2 Samuel 19:31–39

And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. And the king said to Barzillai, “Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”

But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.”

And the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request of me, I will do for you.” Then all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had crossed over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place.

David’s desire to bless Barzillai is not grace; Barzillai needs no forgiveness. He’s been a faithful ally, and David wants to reward him.

But Barzillai recognizes that David is offering him first-class hospice care. That may be appealing to some folks, but Barzillai wants to spend his last days with his family.

Some things are more important than the trappings of luxury.

There used to be a bumper-sticker that read, “The one who dies with the most toys wins.” I never personally met anyone who put that on their bumper, so I don’t know what it meant for those who did.

But if it isn’t parody, it’s tragically false. Toys mean nothing, and counting how many you have is just an exercise in arithmetic.

We’ve all seen kids ignore a toy to play with the box it came in. What the child understands that we don’t is that life isn’t a competition, and the box can do fun things that the toy can’t.

But as the child grows, boxes lose their magic. Simple pleasures give way to chasing a goal. It might not be the goal of the bumper sticker, but it’s often no better.

And most people can’t even say what they’re chasing or why they’re chasing it.

Somehow Barzillai kept his wits as he grew up.

Oh, that we could learn to think like him.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.