70 lines
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70 lines
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<h2><a onclick="return mV('2Sa',9,'all');">2Sa 9</a> - David's Kindness to Mephibosheth</h2>
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<p>A. David's kind heart towards the house of Saul.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',9,1);">1</a>) David's kind question.</p>
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<p class="c2">Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul</span></b>: In <a onclick="return mV('1Sa',7,'all');">1Sa 7</a> David asked, "What can I do for God?" and he proposed to build a temple for the Lord. Now David asks another question we should each ask: "What can I do for others?"</p>
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<p class="c5">i. David's question showed a great love because Saul made himself an enemy of David. It was customary in those days for the king of a new dynasty to completely massacre anyone connected with the prior dynasty. David goes against the principle of revenge and against the principle of self-preservation and asks what he can do for the family of <i>his enemy</i>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">That I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake</span></b>: David did this because he remembered his relationship and covenant with Jonathan (<a onclick="return mV('1Sa',20,'14-15');">1Sa 20:14-15</a>). His actions were not only based on feelings, but also on the promise of a covenant.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',9,'2-4');">2-4</a>) Ziba, a former servant of Saul, tells David about Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan.</p>
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<p class="c2">And <i>there was</i> a servant of the house of Saul whose name <i>was</i> Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, <i>"Are</i> you Ziba?" And he said, "At your service!" Then the king said, <i>"Is</i> there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan <i>who is</i> lame in <i>his</i> feet." So the king said to him, "Where <i>is</i> he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Indeed he <i>is</i> in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar."</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Ziba</span></b>: David could only learn that there <i>was</i> a descendant of Saul still living and could only learn <i>where</i> he was through this servant named <b><span class="c3">Ziba</span></b>. This means that Mephibosheth was in hiding.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">The kindness of God</span></b>: This phrase is key to understanding David's motivation in this chapter. David wanted to show someone else the same kindness God showed to him.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet</span></b>: We first learned of Mephibosheth in <a onclick="return mV('2Sa',4,4);">2Sa 4:4</a>. It tells us that this son of Jonathan was made <b><span class="c3">lame in his feet</span></b> from an accident when they heard that his father Jonathan and his grandfather Saul died in battle.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. We should remember <i>why</i> Mephibosheth's nurse gathered the boy and fled in haste at the news of Saul and Jonathan's death. She rightly feared that the leader of a new royal dynasty would execute every potential heir of the former dynasty (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',4,4);">2Sa 4:4</a>).</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">A son of Jonathan</span></b>: This means that according to the prior dynasty of Saul, Mephibosheth had the right to the throne. He was a son of the first-born son of the king, and other potential heirs were dead. In a political sense David could see Mephibosheth as a rival or a threat.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Later in <a onclick="return mV('2Sa',16,'5-8');">2Sa 16:5-8</a> we see a man named Shimei who was a partisan for the house of Saul against David. There were at least a few in Israel who felt that the house of Saul should still reign over the nation and that David shouldn't be king. Mephibosheth might draw upon these partisans and develop a rival following.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Ishbosheth was Mephibosheth's uncle, and he waged a bloody war against David for the throne of Israel. There was at least an outside chance that Mephibosheth might do the same.</p>
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<p class="c4">e. <b><span class="c3">He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel</span></b>: This speaks of Mephibosheth's low station in life. He doesn't even have his own house. Instead, he lives in the house of another man.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Machir the son of Ammiel</span></b> later showed he was intensely loyal to David. When David's son Absalom led a rebellion against David, Machir supported and helped David at great danger to himself (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',17,27);">2Sa 17:27</a>).</p>
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<p>B. David's kindness to Mephibosheth.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',9,'5-6');">5-6</a>) Mephibosheth makes a humble appearance before David.</p>
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<p class="c2">Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, "Mephibosheth?" And he answered, "Here is your servant!"</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Then King David sent and brought him out of the house</span></b>: Mephibosheth must have been terrified when messengers from David knocked at his door and demanded that he come with them to see the king. In the back of his mind he anticipated the day when David would do as other kings did and massacre every potential rival to his throne.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The knock on the door also meant that Mephibosheth was no longer hidden from David. He felt secure as long as he believed the new king didn't know about him.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Remember <i>why</i> Mephibosheth's nurse was fleeing in <a onclick="return mV('2Sa',4,'all');">2Sa 4</a>; she feared David would come and slaughter all the potential heirs to the throne of Saul</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">He fell on his face and prostrated himself</span></b>: According to the custom of the times, Mephibosheth had a lot to fear from David. Yet his fear of David was not founded in fact, only on assumption.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Up to this point Mephibosheth and David never had a relationship and it was because Mephibosheth wanted it that way. He avoided David out of unfounded fears.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',9,'7-8');">7-8</a>) David removes the fears of Mephibosheth.</p>
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<p class="c2">So David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually." Then he bowed himself, and said, "What <i>is</i> your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?"</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Do not fear</span></b>: These words would have been cruel or meaningless unless David gave Mephibosheth a <i>reason</i> to <b><span class="c3">not fear</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake</span></b>: David made a covenant with Jonathan in <a onclick="return mV('1Sa',20,'all');">1Sa 20</a>, promising to show kindness to the descendents of Jonathan. David gladly makes good on his promise, though Jonathan is long dead.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Will restore to you all the land of Saul</span></b>: David simply promised Mephibosheth would receive what was his. Mephibosheth knew about these lands all along but he was afraid to take possession of them because it would expose him before the king. David went against all custom in showing such kindness to an heir of the former dynasty.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">And you shall eat bread at my table continually</span></b>: This goes far beyond giving Mephibosheth what was rightly his. He gave Mephibosheth the honor of a close relationship with the king.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. A similar promise is given to the followers of Jesus. Jesus told the disciples that they would eat and drink at His table in heaven (<a onclick="return mV('Luk',22,30);">Luk 22:30</a>)</p>
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<p class="c4">e. <b><span class="c3">What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?</span></b> Mephibosheth didn't feel worthy of such generosity. He considered himself a <b><span class="c3">dead dog</span></b>, meaning a worthless and insignificant person.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. All the years of hiding from the king and living in fear and poverty made Mephibosheth think of himself as worthless.</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',9,'9-12');">9-12</a>) David's instructions to Ziba.</p>
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<p class="c2">And the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given to your master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in <i>the harvest,</i> that your master's son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat bread at my table always." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do." "As for Mephibosheth," <i>said the king,</i> "he shall eat at my table like one of the king's sons." Mephibosheth had a young son whose name <i>was</i> Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba <i>were</i> servants of Mephibosheth.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him</span></b>: In addition to the land, David gave Mephibosheth servants to work the land. The food from the land was for Mephibosheth's family, because he would eat at David's table.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">He shall eat at my table like one of the king's sons</span></b>: Mephibosheth was happy to know that David didn't want to kill him. To have a promise like this was almost unbelievable.</p>
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<p class="c1">4. (<a onclick="return mV('2Sa',9,13);">13</a>) David fulfills his promise to Mephibosheth.</p>
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<p class="c2">So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem</span></b>: No longer hiding in fear of the king, this descendant of Saul now lived openly among the people of God.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">He ate continually at the king's table</span></b>: No longer in poverty and estranged from the king, now he had great privilege before the king.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">He was lame in both his feet</span></b>: Mephibosheth's weakness did not vanish. His life was far better, but he was still <b><span class="c3">lame</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. David's grace to Mephibosheth is a wonderful picture of God's grace to us. <i>We are Mephibosheth</i>.</p><ul class="c6"><li>We are hiding, poor, weak, lame, and fearful before our King comes to us</li><li>We are separated from our King because of our wicked ancestors</li><li>We are separated from our King because of our deliberate actions</li><li>We separated ourselves from the King because we didn't know him or His love for us</li><li>Our King sought us out before we sought Him</li><li>The King's kindness is extended to us for the sake of another</li><li>The King's kindness is based on covenant</li><li>We must receive the King's kindness in humility</li><li>The King returns to us what we lost in hiding from Him</li><li>The King returns to us more than what we lost in hiding from Him</li><li>We have the privilege of provision at the King's table</li><li>We are received as sons at the King's table, with access to the King and fellowship with Him</li><li>We receive servants from the King</li><li>The King's honor does not immediately take away all our weakness and lameness, but it gives us a favor and standing that overcomes its sting and changes the way we think about ourselves</li></ul>
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<p class="c5">ii. David's grace to Mephibosheth is also a pattern for us in serving and ministering to others. <i>We are David</i>.</p><ul class="c6"><li>We should seek out our enemies and seek to bless them</li><li>We should look for the poor, weak, lame, and hidden to bless them</li><li>We should bless others when they don't deserve it, and bless them more than they deserve</li><li>We should bless others for the sake of someone else</li><li>W must show the <i>kindness of God</i> to others</li></ul>
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