Neither Showed They Kindness
By Hunter Grills
April 7, 2026
Judges 8:33-35 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
In Scripture, we find an association of kindness with gratitude. Jesus said that the Father is kind even to the unthankful.
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
In the book of Judges, the children of Israel once again turned from God and followed after idols. They forgot how God had delivered them from their enemies and all of His wonderful works.
The Bible says in Judges 8:35, “Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.”
A lack of a grateful heart leads to acts of unkindness. When a person is grateful for what God has done for him, he begins to act with kindness. Joseph demonstrated this truth with his brothers who had betrayed him.
Genesis 50:19-21 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Joseph spoke kindly because he had a heart of gratitude to the Lord. He knew that he was in God’s will and was content in his relationship with the Creator.
Psalm 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
Reflection—May God work in all of our hearts that we may be content and grateful for all that He has done and show kindness to our neighbors.