Mephibosheth

Hook:

Alright so this is more of a rhetorical question so you don’t have to answer it, but what happens when one group takes power after another group? Usually everyone from the old group is kicked out and a completely new group is brought in. Like in the US, when a new president takes office, usually all of the staffers from the old presidency are fired and replaced with people who are loyal to the new president. There were maybe a couple people left over, maybe a servant here or there who might prove to be helpful to the new presidency, but for the most part, everyone is replaced.

This practice is nothing new. It has been happening for every. Although, now a days, its usually not as violent.

You see, back in the day when one kingdom would conquer another kingdom, that new kingdom would come in and take out the entire old kingdom. Like all the servants, the court officials, and especially the family members of the old kingdom would be killed. The new kingdom would come in and want to take out the old kingdom to make sure that no body from the old kingdom could try to come up and make a claim that they are the rightful airs to the throne. So often, people apart of the old regime would try to flee and escape literally for their lives. Again, maybe a person here or there would be able to escape with their lives if they proved to be helpful to the new regime.

This is a very common theme in the human experience. And it would have been very common for those living in the times of the bible. Yet in the story we’re going to read to today, that pattern is actually broken, and it’s broken for a very specific reason.

Today, we’re going to continue looking at less known and weird stories from the Old Testament. Have any of you heard of a man by the name of Mephibosheth?

So Mephibosheth was Jonathan’s son. Jonathan was King Saul’s son and Jonathan was David’s BFF. Unfortunately, King Saul and David weren’t on the best of terms and were at war with each other. Or more like, King Saul was at war with David.

We’re going to be jumping around throughout 2 Samuel at a few places as we follow this mini story of Mephibosheth that takes place during the bigger story of David.

Now one of the things I love about this story is that it has a similar pattern to that of the bigger story of the bible. So that’s actually how we are going to break it down today. In small groups we’ll actually talk about this a little more, but pay attention to the different sections we’re about to talk about.

Book:

1. The first section is the Creation of David’s kingdom: Can someone read 1 Samuel 16:13

1 Samuel 16:13 ESV

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

This verse illustrated the creation of the beginning of the kingship of David. Most of us know the story but essential, Kind Saul had disobeyed the Lord and stopped following Him so God is bringing about a new King to lead Israel. This verse illustrates the beginning of that Kingdom although it will take a while for David to finally have full control over Israel (and even then it gets sort of complicated), here we see the official creation of his new position as the Prophet Samuel anoints him King. After this, he becomes pretty good friends with Jonathan, Saul’s son. David actually ended up making a promise to be at peace with Jonathan and that their descendants would be at peace no matter what.

2. The second section is the Fall of Mephibosheth: Let’s take a look at 2 Samuel 4:1-4

2 Samuel 4:1–4 ESV

When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day). Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

Alright so right after King Saul and Jonathan are killed, the household of Saul, ie. Mephibosheth and those who were taking care of him, knew that they had to flee or that they would most likely be killed. SO there was a quick move to get out of dodge. But unfortunately, there was a fall and Mephibosheth was badly injured. For the rest of his life, he was crippled by this fall that he didn’t really have any control of, he didn’t choose to fall, but the effects of the fall stayed with him his whole life.

After this, there are a few different battles that happen as King David is ushered in to unify Israel. And Mephibosheth is taken in and given car in the house of a guy named Machir.

3. The third section we see in this story is the Redemptionof Mephibosheth: This next

section is a little longer so let’s break it up and have two people read. Can someone read 2 Samuel 8:15- 9:4 and then someone else read 2 Samuel 9:5-13

2 Samuel 8:15–9:4 ESV

So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were priests. And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”

2 Samuel 9:5–13 ESV

Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

So finally David is ruling over Israel and things seem to be going well. He’s united the kingdoms, he’s reestablished the city of God and renamed Jerusalem to Zion, and he’s now appointed court officials to help him rule. Thinks are going pretty well. And it’s at this point that David remembers his promise with Jonathan and so he starts to ask around to see if there is anyone left from Jonathan’s family that he could bless.

Lo and behold, there’s a servant from Saul’s house named Zeba who survived everything and Zeba let’s King David know that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth survived. King David is stoked! He immediately sends for Mephibosheth to come to the kingdom. But of course Mephibosheth is worried. In virtually every other kingdom, the next in line for the old throne would be killed! Mephibosheth is probably thinking that King David is calling him to the kingdom so that he can finish the job.

But what happens? David honors his promise and Mephibosheth is redeemed! David shows unmerited grace to Mephibosheth and their relationship is restored. David even goes so far as to give him his grandpa’s old land everything else back that belongs to him. He makes Zeba and all of Zeba’s household to be Mephibosheths servants and look after the Mephibosheths land. Basically the exact opposite of what Mephibosheth thought was going to happen ends up happening. This is crazy. Mephibosheth didn’t do anything to deserve this, in fact, hes crippled and literally cannot do anything to deserve the favor that the King is giving. That is what grace is. Unearned favor and kindness with no strings attached. David redeems Mephibosheth and Mephibosheth now has a place at the kings table.

I wish I could say that everything went smoothly after that, but unfortunately, there’s a bump in the road. I don’t want to get too into now, Absalom’s rebellion breaks out King David has to flee. Unfortunately that same servant, Zeba, sort of deceived King David. In 2 Samuel 16 we see that as David was fleeing, Zeba met him with a ton of supplies which was good, but he also told David that Mephibosheth was trying to take the kingdom back which was not good. But we find out later that that’s not actually what happened. Zeba told Mephibosheth that he was going to saddle a donkey for Mephibosheth because remember, he’s crippled and can’t walk, so that Mephibosheth could escape with David. But apparently Zeba just ends up leaving him behind which is pretty messed up. But he also helps David a ton which is pretty good. So it gets complicated… Anyway, this leads us to the next point.

4. Once David is again restored to his Kingdom, David makes the New Creation of

Mephibosheth’s land. Can someone read 2 Samuel 19: 24-30

2 Samuel 19:24–30 ESV

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”

David is now back in power and because he is a man of God he begins to pardon a lot of his enemies. And so too does Mephibosheth come to the King. Again, Mephibosheth doesn’t really have a right to be in front of the King, from the very beginning, Mephibosheth deserved death. He was an enemy of the king. Because of sin, he was broken. And yet, David restores him and gives him the new creation of his land. Even later on, seven more descendants of Saul are put to death, and Mephibosheth is spared. Not because of anything he can do, but because of the grace from the king and what has been done before him.

I love what Mephibosheth says in v. 28 in this section, let me read it again.

“For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table.”

Took:

Because of this fall that had happened in Mephibosheth’s life, he was broken. And yet, despite his brokenness, because of who his father was, He received grace and was invited to the King’s table. He didn’t deserve that grace, he didn’t earn that grace. He was actually an enemy to the King. And yet, because of a promise made, he was restored to the table.

That is the Gospel message guys. Because of the Fall, we are all broken. But all the way back in Genesis 3:15, we see this promise made that one day the offspring of the woman would conquer the serpent. Jesus came and did just that. We cannot work to receive grace, but because of who our Father is, we receive grace in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Because of a promise made, we are invited to have a seat at the table. And if you have believed that, that means that you are living in the redeemed life and that one day in the future, because of who your Father is and because of the promise that was made, you will be in the New Creation with the King who will reign in perfection.

To close, let’s spend some time in prayer before we talk through some questions about this passage.

Alright, before we pray, I wanted to play yall a quick song by my favorite artist, John Mark McMillan. He’s the guy who wrote How He Loves. This song is called Carbon Ribs and before he sings the song, he talks a little bit about why he wrote it. And its actually about this story. So we’re going to listen to this, and listen to the song and then we’ll jump into small group.