II Samuel 8:15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
Authority to Influence
I suppose David was at the apex of his power when we read of him in II Samuel 8&9. The Bible tells us of how he gathered the people of Israel and gained power. In II Samuel 8:15 it says, “And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.” What interests me about II Samuel 8&9 is not that David’s power was almost at its apex, but how he dealt with his son and with the son of his good friend, Jonathan.
In chapter 8 we read about how David’s battles prepared for Solomon’s building. God had told David, “You will not be the one to build the tabernacle for me. I want your son to do that.” David could have felt sorry for himself, but instead he worked toward the goal of preparing for his son’s building of the tabernacle.
The next chapter is the story of David’s doing good to his friend’s son, Mephibosheth. Jonathan was dead, and David had promised to treat his family well. When David had power, he was gracious to this Mephibosheth, who was lame on his feet, had no power, and could have been killed in the common sequence of events whenever a new king came to power. David used his power for good.
There was coming a day when David would be old and weak. That day is coming for you as well. You may still be on the upward climb, but there is coming a day when because of age, circumstance, or position in life you will have less energy, strength, and power than you once had. That is important to know because even when our power may diminish, our influence may actually be greater. I think sometimes we can do more good with our influence than with mere power.
Specifically, that relates to our children and the way we raise them now. David was dealing with his son, Solomon, and Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. How you use authority today may determine how much influence you have with your children when that is all you have left. I’m glad that Jonathan, when he had more power than David, used that power to do good to David. That act of kindness had great influence upon David and upon Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, years later when Jonathan’s family would need help. Likewise, David did good toward his son, Solomon, so when the time came when Solomon would be king, David’s influence would still be felt.
God has given you some measure of authority today. Ask God to help you be submissive to His authority, to steward that authority wisely, and to use your stewardship to build influence.