Barzillai – A Very Great Man!

Q: What does the Bible say about Barzillai's character in 2 Samuel 19?

Barzillai is described as a very great man who served King David faithfully during a time of need. In 2 Samuel 19, Barzillai is highlighted as a great man, specifically because of his selfless service to King David during a tumultuous time. At the age of eighty, he risked his own life and resources to provide sustenance to David while he was fleeing from Absalom. The scripture emphasizes that he was not only generous but also acted out of love and loyalty, demonstrating the qualities of true friendship and service. His dedication to caring for David in his time of need marks him as a man of great character, akin to the greatness that is often reserved for divine figures in Scripture, highlighting the biblical principle of greatness defined by servitude.

Q: How do we know that God's reward is greater than our sacrifices?

God rewards our sacrifices with abundant blessings, far exceeding what we give. The Scripture teaches that God's rewards for our service and sacrifices are far greater than anything we can give. In the context of Barzillai, after serving David, he is invited to join the king in Jerusalem, symbolizing the blessings that come from a faithful heart. In 1 Corinthians 2:9, it states that no eye has seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him, emphasizing that the rewards for our service are eternally abundant. This principle is echoed throughout Scripture, such as in Matthew 25:34-40, where Jesus speaks of the blessings granted to those who serve 'the least of these.' Therefore, when we serve God and His people, we can trust that He will grant much more in return than the fruits of our labor.

Q: Why is servitude important in the Christian faith?

Servitude reflects true greatness in the Kingdom of God, as exemplified by Jesus Christ. In the Christian faith, servitude is crucial as it embodies the very essence of Christ's teachings. Jesus Himself stated that the greatest among us must be a servant (Matthew 20:26-28), illustrating that true greatness is measured not by power or status but by our willingness to serve others. This concept is beautifully represented in the life of Barzillai, who exemplified faithfulness and selflessness in his service to King David. His actions remind Christians that serving others, especially during times of need, is a reflection of the love and grace that God has shown us. Furthermore, servitude fosters community and strengthens bonds among believers, leading to the fulfillment of the law of Christ to love one another.

Turn with me to 2 Samuel chapter 19. Chapter 19. Now, I want to begin reading the first two verses of our text, which begins in verse 31. And Beartzali, the Gileadite, came down from Rogalim. and went over Jordan with the king to conduct him over Jordan. Now, Bertzali was a very aged man, even fourscore years old. So he's 80 years old, and the scriptures say that he was a very aged man. And he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

Now, Beartzali the Gileadite is the third individual that's recorded here in this passage that's highlighted to us of one that met David when he was going over the River Jordan, being conducted by Judah back to Jerusalem as their king. This is the third person that's highlighted for us. We had Shimei, Then we had Mephibosheth and now Barzillai. And we have seen David's grace in forgiving the trespasses and the injuries that were committed against him by some as he was leaving Jerusalem.

Some things that were said or some things that were done that stung him. And in his hour of lowliness, in his hour of shame and humility as he went out from Jerusalem, that was a hard, hard day. That was a hard time on him. And there were some making it worse for him.

But as he's coming back, he forgave them. of the injuries and anything they did to him, he forgave them of that. He was very merciful to them for those things. But now we see David's reward for the kindness that was shown to him when so many were turned against him. Barzillai was very generous. Barzillai was very helpful to David when David needed help. And so this man was a true friend who helped David and cared for him in his hour of need. Now, one of the fascinating things here about Barzillai is that the scriptures tell us in verse 32, at the end there, that he was a very great man. A very great man.

Now, that's not a common description that scriptures use when describing men. That's not used lightly in the scriptures. That's something that's often reserved for our Lord. For example, the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Great Shepherd. He's the Great Shepherd. But when he ministered on the earth and a certain rich ruler came to him and said, good master, good teacher, what must I do? to inherit eternal life. And our Lord didn't let that go when he called him good, even. He didn't let it go when he said, why callest thou me good? For there's one that's good, even God.

And it's as if our Lord was saying to him, do you know that I am God? Has this been revealed to you that I am God in the flesh, robed in the flesh? Is that what you're saying? Now, in consideration of the scriptures, we want to understand, well, why do the scriptures call this man, Bertali, a great man? Why is he a great man in the estimation of the scriptures?

Well, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the greatest of all men, what he taught his disciples was that whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. And that's the chief among you, let him be your servant. And again, he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And that's exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ did.

When he came, he came not to be served, but to serve, but to serve others in the laying down of his life as a servant. for his people to obtain our eternal redemption. He took the lowest spot. What a king might use a servant to do, to cast himself down and lay down his life for the king's life, yet the king came and he laid down his life for his people. his people that are precious to him. And so in this sense of servitude, this man Barzillai was a great man, a very great man because he served his king faithfully.

That's what he did. He served David faithfully and he served David's house faithfully to give them the goods that were necessary for their preservation. They had a great need as they were going out into the wilderness and he did this when it was dangerous to do that. It was a risk to his life. It was a risk to his possessions. It was a risk to him and his family to help David. Because if Absalom did win the battle, he could have taken Barzillai's life. He could have taken his life and his goods from him and left his family destitute.

And so because of this, David desires now to bless his friend and bring him to his court, the king's court, where he will enjoy a greater bounty than all that he's ever done and enjoyed before. David wanted to give him more than what Barzillai gave to him.

And so this opens to us as we look at this, this gives us a beautiful gospel picture. And that's what we're gonna see, the gospel pictures that are here regarding the salvation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is a reminder, a reflection of what our Lord does for us. Whatever we do for him in laying down our lives, whatever we give to him in service to him and his kingdom, we can be certain that our Savior is going to do much.

He's going to give us much, much more in return than what our works and our giving even deserves. You can be sure of that, that when you see him and you arrive there, you shall have much, much more than what you would have expected to see there. So the first thing here is there's a reward of which David speaks. There's a reward here of which David speaks.

And he says to Barzillai in verse 33. Look at 2 Samuel 19, verse 33. And the king said unto Barzillai, come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. And so for all that, Barzillai did. David wanted to do much more to repay him for his willing sacrifice. And so we see this here, what David does for Barzillai.

Now before I go any further on that, let's reflect on what the Lord does for his people of the great reward that awaits our Lord for his people in heaven. Those that have learned of the grace of our God and have been given a heart made willing. made willing to part with this world's goods, to depart from this world's way and its course, and who love the Lord, who love his people, who serve the Lord and serve his people. This is the reward that Paul once described in 1 Corinthians 2, 9, where he says it's written. I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither I've entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. And so for them that love him, this love and friendship they owe is all to the grace and power of our Lord. If we give anything, it's not because it's of this flesh to give. If we give anything, it's because he's first given to us. And that first thing is that heart.

He gives us a new heart. He gives us a new spirit. He gives us a new mind about the things of this world, to see that these things are all perishing and all fading away. And so for us to lay aside our own wants and desires in order to serve him more, that's the heart that he gives. And so anything that we give to him is first given to us. It's given to us in grace and in power. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself is the unspeakable gift. He is the unspeakable gift.

And so fixed are our eyes upon the Lord when he does a work of grace in our hearts. that we don't have a regard for what we're doing in those things. We actually don't often see what we're doing or don't think that they're very important at all or that they don't amount to much at all. And yet the Lord uses those simple little things, what's simple in our eyes, to accomplish great things in his kingdom. You think of that little boy with a few loaves and a couple of fish, and how the Lord fed 5,000. 5,000 men, plus women and children, from such a simple, small, little thing. And that's what the Lord is able to do, is to take small things and turn them into great things. It's not so much the amount of things that we do, but it's how this life, this new life is expressed in us, how it's wrought in us, how it manifests in us because of God's power and his spirit and grace.

And so this is recorded for us. We see something of this in scripture. Turn over to Matthew 25. Let's go to Matthew 25. And this speaks here of the day in which the nations are gathered by our Lord before him. And in that day when he separates the goats from the sheep, putting the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. And it says in verse 34, Matthew 25, 34, then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was in hunger, and ye gave me meat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and ye clothed me. I was sick, and ye visited me. I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee and hungered, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in, or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or imprisoned, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

And so this speaks to the salvation work that the Lord works in his people. This is something that he works in, in working a heart of love and a heart of sacrifice and a heart of service in the hearts of his people for his people, those whom he has separated out for himself, his sheep, for his own use. And not only did our Lord redeem his chosen people with his blood, this is what he's saying, is when our Lord died on the cross for his people, when he laid down his life to obtain the forgiveness of our sins and to obtain for us eternal life, but the scriptures tell us that he also gives us a foretaste.

He gives us a taste of that life by the giving of his Holy Spirit. You that believe Christ believe by the gift of the Holy Spirit, which has given to you life in the new man. There's a new creature in you that are Christ's. There's a new creature in you that believe him by the grace and power of God. That's not the flesh, it's the new man born of his grace and power from on high.

The scriptures teach that having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself. These same scriptures tell us that that all that were enemies in their mind, now one time, that were enemies in their mind by wicked works, now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present his people holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. And so these that are his continue in faith grounded and settled and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. That's what he works. That's the evidence that he gives you that you're his. He gives you a hope in Christ and he grounds you and he settles you in the hope of the gospel where you rest in the Lord Jesus Christ and you follow him and you serve him. Just as our Lord said in Matthew 25 there, just loving your brethren and serving your brethren, loving them and serving them in the name of Christ because the Lord gives you that heart to do so. Coming back to Barzillai, he refuses David's offer to go with him to the court of the king in Jerusalem. He says there in verse 34-36, And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

I am this day eighty years old, and can I discern between good and evil? Can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king, and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?"

I'm not doing much. He's saying, I'm just here meeting you and just going with you a little way. Why are you giving me such a overabundance of a reward? It's too much. Now, Barzillai is a blessed man, and he speaks as a servant of his Lord, and he doesn't want to be a burden to his Lord. He's getting up there, and he has more needs, and he just thinks, I'm going to be a burden. I'm not going to be contributing or helping in the kingdom. I'm just going to be a burden to you.

And there's something very blessed here in the way that he speaks, because he speaks as one with grace in his heart. He speaks as one who knows what he is in the flesh. He's well acquainted with his flesh's infirmities. And he's not putting on any airs. He knows what he is in the weakness of this flesh.

And when you're reading those verses there of his description of himself there in his old age there, well, these are all proper descriptions that one might say concerning our old man of flesh and this old man of flesh's ability to receive the gospel. It's just in the flesh. In the old man of flesh, this is how the old man of flesh receives the gospel.

This is how the old man of flesh perceives the things of grace and the things of the good news of the gospel so that the old man of flesh can't discern these things, he can't taste of these things, he can't hear these things. They don't have any benefit to the old man of flesh. He asks, can I discern between good and evil? A spiritually dead sinner cannot discern the gospel. from any of the dead letter religions of this world.

When someone dead in trespasses and sins hears the gospel, hears this news preached, the good news is just like any other news that's out there in the world. It's all the same thing. It's just another religion. It's just a few other ideas. It's just your ideas. It sounds all the same to me, pretty much, right?

The old man of flesh asks, can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? No, he can't taste that heavenly manna and perceive the grace of God in providing for him. He cannot drink of the water of life. He cannot taste and see that the Lord is good. He doesn't perceive these things. If he ever does get a bite, he cannot discern that the Lord is gracious. He doesn't see that, he doesn't understand that.

He asks, can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and singing women? The beautiful notes of the gospel, those things that delight your soul, the living soul's ears. When you hear the gospel, how it charges you and excites you and makes you glad and blesses your heart and comforts your heart and gives you peace and rest and assurance in the Lord and rejoices you. But to the man, to the old man of flesh, not at all, not at all. That which is rejoicing is the new man, the new man, not the old man.

And so when the old man hears the gospel, it falls on deaf ears. That cannot tell the difference. Cannot tell the difference of what he hears today from what he heard yesterday. It's all the same. And so Barzillai gives us a good description of the old man of flesh, our old man of flesh. This is how the old man hears and receives what is called the gospel, the good news of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this old flesh can't change.

It doesn't improve. Just like Barzillai, he's not going to be able to tune his ear to the hearing of the singing. He's not going to be able to taste. And as he goes on there anymore, it's not going to get any better. It's not going to improve. If anything, it just waxes worse and worse and worse. It only gets more pronounced until that old man returns to the dust from whence he came.

It's very unlike the religion of this world, because the religion of this world is all about changing the old man. It's all about getting the old man in line with what they call the gospel, in order to make yourselves fit for heaven. It's all about what you need to do, and how you need to improve yourself, and make yourself able to hear these things, and to receive these things, and to taste these things, and to discern these things. Because it's not of grace, it's of works, according to the world's religion, but not according to the Scriptures.

The Scriptures teach we need a Savior. And we need the Savior that the Father has sent. And the Savior that the Father has sent creates in us a new creation, not of this world. not of the spirit of this world, not of this flesh, but in the new man which he creates, in that new heart which he gives, in the spirit which he gives from heaven. We are born again of the seed of Christ, not of the seed of Adam. Adam's seed is dead, it's corrupt, it's defiled, and it's not improving. But Christ's seed is of him, And it is righteous and holy and unblameable because it's of him and of his incorruptible seed. It's pure and holy and perfect in him. It's not defiled by this exterior of this skin, this passing away.

And so we need a savior who saves us from our sins, who gives us eternal life, and who blesses us now with the foretaste of that eternal inheritance which is given to us, and we know it through the down payment, the Holy Spirit, which he gives to us.

The Holy Spirit. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And we have the Spirit of Christ. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of this. But you have the Spirit of Christ, which is how you know Him, and how you know that you're a sinner, and how you know your need of Him, that He is the fit Savior, the salvation of God. to save me, to deliver me from death and give me life in himself.

He's that man. And so Barzillai in the flesh is an old man, but we're gonna hear of Kim, Kim Ham, I think is how it's pronounced. Kim Ham is a young man, right? He's not the first. He's the second, he comes second. And so while Barzillai cannot enjoy these blessings in the old man of flesh, Barzillai's son as a new man, as one born again, can enjoy these wonderful blessings. And so this is what we read, what Barzillai says, right? He's picturing the old man, and now he speaks of another.

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Kim-ham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do to him what shall seem good unto thee. And the king answered, Kim-hem shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee. And whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee. Now, I understand these are two different men. I get that. I understand that.

But the picture here, the beautiful picture of grace here, is that Kim-hem is this young man. He can discern these things. He can taste these things. He can hear these things and rejoice in these things. Kim Ham is a picture of the new man, which is born again, which is born of the seed of Christ, which dwells within, right? That dwells within this old man of flesh. The old man can't receive these things, but the new man can.

And that's the picture here. And he's freely given these blessings of David. He didn't even work for them. He didn't give of these things. Barzillai did, but Kim Ham was the one that shall partake of these things because it's given to him as a free gift, a free gift, all because of what someone else did.

And that's also a picture of what we have in Christ. We have eternal life. We have the forgiveness of sins because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done in serving his people, in laying down his life as the servant. in order that he might take it up again, and thereby give us hope and salvation in himself, having done everything for us, so that we are the happy recipients of these many blessings, these heavenly blessings, which we would know nothing of, like Kim Ham, but because of the work of another, All these things are given to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so it's a picture of the free grace of God and what he gives to us even though we ourselves don't deserve it.

And so that's what's pictured here. So that while Barzillai remains as he was till his dying day, a picture of the old man of flesh, he doesn't change for him. And he remains to his dying day on the other side of Jordan, where we are here on this side of Jordan. The Jordan River is a picture between this life and the life which is to come.

Barzillai stays back on that other side of Jordan, whereas Kim Ham, as a new man, crosses over Jordan with David and partakes of all these blessings. partakes of all these these the sure mercies of David it says in Colossians 3 verses 1 through 3 it these verses put our attention on the other side of Jordan we're looking to the other side of Jordan where our Lord Jesus Christ is even seated now right now and we are partakers with him right now And it says there in Colossians 3, 1, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

And so David did all for Barzillai just as he desired, which was that Kim Ham would live with him and be seated at his table and eat as one of David's own sons, just like Mephibosheth. And he would eat good, and he would be provided for all the days of his life. and learn skills and be part of the court. He might take up an office here or there and be useful in the court, the court there in Jerusalem, the court of the king.

And so what David promised was done. It was done to him. And again, that's a picture of what the Lord does for us. Whatever he promises, you can count on. Don't doubt him. Doubt yourselves before you ever doubt him. Doubt everyone else, but don't doubt the Lord. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it, the scriptures say. He'll do it.

Now in verse 39, all the people went over Jordan, and when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai. and blessed him, and he returned unto his own place." And it's a peaceful picture. It's a sweet, peaceful picture there of showing the love and the tenderness of David for Barzillai, who gave him the love of his life, his own son, right? It was his son, and he gives it over to David, and probably never saw him again, but he was content because he knew David was going to do for him everything that could be done. And so all things were done for Barzillai in bringing Kim Ham over the River Jordan while Barzillai finished out the rest of the days of his life. there in the earth and went back until he returned to the grave.

And David kissed him and blessed him. And to me, what I see there is that's a picture of how the Lord has blessed us, has kissed his people, and blessed his people, and giving us the Holy Spirit, whereby we know that his word is Sure and certain. He promised it. I don't have to worry about nothing. He did the whole thing. It's done. Just as far as I knew, he's got my son, and it's good. I'm happy. I'm happy there. And it is. It's peace for us, though we don't see ourselves.

It was John who said it, right? Though we are the sons of God right now, and though we don't see what we would see, we know that when we shall see him, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Then we're going to know. then all those things will come to pass. But right now, we see the weakness of the flesh. We see our need of Him.

Ephesians 1, 13-14 speaks of this earnest of the Holy Spirit. Paul says, in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. So your faith And the fruit you bear in Christ is by the Holy Spirit, which is the down payment of your inheritance, your eternal inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's why you hear these things. That's why you discern the difference between this gospel and that, not in the old man, but in the new man. That's why you've tasted that the Lord is good. And you know that God is gracious, and that without his grace, you're undone, you have nothing.

And your ear hears these things by the ear of faith, and you rejoice in the glorious song of the redeemed, who shouts and sings of the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving him thanks and praise and honor and glory for all things, because without him we have nothing. It's all of our Lord, of Him.

We sing of this salvation. Paul wrote in Romans 8, 1 through 4, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. We see how the law of sin and death works, and this flesh still goes to the grave, but we're free of that fear and that worry because it's not about what I'm doing or not doing that saves me, but it's Christ.

And in that hope, he works hope and salvation and trust in him. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, rendered it powerless, so that your sin has no more say over your inheritance in Christ. Christ is all the say in your inheritance. It's all him. It's not you, it's Him, and He has assured you of life in Him, and you keep following Him, and He settles you and grounds you in that hope.

That's what He does for His saints, for His sheep, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Hoping in Him, believing Him, trusting Him, worshiping Him, staying upon Him, who is all our hope and salvation.

Just to close out the promise which David made to Barzillai, there's a word written in Jeremiah, the prophet, about Kimham later on. Now I know, I don't know where it is, but David did tell Solomon, you provide for the sons of Barzillai. He cared for us, for me, in the wilderness, you keep providing for him. And so Solomon made sure that anything that David did for him wasn't taken away or undone.

But it says in Jeremiah, and I didn't even write it down, I think it's Jeremiah 41, somewhere in chapter 41, but it says, And this is just at some other time, that they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Kimham, which is by Bethlehem. So Kimham, it's that same one, Kimham, which is by Bethlehem, which means 400 years later, it's still known that Kimham was given this inheritance, which would have been in the paternal inheritance of David, right, through his father, David, in Bethlehem. Because it wasn't a royal inheritance, but it was in David's inheritance and he gave him, gave Kim Ham an inheritance in his own inheritance there, which is a sweet picture of our inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now what he has, we're made partakers with him, with him. And so brethren, we have a more sure word of promise. If that delights your heart to see what David did, we have a more sure word of promise given to us by Jesus Christ who said, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am ye may be also. So let that comfort your hearts. You Barzillais who in the flesh can do nothing but can do all things through Christ which strengthens us and gives us that hope in the new man. Amen.

Barzillai – A Very Great Man!

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about Barzillai's character in 2 Samuel 19?

How do we know that God's reward is greater than our sacrifices?

Why is servitude important in the Christian faith?

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Barzillai – A Very Great Man!

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about Barzillai's character in 2 Samuel 19?

How do we know that God's reward is greater than our sacrifices?

Why is servitude important in the Christian faith?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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