LOVING KINDNESS

Abram had an encounter with God in a vision in Genesis 15. The Lord told him: Gen.15:1 Do not be in awe, Abram! I AM your Shield! Your reward will be exceedingly great. Abram reminded God he had no heir to inherit all the greatness God was going to give him. Then the Lord told Abram he would have an heir from his own body. Gen.15:5,6 Then He (the Lord) took him outside, and said, look now towards the heavens and count
the stars, if you are able to number them. And he said to him,”So will your seed be.” And Abram
believed in the Lord, and He counted it to him for acts of LOVING KINDNESS.

ACTS OF LOVING KINDNESS

Acts of loving kindness, which is the Hebrew word, Ts’dakah meaning to go beyond the requirement of God to be just, and do right. God was so pleased with Abram, He changed his name to Abraham, for he was to be the father of many nations. Gen.17:5 Abraham’s wife Sarai,(meaning my princess), God changed her name to Sarah, meaning princess. Gen. 17:15 She was promoted by God to be Abrams equal, no longer just a possession of his. The way a marriage should be. Entering into covenant with God, Abraham did an act of circumcision at 99 years old. Every male child followed suite also. For this was a token of the covenant between Abraham and God. Gen.17:10-14. This act of circumcision by Abraham said, Yes God I will believe you and do what you asked. This was counted to Abraham as righteousness. He believed and acted on that obedience, by circumcision. God looked upon Abraham as righteous. Abraham is the Father of our faith. When we believe and act upon our faith we are counted righteous also. Because faith with out works is dead. Acts of LOVING KINDNESS that are God inspired equal righteousness.

RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE

Joshua 2:1 Joshua secretly sent two spies to the city of Jericho. When they got there they went to a
harlots house and spent the night. Joshua 2:2 The King ofJericho was told about the two men going into Rahab’s house. Joshua 2:3 A message was sent to Rahab from the king to bring the men out who had entered her
house. This lady of the night was smart. She had heard what the God of Israel had done in the past to
enemies. How HE had dried up the Red Sea for his people to escape Egypt. And destroyed some local
neighboring Kings who had come against the Israelites. Rahab knew in her heart ❤️
that the battle to stand against the God of Israel was futile. She made the decision to hide the two men
in her home. The Kings men couldn’t find them in her house. At dark she made her move when they were going to leave. Jos. 2:12 Since I have shown you LOVING KINDNESS, will you also show LOVING KINDNESS to my father’s house and give me a true sign. Jos. 2:13 And will you save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all that they have and deliver our lives from death. Jos. 2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if you do not tell this business.And it will be when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal in LOVING KINDNESS and truth with you. Then she let them out of the window with a scarlet red rope. Which they had instructed her to use and to keep the rope hanging out of the window which was on the wall of the city. This would be the marker that would spare the lives of her whole family. Rahab had wisdom to show LOVING KINDNESS to the two men who came to spy out the city. And she had the presence of mind to ask for LOVING KINDNESS in return. So her and all of her family with their belongings escaped death. She went beyond what was expected and it paid off! A prostitute who showed kindness to enemy spies found favor and kindness in return.

The red cord Rahab hung outside her window I believe was symbolic for the blood that was put over the doorpost at Passover, when the death angel passed over. In both cases lives were spared.

KING DAVID

2Sam.9:3 And the King said, is there not anyone of the house of Saul, so I can show the KINDNESS
of God to him? The house of Saul had been wiped out from a judgement of the Lord. All of the sons were dead.
Jonathan, whom David loved as a brother, had a son named Mephibosheth. He was lame in his feet. David sent for Mephibosheth. 2Sam.9:7 I shall surely show you LOVING KINDNESS for your father Jonathan’s sake and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you will eat your meals at my table. David also assigned men to work the land for Mephibosheth so his family would have plenty. The love that King David had for Jonathan was shown in Kindness to his lame son, the only one not killed from the house of Saul.

BLESSINGS FROM KINDNESS

Prvbs.11:17a The man of LOVING KINDNESS does good to his own soul. Kindness has a boomerang effect. It comes back upon the sender. Maybe not immediately but kindness knows the way back to the sender. Prvbs. 12:25 Cares in the heart of man make him depressed, but a good kind word makes him glad. It is so beneficial when we offer kind words to those who we know are down in the dumps. The person is uplifted and we are glad they feel better.
Prvbs.14:34a.Acts of LOVING KINDNESS, exalt a nation.
When kindness is shown from a nation, the Lord will bestow honor on that nation. Is.62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until it’s ACTS OF LOVING KINDNESS go forth as brightness, and its deliverance as a burning lamp. God has determined for Jerusalem to have ACTS OF LOVING KINDNESS for the nations. I believe we will see this in discoveries in Science, inventions and things discovered. Jer. 9:23 But the one who boasts will boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord Who exercises LOVING KINDNESS, judgement, and ACTS OF LOVING KINDNESS in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord. God moves in the streams of Love. Cor.13:4 Love is always patient, love is Kind. The nature of the Father is to be Kind. We are encouraged in many scriptures to be Kind to one
another and love. Gal. 5:22 A fruit of the Holy Spirit is Kindness. Joel 2:23 You children of Zion, rejoice exuberantly! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For He has given you the TEACHER OF ACTS OF LOVING KINDNESS.
This teacher which is the Spirit of God, will teach us to do Ts’dakah. More than is required.

Summing up Kindness

Ithink Kindness is learned, because Joel states we have a teacher who will teach us. Sometimes Kindness is not recognized until after the fact. In times like that I think a person is even more grateful to be a recipient of kindness. I think the Lord Jesus is very Kind and loving and it would be worth our while to think about being more Kind to those we know and strangers.

We will be BLESSED!!!!!