Favor/Grace in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings By David Harwood

Shabbat Shalom,

Favor/Grace in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings
By David Harwood

There are three more instances of chen/charis in Israel’s prophetic historical narratives. There are two in 2 Samuel and one in 1 Kings. 

Each circumstance was different, but the emotion appealed to remained the same. Each instance includes the idiom: finding favor in someone’s eyes. A person finds favor in a benefactor’s eyes when the one bestowing favor likes them enough to do something for them. By the way, there is an emotion of pleasure, or love, behind every expression of grace/favor. By the way, it is not a matter of whether the person giving the favor/grace was a particularly generous person. 

Our first example of chen/charis has to do with the enigmatic character, Joab. Sometimes Joab is portrayed as a God-revering hero. Sometimes this hero was a treacherous murderer. In this instance, Joab was interceding with King David on behalf of Absalom. Why? Because Joab noticed that David was concerned about his banished son.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was on Absalom. (2 Samuel 14:1) 

Evidently, David was heartbroken over his alienation from Absalom and Joab decided to do something about it. He sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman to David’s court to relate a story Joab scripted. His goal was to help David relent and restore Absalom to relatively good standing in Israel.

The woman said, “... the king is like the guilty one—by not bringing back the one he banished. ... (God) devises plans so that a banished person may not remain an outcast from Him. (2 Samuel 14:13–14) 

Apparently, Joab was in attendance during this interaction. King David saw through the scheme and asked her if Joab was behind her story. She replied:

“Your servant Joab did this thing in order to bring about a change in the situation. (2 Samuel 14:20a) 

David, convinced, determined to end Absalom’s isolation. Then Joab responded:

Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor (chen/charis) in your eyes, my lord the king, since the king has done the word of your servant.” (2 Samuel 14:22b) 

Joab knew that he had found chen/charis in David’s eyes because his king reacted favorably to his request.

Next, we have the rather confusing story of Ziba. Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, brought aid to David during Absalom’s abominable rebellion. Meanwhile, Mephibosheth was conspicuously absent. David rewarded Ziba upon the basis of the appearance of Mephibosheth’s passive apathy.

Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” 

“I bow low,” Ziba said. “Let me find favor (chen/charis) in your eyes, my lord the king.” (2 Samuel 16:4) 

Not only was Ziba set free from being a servant to Mephibosheth, he now received the wealth that had belonged to his master. Ziba, in ostentatious humility, bowed before David’s gracious benevolence. He had found favor in David’s eyes.

Finally, there’s the story of Pharaoh and Hadab. Hadab was Edomite royalty who was on the run from Solomon. He sought sanctuary in Egypt. This is what happened:

Then Hadad found great favor (chen/charis) in Pharaoh’s eyes, so that he gave him his own sister-in-law, the sister of Queen Tahpenes, as wife. (1 Kings 11:19) 

Egypt’s Pharaoh is rarely portrayed in Scripture as being a good person. In this case, neither was the rebellious refugee from Edom, Hadad.

In the case of love (agape), we find that even sinners agape those who agape them. Yeshua said:

For even sinners love those who love them. (Luke 6:32b) 

The same is true with finding chen/charis in someone’s eyes. In this case, an idolatrous tyrant, who thought he was a god, liked who he saw and lavished favor/grace upon a royal refugee. 

May we be wise in our evaluations, and gracious/favorable to those in need.

Next week we will begin to look at examples of favor (chen/charis) in the Psalms and Proverbs.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat24-May-2025 26th of Iyar, 5785 Parashat Behar-Bechukotai 
Day 35 of the Omer
Le 27:16-34Jer 16:19-17:14Jn 14:15-27