The Kindness of a King

Last week I was traveling with the grandkids, and we had a conversation about what type of pet we would like to have. One boy wanted to have a wolf, another wanted a turtle, my daughter wanted a horse (and reminded me that she had asked for one every year), and I wanted an eagle which made me pay attention to an article I read that appeared in the New York Times quite a while ago. It was about the taming of eagles.

The capture, taming, training, and keeping of hunting eagles in Asia is highly ritualized. Most of the birds, which have a life span of about forty years, are caught when very young—either snatched from a nest or trapped in a baited net. Once captured, the eagle is hooded and placed in a cage with a perch that sways constantly so it cannot rest or sleep.

For two or three days the eaglet is also deprived of food. During this time, the berkutchi, or eagle hunter, talks, sings, and chants to the bird for hours on end. Finally, the man begins to feed and stroke the bird. Slowly the weakened creature comes to rely on its master. When the berkutchi decides that their relationship has become strong enough, the training begins.

Not all eagles will become hunters, but those who take to life with a master display intense loyalty.

The training and breaking of the eagle may seem harsh, but it is a picture of how over time God breaks our independent spirit to draw us close to him. Stephen Kinzer, “A Hunter Whose Weapon Is Also His Friend,” The New York Times(November 4, 1999).[1]

We tend to view brokenness as a negative but we probably shouldn’t. In fact, our brokenness may be the very thing that God wants to use to bring His power into our lives. Consider what David wrote:

Psalm 51:17 NIV

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Mephibosheth, A Broken Man

There is a story of a man who is broken. In fact, his life was really just hanging on by a thread. He lived every day very likely in great fear of what the new king would do when he found out that he was still alive. He was the grandson of King Saul and Saul and his sons had been killed. He could very well have been next.

2 Samuel 9:3 NIV

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.”

Let’s flashback to when Mephibosheth was 5 years old.

2 Samuel 4:4 NIV

(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.)

Mephibosheth was a man who was broken. Physically maimed at 5 years old. Influentially isolated from a privileged life as the grandson to King Saul. Orphaned. Living in Lo Debar.

30 years ago, when our church began, Pastor Akers was working both the church and working for Klein Funeral Homes in Tomball. Teddy Klein became a good friend and offered help from time to time – both advice and financial support. I guess during a season that was difficult, Teddy Klein turned to Pastor Akers, and said “Nolan, you know that you are in Lo Debar.” That’s when we learned what Lo Debar meant. The term debar can mean “thing” or “word” but the prefix is a negator. In other words, Lo Debar means “nowhere” or “nothing”. Mephibosheth was broken and he was nowhere: he was nothing.

Pastor Akers didn’t get discouraged when Teddy Klein said those words. He knew that God takes the “Lo-Debar’s” and brings them to the table. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

Fortunes Changed

Just 5 chapters after the story of Mephibosheth’s tragedy, his story begins to change. It all begins because of a decision by King David to show kindness anyone he can find who is linked to the family of Saul.

2 Samuel 9:4–13 NIV

“Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 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. “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.” Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” 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. 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.) 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. Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.

This is really a simple story but there are quite a few things going on inside of the action. First, this is all initiated because of the kindness of David. Secondly, as we suggested earlier, Mephibosheth leaves a place of nothingness (Lo-Debar) and joins the house of the king. Thirdly, he also has the properties of his family restored. And, last, he dines with the King.

The Kindness of David

To say that David is a kind and soft-hearted man would be to go way too far. In chapter 21 David will have seven of Saul’s descendants killed. But it seems that in this case there is an emphasis on the kindness of David. It is mentioned 3 times in just 7 verses:

2 Samuel 9:1 NIV

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

2 Samuel 9:3 NIV

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.”

2 Samuel 9:7 NIV

“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.”

The English word kindness is a good translation, but the original Hebrew word used here goes a bit further. It suggests because of the kindness that there is a commitment of a covenant between Mephibosheth and David. I think this is true because when David’s son rebels against his father, Mephibosheth will remain loyal to the King.

Brokenness is Left Behind

We already know that Lo-Debar was a place of nothingness. Le Debar was on the border. At best it was a pastureland. Mephibosheth had gone from the glamour of King’s Saul reign to the forgotten wastelands of Lo Debar.

1 Corinthians 1:28 NIV

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,

Austin did a great job last week reminding us of the grace of God. It is the grace of God that rescues us from the brokenness of this world. With the possible exception of Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s family was really a disgrace. That is what he would have inherited.

Have you ever heard the expression, “But by the grace of God, there go I”? It came from the Pilgrim, John Bradford. He said it as he watched a group of prisoners being led to an execution. King David’s kindness brought Mephibosheth from Lo Debar. God’s kindness brought us.

Restoration is Realized

I hope that you realize that what is going on here is remarkable! It is not normal for the new king to show kindness to the family of the old king. In fact, the Bible tells stories of how captured kings were mutilated, decapitated, and their entire families erased.

Not only did King David bring Mephibosheth back from Lo Debar and place him in the place, but he also arranged for the restoration of the all the lands and property of Saul be given back. He could have simply given him a few acres nearby and that would have sufficed, but he gave him much more.

God has given us much more!

John 1:16–17 ESV

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Dining with the King

Let’s look at one more detail before we begin to wrap this up. Mephibosheth goes from Lo Debar to eating at the king’s table with his own sons! It is at this point that Mephibosheth lives up to his name, “Casting off shame”.

I’ve heard pastors point out many times that at the table of King David the tablecloth would have covered his broken legs. I think it is a beautiful thought. Throughout the Bible we learn that

It was a mark of great favor to “eat at the king’s table.. To dine at the king’s table is an honor; it is to enjoy the favor, protection, prosperity and power of the king (2Sa 9:7–13; 19:28; 1 Kings 2:7). Refusing the king’s invitation insults him (1Sa 20:29; Esther 1:12). To be disinvited from sitting at the king’s table and reduced to “eating the crumbs” from underneath it instead is a picture of humiliation and defeat (Jdg 1:7; used figuratively in Ezek 39:20 and Mt 15:21-28).[3]

Before Mephibosheth made it to the table of the King, he asked King David, “Why?”. He saw himself as a ‘dead dog’. This was the Hebrew expression for an embarrassing piece of garbage. David didn’t see him that way. David had made a promise to Mephibosheth’s father and David’s best friend, Jonathan, that he would watch over his family. And now he was sitting at the table with him.

I hope that as we’ve been talking about this passage you’ve been making some powerful connections. You and I are modern day Mephibosheth’s…

Modern Day Mephibosheth’s

We had every reason to be afraid. Because of sin, we were covered in shame. Shame wants to keep us in Lo Debar. In the book, The Gifts of Imperfection, shame is described as:

“…the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.”

Mephibosheth felt like a dead dog. You may be feeling broken, unworthy, lost, and meaningless. Just like David, Jesus invites us in and asks us to dine with Him. In one moment Mephibosheth received:

· All the land and property that belonged to Saul, the former king.

· All the crops that belonged to Saul.

· All the animals and livestock that belonged to Saul.

· Servants to go and work the land for him and bring him food.

· 35 people ready to take care of him at any time and do whatever he says.

· BUT Most Importantly: He always ate at the King’s Table.

We are modern day Mephibosheth’s because Christ has removed our shame. It may be that you realized some of these parallels as we were looking at this passage -

· God has sent out a search party for you.

· He sees your brokenness and is calling you to sit at His table as a son, or a daughter.

· He is covering your shame and adorning you with royalty.

· He is giving all the treasures of His Kingdom to you.

· He is giving you a new life.

One Last Thing!

I came across a creative narrative of what someone might have experienced at King David’s table and I’d like to share it in conclusion.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to have dinner at the king’s house from that day forward. The grand table is decorated with royal linens and piled high with the finest foods. Servants stand along the walls. Military officials and handsome sons enter one by one. Suddenly they rise, for the king is coming. As he approaches the head of the table, they all sit down together. One of the younger boys grabs for the bread, but the king commands, "Wait!" His eyes scan the table, and he says, "I don’t think we’re all here yet." The room grows quiet, and then they hear a peculiar noise echoing down the hallway: the sound of clumsy crutches clopping along the stone floors. A moment later, all heads turn. Standing in the doorway is Mephibosheth, the king’s adopted son. Perhaps that night a visiting dignitary from a far country watches the scene with great interest. He leans to a palace guard and whispers, "What’s all the commotion over the crippled kid?" The guard responds, "That ‘crippled kid’ was born an enemy of the king, but David has chosen to make the boy his son." "But," the visitor protests, "I don’t understand." The guard smiles. "Not many people do. Isn’t he a great king?" (Discipleship Journal, Issue 116 March/April 2000)

Isn’t He a Great King?

AT THE KING’S TABLE, OUR SHAME IS COVERED.

AT THE KING’S TABLE, HONOR IS RESTORED.

AT THE KING’S TABLE, FAMILY IS FOUND.

AT THE KING’S TABLE, IDENTITY IS REALIZED.

AT THE KING’S TABLE, ROYALTY IS RELEASED.

AT THE KING’S TABLE, EVERYTHING CHANGES.

[1]Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2008), 410–411. [2] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ps 51:17. [3] (Ryken, L., Wilhoit, J., Longman, T., Duriez, C., Penney, D., & Reid, D. G. Dictionary of biblical imagery Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press)

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