The Book of II Samuel
Chapter 9
David Fetches Mephibosheth
This lesson could be taught at several different levels:
- Promise keeping, Showing kindness or A Picture Of Salvation.
2 Samuel Chapter 9
9:1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
Background of David’s experience with Saul:
- Saul was the first king of Israel. He turned away from the Lord.
- Saul became jealous when David killed Goliath
- Saul sought to kill David and pursued him over many years
- David had opportunity to kill Saul on 2 occasions but refused to do so
- Saul and his son Jonathan died in a battle with the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa
9:2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
9:3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
- David sought out someone to do kindness to.
- God seeks us out
- God always makes the first move
- He did this kindness for his friend Jonathan’s sake:
- It was not because of anything that Mephibosheth did to deserve it
- There was a friendship between David and Jonathan
- There was also a covenant between David and Jonathan
God saves us in fulfillment of the redemption covenant between the Father and the Son.
- Mephibosheth was only five years old when his father, Jonathan, and his grandfather, Saul, died on Mount Gilboa in the Battle of Jezreel (2 Sam 4:4). When the child's nurse heard the outcome of the battle, she feared for Mephibosheth's life. As she fled for his protection, "he fell and became lame" (2 Sam 4:4). For the rest of his life he was crippled.
" I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." Psalm 2:7
1 Sam 20:12-17
David and Jonathan Make A Covenant
David was trying to fulfill this covenant by showing kindness to Mephibosheth.
This was the occasion of the New Moon festival, which David was to attend at Saul’s house. David was afraid that Saul would try to kill him there and so he asks Saul’s son Jonathan to check and let him know if Saul wants to kill him.
12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Just as David was kind to Mephibosheth for Jonathan's sake, God is kind to us for Christ's sake.
God Has Forgiven Us For Christ’s Sake
Ephesians 4:32
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
- Meaning of Lo-debar: “no pasture”
- When we were lost we were living in a land with no spiritual pasture.
5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
- David “sent” and “fetched” him
- Jesus said “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
- Think of a personal example of how God sought you
6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
- The usual custom was for new kings to eliminate former kings’ descendants
- Mephibosheth’s name means: shameful thing.
- Mephibosheth lost his inheritance when his father King Saul was killed.
- His inheritance was restored by David.
- Our inheritance is restored by Christ as was Mephibosheth's by David.
We were much like Mephibosheth, removed from our inheritance. And the Lord, has shown His kindness by restoring us to Himself through Christ Jesus. In another place, Paul tells us that we have become "...joint heirs with Christ..." (Romans 8:17).
Eph 1:11-14 Our Inheritance
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
We have the oportunity to eat and drink at the table of the king, just as Mephibosheth did. Eating and drinking together is an intimate form of communion in the Bible. It is typical of a blessed time of joy and sweet fellowship. And it is an honor to sit at the Lord's table.
Luke 22:28-30
28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Rev 3:20-22
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Luke 14:13-17 The Great Feast
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
We spiritually poor, blind and lame have been invited to the Lord's great supper feast. We cannot repay the Lord, just as Mephibosheth could not repay David. What will your response to the Lord's invitation be?
II Samuel:
9:8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
Mephibosheth was humble. He realized that he did not deserve the favor that he was receivieving from David.
The story of David's kindness to Mephibosheth is a picture of salvation. Even when we were dead (dead dogs like Mephibosheth) in trespasses and sins the Lord sought us out and made us alive in Christ.
Eph 2:1-13
2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Just as Mephibosheth who was far off in the land of Lo-debar was made near by David, we who far off from God were made near by the blood of Christ.
II Samuel:
9:9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.
10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.
12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.
Next, we may notice the object of David’s quest (Mephibosheth):
- Was not a friend during David’s time of need
- Was not a deserving case
- Could not provide anything in return to David
- Had descended from an enemy
- Was hiding from David
- Had nothing of his own, lost inheritance
- He was lame on both feet
How accurate the picture the gospel of God’s grace is. God is not seeking those who have something of their own to commend them unto the Lord, nor does he offer salvation in return for service to be rendered afterwards. The gospel's inestimable riches are for worthless wretches, spiritual paupers, lost and undone sinners; and those riches are freely proffered "without money and without price."
Though we all at one point have fit this description, as we have walk in our own path, the writer continues, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even though we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-5).
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