, an aged wealthy man who cared for David and his men while they were in exile during Absalom's rebellion. Now David seeks to repay Barzillai for this kindness and Barzillai confesses that he is too old to enjoy the pleasures and privileges of the king's house. Instead, Barzillai offers his place to his son, Chimham. David agrees and Chimham will not only receive blessings in David's kingdom but in Solomon's as well. Chimham will be mentioned again, 400 years later in Jeremiah 41:
Jeremiah 41:17 (ESV) And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt.
Chimham made good on the kindness and sacrifice of his father, becoming not only blessed himself but incorporating a lodging place near the birthplace of Christ!
The whole narrative points to the importance of sharing the goodness of Jesus with those beyond us. Barzillai could have enjoyed the blessings of David's offer for himself. He does not. He knows his age will preclude him from enjoying all that David's palace contains. But the blessings he received did not go wasted. He passed them on and made room for his son to know David. What an important lesson for both biological and spiritual fathers.
The faithfulness of one generation is intended to bear fruit in the following generation. This is how the kingdom works. It should be the great pleasure of spiritual fathers to see their spiritual sons receive and utilize the advantage they've made for them. Sadly, this is not always the case. Many spiritual fathers refuse to see the next generation blessed beyond them. Some spiritual children fail to recognize the blessings they've been given. However, in the end, no one generation is going to last forever. Each person must consider how to bless and empower those who follow them. Consider Jesus' own words to the disciples, "whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father."
Now here's something interesting. If we summarize the return of David, looking and the interpersonal moments between him and those mentioned from Shimei to Barzillai, we get a clear outline of the life of a disciple. We, like Shimei, first come to Christ repentant, understanding the wrong we have done, then like Mephibosheth, we seek Him for who He is and not simply what He can give us. Finally, like Barzillai, we use the advantages and blessings we have to support the work of Christ and set up the next generation for success. This is how the return of David unfolds and it's pointing to the return of Christ, asking us to get busy in the purposes of God.
Now here's something interesting. If we summarize the return of David, looking and the interpersonal moments between him and those mentioned from Shimei to Barzillai, we get a clear outline of the life of a disciple. We, like Shimei, first come to Christ repentant, understanding the wrong we have done, then like Mephibosheth, we seek Him for who He is and not simply what He can give us. Finally, like Barzillai, we use the advantages and blessings we have to support the work of Christ and set up the next generation for success. This is how the return of David unfolds and it's pointing to the return of Christ, asking us to get busy in the purposes of God.
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