The natural tendency that all human beings have is to be selfish and unconcerned about the plight of those who are less fortunate than them. This tendency is responsible for most of the problems we are facing in the world today, including our dear nation, Nigeria. Today is our 63rd independence anniversary, but how many people are rejoicing? This is not a new phenomenon; it has been like this for several decades now. The only people who appear to be celebrating are the leaders and politicians who have cornered a substantial part of the nation’s wealth, leaving the crumbs for the masses of the people to feast on. It is largely because of their failure to properly harness the abundant resources bestowed upon this nation and manage them for everyone’s benefit that we are facing the current economic crisis.
It has been said that a society will be judged by its care for the most vulnerable, the weak, and the powerless. The same is true of individuals. In Matthew 25, Jesus portrayed the final judgment as a referendum on how we treated “the least of these”: the hungry and thirsty, the foreigner or stranger, the naked and homeless, the sick, the prisoner. Our current challenges as individuals and a nation could very well be the judgment of God for our failure to show any consideration to the weak. God’s word provides a way out of our predicament. In Psalm 41, David gives us the secret of experiencing God’s unusual blessings even at such a time as this. The unusual action that will bring the blessing of God upon us as individuals and a nation is to “have regard for the weak” (41:1a, NIV).
This brings up at least two questions: What does “regard” mean and who are the “weak”? Regard means to consider or to pay attention to what is happening to someone or something. It is usually for the purpose of rendering the necessary assistance for the meeting of the needs we identify in the life of people or in a situation. The Hebrew word translated weak means the “low, powerless, helpless, poor, weak, insignificant.” It means those on the margins, the overlooked, and the easily forgotten. This Psalm presents God as the God who helps those who help the helpless. We find support for this from Proverbs 19:17, 22:9, and 28:27, where we read, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, / And He will pay back what he has given. . . He who has a generous eye will be blessed, / For he gives of his bread to the poor. . . He who gives to the poor will not lack, / But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” In Matthew 5:7 Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, / For they shall obtain mercy.”
David’s experience illustrates the fact that there are blessings in store for helpers of the helpless. What, then, can we learn from David?
One, there was a period of his life in which David was weak. David was King of Israel— a man of power, prestige and influence, yet reading Psalm 41, he too experienced weakness. He was weak spiritually. In verse 4, he says, “Have mercy on me, LORD; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” He was weak physically; he was afflicted with a “vile disease” (v. 8). The illness he suffered was as a consequence of his sin (Psalm 38:4-5, 18; Psalm 41:4). He was also weak emotionally because a close and trusted friend had turned against him and that betrayal has sapped his strength (Psalm 38:11-2, 16,19; 41:4-9).
Two, David cried out to God for mercy. The way out of every contrary situation that we face in life is to cry out to God for mercy. In response to his weakness, David calls out to God to regard his situation and have mercy on him. In Psalm 41:10 we read, “But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up, That I may repay them.”
Three, David experienced God’s intervention because He is the One who blesses the helpers of the helpless. David’s own life is an excellent example of caring for the poor and the weak, even before he became a King. For instance, while he was a young shepherd boy, he rescued the lambs of his flock from the mouths of a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:33-37). Also, while fleeing from Saul, everyone who was in trouble, or who owed money, or who was unsatisfied, gathered around him and he became their leader (1 Samuel 22:2).
But a more significant evidence of his regard for the weak was the kindness that he showed to Mephibosheth, the son of his late bosom friend, Jonathan, after he became a king (2 Samuel 9). David was determined to show kindness to Mephibosheth because of his friendship with Jonathan and also to keep his promise to Saul (1 Sam. 24:21). This desire and action on David’s part was especially remarkable because Mephibosheth was lame. In 2 Samuel 9:3, Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet”. Ziba’s answer was probably meant to dissuade David, but the enormous generosity of David was shown in what he said to Mephibosheth, after he appeared before him: “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table” (v. 7). As David proceeded to bless him, this fact about Mephibosheth’s disability is repeated: “And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet” (v. 13).
Just like today, at the time of David, there was great prejudice against the disabled, the impoverished, the disadvantaged, the widows and orphans and blind and lame. People with physical and mental disabilities are usually regarded as “useless” to society and, ultimately, “unworthy of life.” Therefore, it is significant that David chose to help somebody who was lame. David saw the weak the way Jesus saw them (Matthew 9:35-38). Human love usually doesn’t stretch to the lame and disabled and disadvantaged but God’s kindness does. Human love stops at just meeting the needs of others but God’s kindness goes beyond that to give much, much more than we need or deserve. Human love helps family and friends but God’s kindness takes the initiative to reach out and seek and save even the lost and forgotten and hidden.
The story of Mephibosheth is also striking because it was David the great King himself that took the initiative in blessing Mephibosheth. Like David, we should look out for the poor, weak, lame, and hidden, and work at ways of blessing them. Political leaders in general, and Christians, in particular, should be known as those who welcome and care for other people who are different from us in some way. For three thousand years God’s people have stood out as those who show compassion for the poor and the weak and the powerless. These acts of love and mercy have been at the heart of the church’s mission to the world. This is the message that God has for the church and the nation on this 63rd anniversary of our nation’s independence.
Four, what are the blessings of God from Psalm 41 that are for helpers of the helpless? It is significant that all the blessings mentioned here were experienced by David.
- Blessing #1: Deliverance in times of trouble. David was delivered from the paw of the lion, the paw of the bear, and the hand of Goliath (1 Samuel 17:33-37). God delivers the helper of the helpless in times of trouble. (verse 2). The Psalmist wrote, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). He also shared God’s promise: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).
- Blessing #2: Protection and preservation from every evil (verse 2). David enjoyed God’s protection and preservation when Saul was bent on killing him. We are told later in Psalms: The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. (Psalm 145:18-20).
- Blessing #3: Being counted among the blessed in the land (verse 2). David indeed experienced unusual blessings from God by God’s promise of building a house for him (Psalm 89:19-37; 2 Samuel 7:8-11).
- Blessing #4: Not given to the desire of your foes (verse 2). Ahithophel betrayed David and sided with Absalom, David’s son, who tried to seize the throne from his father (2 Samuel 15-17). Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23) is a type of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ (John 13:18). Ahithophel and Absalom failed woefully. Satan, the enemy of your soul, roams about as a roaring lion, seeking to devour you (1 Peter 5:8). Wicked people and persecutors may attack you, but God’s hand will sustain you if you have regard for the weak. Even the gates of hell shall not prevail against you (Matthew 16:18).
- Blessing #5: The Lord will strengthen you on your bed of illness (verse 3). David’s illness did not result in his death; rather, God healed him after he confessed his sin. Even during sickness, when your natural strength fails you, the Lord will bring strength to help you recover. Blessing #6: The Lord will heal you, even on your sickbed (verse 3). He is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals you! He tells us, “For I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26 NLT). He provides not only healing for today, but the ultimate healing forever and ever! When everything seems to be falling apart, when troubles come from every direction, when everything looks hopeless…remember that God is in control: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Hebrews 7:25). He will not abandon you, forsake you, or leave you. He will save you to the “uttermost.” Victory is yours!
Your eternal salvation and spiritual well-being are our concerns. If you prayed to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, please write to let us know through the address below. You may also join us in worshipping God in Yoruba language at 7.30 a.m. or in English language at 9.00 a.m. every Sunday.
- Rev. Kayode Ilupeju,
Good News Baptist Church,
47/49, Olufemi Road,
Off Ogunlana Drive,
Surulere, Lagos.
Tel.: 0803-302-1008.
