These two are pictures of how the kindness of a King is received or rejected and the outcome of both — Mephibosheth and Hanun…
A staggering picture of what happens when you mess with a wise king and his messengers. David's messengers, like the messengers of Jesus, are a gracious gift from a gracious king. What began as an act of generosity, on behalf of one man toward another, because of their relationship with a family member, was perceived to be a setup. Sometimes an act of kindness is received totally the wrong way. The king of Ammon, with the help of a few of his trusted friends, mistakenly misunderstood King David's motives and dissed his generosity toward his father and his kingdom (2 Samuel 10). It's one thing to not appreciate a gift. You can be kind and no one would know the difference. But it's an entirely unmistakable thing to mistreat the ambassadors who honored you with their master's graciousness. These are great teaching points and I'd encourage you to indulge yourself with this story in 2 Samuel 10. You'll see how quickly things can go wrong for more than just you, your feelings, and your insecurities. Also, generosity can be perceived wrongly and mistakenly taken as a threat. Remember this: It's hard for a threatened heart to warmly welcome a kind gift or thoughtful gesture. And you can be as sincere as possible and be mistaken in your motives. Some people cannot see past themselves and their own agendas.
And no matter how gracious a king may be... they do not tolerate their ambassadors being mocked in the streets. And no wall can keep them out or hide you from their wrath.
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