24 Then Mephibosheth the [n]grandson of Saul came down to meet the king; but he had neither [o]tended to his feet, nor [p]trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes since the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. 25 And it was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 So he said, “My lord the king, my servant betrayed me; for your servant said, ‘I will [q]saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ since your servant cannot walk. 27 Furthermore, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. 28 For all my father’s household was only people worthy of death to my lord the king; yet you placed your servant among those who ate at your own table. So what right do I still have, that I should [r]complain anymore to the king?” 29 So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have [s]decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’” 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.”
31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; and he went on to the Jordan with the king to [t]escort him over the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was very old: eighty years old; and he had provided the king food while he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. 33 So the king said to Barzillai, “You cross over with me, and I will provide you food in Jerusalem with me.” 34 But Barzillai said to the king, “How long [u]do I still have to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am [v]now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I still hear the voice of men and women singing? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king. So why should the king compensate me with this reward? 37 Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever you [w]require of me, I will do for you.” 39 All the people crossed over the Jordan and the king crossed too. The king then kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place.
40 Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel [x]accompanied the king. 41 And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, abducted you and brought the king and his household and all David’s men with him, over the Jordan?” 42 Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative to [y]us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all [z]at the king’s expense, or has anything been taken for us?” 43 But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “[aa]We have ten parts in the king, therefore [ab]we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat [ac]us with contempt? Was it not [ad]our [ae]advice first to bring back [af]our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.
We see a lot of gratitude being shown here, and there are some great deeds done. First we have Mephibosheth (who was a cripple, and Ziba not being true to him) reuniting with David. He’s so excited to see David come back, that he doesn’t even care about his land anymore. Though I’m sure David took good care of his family even still.
Then Barzillai comes along, who has been providing for David and his followers while in exile (along with several others). And though he was old, very old for that day and age, he still was regarded as a “great man”.
But then the Israelites begin their squabbling again, even accusing the men of Judah of “abducting” the king. Let that be a lesson to us all; when great things are happening, don’t ruin it by being ungrateful. Be thankful for whatever your part is, and be encouraging and uplifting in times of great success. No one likes a spoil sport, so make sure your mind is in the right place, focused on God and His plan, even if you feel like you have some grievance to air.