1. Faithful service (15-23)

In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." Our passage is a great example of this from the Old Testament. Hushai, Zadok, Abiathar, Jonathan, Ahimaaz, a female servant, and the wife of a man in Bahurim were the extent of David's intelligence network. That was it! However, based on the information these faithful servants delivered, David led his people across the Jordan during the night. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. In this way, David was able to stay a step ahead of Absalom's army.

2. Kindness and generosity (24-29)

David went to Mahanaim while Absalom and the Israelites camped in the land of Gilead. When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi, Makir, and Barzillai came and demonstrated their kindness to David by bringing a vast array of much needed supplies. They saw that David and his people were exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. Their kindness is an example of the compassion Jesus calls us to have. Jesus says that whenever we show such kindness even to the least of his brothers and sisters, we do it for him.