Reserved Seating/This Seat Is Reserved 2 Samuel 9:7-13

“Save my seat”

For sake of time we’ll only read verse seven and verse thirteen

2 Samuel 9:7 ESV

7 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.”

2 Samuel 9:13 (ESV)

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

Introduction:

Whenever my wife and I go to dinner for a special occasion we make reservations, when we go on vacation, taking a flight we head to the airport. We check our bags, go through TSA, find our gate but before we get on the plane we have to present our boarding pass. Without our boarding pass you will stay at the gate and miss your flight. But, not only does your boarding pass confirm the purchase of your ticket, it also confirms your designated seat on the plane. If you’re required to check within the 24 hours before your flight, if you check in after others that will lessen your chances of getting the seat you want.

But, if you are in a certain group of passengers it gives you priority seating. First class, families with small children, and those with medical needs. Those in first class paid more and have privileged seating. Families just need to get the children settled in and that’s difficult to do “tussling” with carry on bags. But, those with medical challenges are able to board so that their limitations are not increased by other passengers who may be in the way.

In life we all have destinations and the way we get there may be difficult. But, we have a pilot God a co-pilot in his son Jesus, steward in the holy spirit. Wouldn’t it be sad if we chose not to go on our journey because of a challenge? Today more than ever we are challenged but not with just physical or medical ailments or conditions, but mental, emotional, social, economic, and spiritual brokenness.

In an interview, award winning author and Professor of Psychology at Ableine University Dr. Richard Beck, said “I think mental health is ruining our mental health.” What a powerful oxymoron? In a time where emotions and “our truth” viewed as equivalent to the infallible written word of God. Our society has more emotional, relational, doctrinal and theological content and literature than prior generations by far. While we are more knowledgeable it is a very plausible thought to think that we are weaker. So smart that we’ve become dumb. Because ignorance is not just the lack of information but the abundance of misinformation. So it’s important that we get a clear perspective of our lives.

We will in this life have troubles, offenses, and afflictions. But the Bible would “give us to know”, Christ has enabled us to do more than merely conquer. The same spirit that raise raised Jesus from the dead quickens our mortal bodies. We’ve been given power to cast out unclean spirits. Deputized and empowered through the name of Jesus to overcome this world. Yet we cannot avoid being battered by this life. We will not experience a life absent of trouble until we are around the throne of God.

This is not the sermon where we rejoice or pity in our brokenness. This is not the time we grovel in or glorify our dilemmas. No doubt mental health crisis shouldn’t go unaddressed. Our physical health is important, we shouldn’t give more attention to our obstacles than we do the purpose God has for our lives. .

Transition:

-Scripture Interpretation: View scriptures with self-awareness, considering one’s role in the narrative and potential for personal growth. Biblical Figures’ Roles: Reflect on the roles of Saul, Jonathan, and David in the text, and how their actions impacted their lineage and relationships.

When we view the scriptures we should put ourselves in the text with the right lens. Be self -aware and know that we are not always the protagonist of the text. We may be the antagonist or maybe just maybe, I’m the problem. We are the common denominator of our success and failures. Ask yourself this question in my relationships, friendships, and employment am I in my own way? Pray as David did “I acknowledge my sin and it’s ever before me against thee and thee only have I sinned and done evil in thy sight. That thou are justified when you speak and clear when you judge”

In this text are you Saul? The patriarch whose disobedience:

Disqualifies the blood line from ever being on the throne again. Causes his son to die fighting a war that was never his to fight. Damaging generations irreparably.

Leaving the question of your lineage “Who did sin this man or was it his parents? Or was it his grandparents?”

-Maybe you’re Jonathan the son. He is faithful to the father but loyal to a friend. Jonathan covered his father regardless of his father’s failures, but was so loyal to his friend that he wouldn’t let his father kill his friend and ultimately preserved his son’s future in spite of permanent brokenness.

-Maybe you’re David maybe it’s your job to seek someone to show the kindness of God to.

-Maybe you are Mephibosheth dropped and broken no fault of your own.

Points of emphasis:

Mephibosheth wasn’t always broken

Mephibosheth’s Story: Analyze the character of Mephibosheth, a broken and disabled man, and the potential reasons for his condition.

2 Samuel 4:4 (ESV)

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.

Sometimes life presents us with circumstances beyond our control in our youth that leave a permanent impact on us. No fault of our own we may be dealt a hand that is difficult to win with. Broken by an absent person of significance or by present and dysfunctional people. Broken by molestation or rape….we don’t talk about the number of boys being violated and turning into broken men. Disabled by unforgivness? Could it be…But, this is not a death sentence, regardless of what weapon is formed against us we know that NO WEAPON formed against us will prosper!

2. Lame on BOTH Feet (CAPITAL B-O-A-F Shannon Sharpe Reference)

If he had one injured foot he would have been said to have had a limp. But, since both feet were broken beyond repair he was lame. Lame is defined as (especially of an animal) unable to walk without difficulty as the result of an injury or illness affecting the leg or foot. not strong, good, or effective : lacking necessary or desirable substance : weak, ineffectual

-His brokenness was too obvious to be ignored. We must acknowledge what is wrong in our lives.

Ed hardy Shirts for $150 story: both financially illiterate and prideful. Eventually I learned how to thrift and it appeared that i looked Rich because of how I wore something not the price tag. It’s better to acknowledge a limitation work within that as a skill/strength instead of viewing it as disqualifying factor.

pick your struggle…you can’t be broke and arrogant, mean and not smart, conceited and funny looking…

Somebody write this down…”Don’t allow your diagnosis to become your identity.”

when Mephibosheth identifies himself as a dead dog, David ignores him.

2 Samuel 9:8–9 ESV

8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” 9 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.

David didn’t respond to Mephibosheth’s pity party because those who are assigned to you are assigned to your destiny not just to your dysfunction

3. Restored without being healed

He was injured during at least 41 generations before Christ and was not in proximity to a profit to recieve a miracle. But, we have Some of us won’t accept our healing because we can’t get “closure”. “when a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive” Alan Patton. We want the apology we’ll never get, so we choose to stay in the mental and emotional state of Lodebar. Lodebar is where Mephibosheth was until he was restored. Lo Debar was a place of “no pasture”. When David sent for him he did not have the choice to stay there. When Christ decides to elevate us we don’t want success to become traumatic because we chose not to heal when he a season of rest.

Commit yourself to doing the work it takes to overcome your areas of lack. It’s not going anywhere without us doing the work.

Therapy

Accountability (don’t seek advice only from those that think the same as you)

Challenge yourself with new experiences

We can form habits to cope with our conditions or environments but in new territory we have to change our mindset, our habits, and even our company.

4. He belonged at the table

Whether he walked, had to be carried, or crawled, he still got to the table where he belonged. The bible says they chose Saul because he looked like a king which would lead me to believe that HE LOOKED LIKE HE BELONGED. Whether there was a long table cloth or there was no table cloth FROM THE TABLE UP. God will allow you to sit at the table with your limitations and COVER what would others would say disqualifies you from sitting at the table.

I imagine he was disabled but not a paraplegic. He could not stand or walk without assistance of a cane or crutches, but he was not non ambulatory or immobile. I could imagine he had crutches, there were no wheelchairs powered or unpowered. He was not an amputee and no prosthesis experimental trials were available. Even with confronting plots of voter suppression and a current administration that is removing DEI an initiative to create a seat at the table for those that are not given consideration based on merit and qualification while others are given a seat without any qualifications or merit but because of their gender and race. Even with efforts to dismiss us we’re not moving from the table! David made it clear in the…

Psalm 23:5 ESV

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Ephesians 2:6 (ESV)

6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Biblical Significance of Tables:

Family and community: The table was a place of mutual trust and vulnerability. 

God's presence: Sitting at God's table reminds people that God is with them. 

Provision: The table is a place where people receive provision from God.

Examples of tables in the Bible

Self-examination: The table is a place for people to examine themselves and see how their life with God is coming along. 

Conclusion:

I forgot to tell you all what Mephibosheth’s name meant. Mephibosheth’s name meant “destroyer of shame” how ironic that someone who was broken, sent to the place of “pasture” and produced something that testified “Who is like God?!” You are destined to outlive and overcome your brokenness you’re the child of THE KING.

Invitation

Brokenness and Healing: Brokenness can be caused by condemnation, history, and habits, but healing is possible through God’s grace.

Broken by condemnation, broken by history, by cycles

Broken bones rejoice Psalms 51:8 what made him lame was an automatic RSVP…David couldn’t force Mephibosheth to come back to the table. Mephibosheth could of chosen to stay on his land, but whether he decided to come or not there was still a seat reserved. Christ too reserved himself a seat…

Hebrews 10:12 (ESV)

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

He now sits at the right hand of the father making intercession for us…