Kindness for Jonathan's Sake
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
In Chapter 8 we see that Israel finally has peace in the land. The fighting seems to have stopped for a period of time.
Now David is going about the business of running a kingdom. That’s when he remembers Jonathan.
If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to 2 Samuel chapter 9 and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Saul’s Family: Anyone Left?
Saul’s Family: Anyone Left?
David begins to ask those who work for him in the palace, if there is anyone left from Saul’s family.
David tells them why he wants to know. David wants to show them kindness for Jonathan’s sake.
Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied.
David is told that one of Saul’s household servants is still around.
The servant’s name is Ziba.
So David summons Ziba to come to him, and asks him to verify that he is indeed Ziba.
To which the man replies, “At your service.”
The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
The king (David) wants to know if there is anyone still alive from Saul’s family.
Again the stated purpose is that the king wants to show God’s kindness to the person.
Ziba tells them that there is still a son of Jonathan alive.
But. . .he is lame in both feet.
—A lame person was of no use to anyone. Most likely they could not work to earn a living. They probably could not talk care of themselves, much less take care of a family.
—Furthermore, someone who was that kind of a burden would have been considered unworthy to come into the king’s presence.
We are going to find out that the man’s name is Mephibosheth.
—He was 5 years old when Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle. We learned this back in 2 Samuel 4:4.
(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
—That would have made him about 12 when David conquered Jersualem.
—Now he is most likely in his early 20’s. We “assume” this because in verse 12 we’re going to find out that Mephibosheth had a young son, Mika.
Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.
Down In Lo Debar
Down In Lo Debar
Now back to our story—David wants more information so he continues to question Ziba. Look at verse 4.
“Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
David is told that he is in the house of Makir, the son of Ammiel. Some scholars believe this Ammiel is the same Ammiel that was Bathsheba’s father. While it is possible, it is unlikely.
In a place called “Lo Debar.” Literally it means, “No Pasture” or we might say, “Desolate place.” It was not the a great place to live—it was desolate, with out pasture.
Bringing Mephibosheth to David
Bringing Mephibosheth to David
So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
So David sent people to Lo Debar and brought Mephibosheth out of the the house of Makir in Lo Debar to the his palace in Jerusalem.
Now we read this and it is easy to miss the emotion. Mephibosheth has spent the past 15 or more years trying to go unnoticed by the king. You see, it was normal for the new king to execute all of the family members of the former king—so it is very possible that Mephibosheth thought he was going to Jerusalem to be executed.
This idea may give you a bit of a clue to why Mephibosheth approached David the way he did. Look at verse 6.
When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied.
When Mephibosheth comes before David he bowed low, in order to pay him honor. Because he thought David would kill him!
David addresses him, and Mephibosheth answers him, by acknowledging that he is loyal to David— “Your Servant.”
“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
Notice that David realizes that Mephibosheth is afraid! We know this because he tells him “Don’t be afraid.” And David goes on. “I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.”
—Catch this! Mephibosheth has done NOTHING to earn David’s favor. In fact, Mephibosheth should be seen as an enemy of David. But this isn’t the case. Mephibosheth receives David’s favor because whose he was—he was Jonathan’s son! And David loved Jonathan, so now he loves Mephibosheth.
Now Mephibosheth will always eat at the king’s table! Can you imagine going from desolation to the king’s table? That might explain Mephibosheth’s response. Look at verse 8.
Mephibosheth’s Response
Mephibosheth’s Response
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
First, he bows low.
Next he asks king David a question. “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
—In his mind, he is unworthy, useless, unimportant.
—He’s nothing but a worthless cripple.
But Wait! There’s More
But Wait! There’s More
Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.
David restores Mephibosheth’s inheritance and gives him the land of Saul.
You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
David makes Ziba and his sons and servants Mephibosheth’s servants to work his land and bring in his crops.
David gives this crippled man a way to make a living to provide for his family!
Ziba’s Response
Ziba’s Response
Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.
Ziba response— “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands. . .”
Then there is another reminder that Mephibosheth ate at the David’s table, “like one of the king’s sons.”
We looked at verse 12 earlier—where we learn about Mika, and then we also learn that Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.
Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.
A New Home
A New Home
David gives Mephibosheth one more thing.
And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Mephibosheth now lives in Jerusalem.
—Because he ALWAYS ate (regularly ate) at the king’s table.
And we are given one more reminder that Mephibosheth was lame in both feet.
SO WHAT?
SO WHAT?
This is a beautiful story because it’s a picture of what God does for us!
First, we do NOT deserve God’s love. In fact, in our lost state we are enemies of God!
Next, like Mephibosheth, without God’s love we live in a desolate place—in Lo Debar!
Then, the King calls us—the King of Kings calls us to come before Him.
When we accept Jesus we move from enemy of God to child of God!
We are not called to God because we are something great, or because God need’s us, we’re called to God because God loves mankind!
So we become a child of God, not because of anything that we do, but because of God’s love!
When we come to accept God’s free salvation, He gives us some amazing gifts:
—God restores our relationship with Himself.
—He gives us a new home.
—He provides for us!
All because of God!
David gives Mephibosheth