David had been having a hard time. He was on the run. He’d just raced across the Jordan River, trying to escape the clutches of his son Absalom, who had seized control of the kingdom. This was David’s own fault, of course. David’s sin with Bathsheba and the events that followed it sent him into this dark valley. God had said David’s punishment would be family chaos that would spill into public view (2 Samuel 12:10-12). That’s exactly what David got.

So Absalom was hot on David’s heels, following David across the Jordan River into the land of Gilead. Absalom brought a large army with him. A battle was brewing. Absalom intended to kill his father, David, the anointed one of God.

And David and his group crossed the Jordan, tired and hungry, short on supplies, wondering what was going to happen next. David was met there by three men who offered help. Here is the text again:

“When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils,honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, ‘The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness’” (2 Samuel 17:27-29).

I’d like to make the point today that this text is about loyalty to the kingdom of God. That is what was happening here. Three men – Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai – were loyal to the king of Israel and to the people who belonged to the king of Israel. And the loyalty of these three men came at a time that was most inconvenient and dangerous to them. Who knew what Absalom would do to them if he was successful in killing David?

We need to ask ourselves as seriously as we can, with as much honesty as we can, whether we are capable of being as loyal to the kingdom of God as Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai were. God’s kingdom today on earth is led by Jesus Christ, the Son of David. Jesus is our King, and He leads the church. How loyal are you to Jesus and to His kingdom on earth, the church?

What do we know about these three men – Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai?

Shobi was an Ammonite, the son of Nahash. We believe this to be the same Nahash who was a deceased king of the Ammonites, a man who had been friendly toward David. When Nahash died, his kingdom was ruled by one of his sons, a man named Hanun. Hanun wasn’t a good king. When David sent his men to Hanun with his greetings, Hanun disgraced them – and David – shaving off half of their beards and cutting off the bottom portion of their clothes and sending them out of town. It was hugely offensive and led to war. David destroyed Hanun’s army. But Hanun’s brother Shobi was spared. It must have been surprising when David walked through the king’s house, checking for Hanun’s relatives. Shobi was there – trembling, I’m sure. Was this death? No. It was life. At some point, David gave his decision. “You’re spared.” Scholars speculate David even put Shobi in charge of the nation of the Ammonites. David could have wiped out the entire family, of course. But David didn’t. He spared Shobi’s life.

Later, when David was on the run from Absalom, Shobi brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, among other things, to David’s people. We call this loyalty.

Machir was a Benjaminite. During the big conflict between the house of King Saul and the house of David, Machir sheltered one of Saul’s grandsons, a young man named Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was a pitiful fellow, crippled in both feet. After David secured his kingdom and swept the house of Saul out of power, David went searching for any descendants of Saul. David located Mephibosheth at the home of Machir. Machir must have wondered what David’s intentions were when the king pulled up in the driveway. The standard procedure was to kill every member of the old monarch’s family, particularly the males. Eliminate potential competition. David showed up and asked for Mephibosheth. “He’s going to eat at my table from now on. I’m going to look after his every need.”

Later, when David was on the run from Absalom, Machir brought wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, and lentils, among other things, to David’s people. We call this loyalty.

Barzillai was a Gileadite. We know less about him than about Shobi and Machir. Really, the only thing we know about Barzillai is that he was very old and very wealthy and that he preferred to serve rather than be served (2 Samuel 19:31-40). We don’t know what kinds of interactions, if any, Barzillai had had with David. But Barzillai lived in Gilead, on the far side of the Jordan River, presumably near Mahanaim. And so he would have known all about David’s dealings with the family of King Saul and about Mephibosheth and Machir. He also would have known well David’s dealings with Shobi and the Ammonites. And Barzillai had resources, and he knew how to use them.

So when David was on the run from Absalom, Barzillai brought honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, among other things, to David’s people. We call this loyalty.

These three men were different kinds of men. Shobi was a pagan Ammonite, a Gentile, whose family formerly had been in conflict with David. Machir was a Jew, who came from the tribe of Benjamin – King Saul’s tribe – which formerly had been in conflict with David. And Barzillai was a bit of a mystery. God leaves it to us to wonder about Barzillai’s backstory.

They were different kinds of men, but they had one thing in common. They were loyal to the kingdom of God. The kingdom had left a positive impression on them. For at least two of these men, they would have been first-hand witnesses to the mercy and grace that is a hallmark of the kingdom of God. Shobi could very well have been killed by king David. But he wasn’t. Machir could very well have been present at the execution of Mephibosheth – an execution that could very well have extended to Machir. But that execution didn’t happen. These men witnessed the mercy of the kingdom of God. It was undeniable in their lives.  

If there’s one thing we ought to say about the kingdom of God, it’s that it is merciful. The apostle Peter once wrote that Jesus “is patient.” In what way, Peter, is Jesus patient? Peter said Jesus “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The kingdom of God is marked by patient mercy, so that you might be saved.

Has that left an impression on you?

You need mercy. Do you know it? The apostle Paul wrote, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). If you look back on your life and cannot see your sinfulness in clear display, in high definition – all of your lack of understanding, your failure to listen to God, the lies you’ve told, the wounds you’ve left on others, the chaos you’ve caused – if you cannot see that, you ought to start praying that you can see it. You are in a precarious spot.

But if you can see all that sinfulness, you ought to know Jesus stands ready to offer you mercy. The apostle Paul wrote, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift” (Romans 3:23-25). Paul called it redemption, and it comes by the blood of Jesus Christ who was hanging on the cross. It is received by faith, not by works. It is a marvelous thing – a free gift. We deserve the sword, but we are given meals at the king’s table. We once were part of the rebellion, but now we’re elevated to eternal life.

Has that left an impression on you?

Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai saw their opportunity to serve King David and the kingdom, and they did not hesitate. They came out of Mahanaim, their arms loaded with gifts. They had seen the kingdom of God in action, and they couldn’t stop thinking about it. They had to go. They had to give. It wasn’t convenient, really. It was at some risk to themselves. Absalom was encamped just over there, surely watching. The world always is watching. But those three men came anyway. They unloaded their donkeys and their camels. They brought what they could.

“The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.” The three men were concerned not just with King David. They also were concerned about the kingdom, about the ones with the king, about the ones whom the king loved most on this earth.  

So this is a text about loyalty to the kingdom of God. Are we loyal to Christ, our King, and are we loyal to His church on earth? Are we loyal like these three men were loyal? Do we see our opportunity to serve and then go for it, even if it’s inconvenient or risky or expensive? Has the kingdom of God made an impression on you? 

When Joseph of Arimathea heard Jesus had died on the cross on that dark Friday, Joseph didn’t wait. He asked for the body of Jesus. Joseph wanted to give the body a proper burial. It was dangerous business to do what Joseph of Arimathea did. The Jewish council wouldn’t like it. Pilate might get suspicious. It was dangerous business to have your name added to the list of potential political and religious agitators in first-century Jerusalem. But Joseph didn’t wait. The gospel of Mark said Joseph of Arimathea needed “courage” to do what he did, asking Pilate for the body (Mark 15:43). Joseph wasn’t a wimp. He didn’t shy away from controversy.

Who does something like that? Mark tells us Joseph of Arimathea “was also himself looking for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43). Joseph knew what it meant to be loyal. There was something about this King and this Kingdom that had left an impression on him. And if something leaves an impression on you, you tend not to forget. You tend to act.

It is Memorial Day weekend. It’s an old national holiday, dating back to shortly after the Civil War. People began decorating graves to remember those who perished during that conflict. It was a war that left its mark on people. When something leaves a mark like that, you’ve got to do something. So people began decorating tombstones. “Bring the flowers. Write a note of remembrance. Mark the day. Don’t forget.” The memory leads to action.

It’s not all that convenient, of course – buying flowers, driving to the cemetery, going out among the headstones, looking for names. It’s not all that convenient. It takes time. It takes money. The weather might be bad. So the practice of decorating graves has fallen on hard times in this country. Not many people do it anymore.

Will something like that happen on the church’s “memorial days”? May it never be.