Hed always end up saying something about his old black heart. Some of the wags in the church got tired of listening to him, so when theyd see him on the street theyd say, Hows your old black heart today? A British factory worker and his wife were excited when, after many years of marriage, they discovered they were going to have their first child. 8:32; 2 Peter 1:3). "For Jonathan's sake" (2 Sam. Ziba was present when confronted by David , Mephibosheth knew no one could come before David and lie, "he was as an Angel of God" . How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!" It is not because of any personal claims they have upon Him, but because of the love He bears toward the Mediator, that He shows kindness. Nor is that all: long, long before they first saw the light, God entered into a covenant with Christ, promising to extend mercy unto all who belonged to His house: Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us (Heb. Come unto me; I will give you rest. This is what the gospel is all about. 9:5). The imprint of Your image fair, Knowing, as we do know, that Jonathan had left a son, it is not without some misgiving that, we have beheld him so long neglected by David, who owed so much to his father. Now, when he said that, I imagine people said, "Yeah, it's wasted, the purge has started. He received respite from Machir because of the kindness of Machirs heart and he received succor from David because of the integrity of Davids heart. Besides, if David had ever heard of his existence, it had been by his rightful name of Meribaal, and he would hardly recognize him under the altered name of Mephibosheth. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. He totally accepted Mephibosheth. after less than a month on the job because he misled the Vice-President on the crucial matter of inappropriate contacts with Russia. Romans 3:10, 23As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; V. THE ADMONITION OF DAVID2 Sa 9:9,10 According to oriental custom, which was the law of that day, the king of a new dynasty could put to death all contenders to the throne from the former dynasty. We see easily each others faults, but we do not see each others good points very often, do we? 1:6; 4:32). Rev. We are spiritually and morally crippled by sin. He lived on the edge of the wilderness in a parched land. He had been crippled in both feet at age five. David asks where the boy is. Grace stands and cries to the one who dwells at Lo-debar: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and ye who have no money come ye, buy and eat; yea, buy wine and milk, without money and without price." But to David it was sacred; and even the unlovable son was dear to him for his father's sake. After David was established as king over all Israel, he desired to show kindness to anyone remaining of Sauls house for Jonathans sake. So Mephiboshethcrippled and destitute, unable to care for himself and living in someone elses housewas brought into Davids house and ate at Davids table like one of the kings sons (2 Samuel 9:11). What could he expect but to hear from his lips the sentence of death! It is only after we come to Christ that we truly have a proper view of ourselves. -- He was lame. And, all of the desires of the kingdom and the ambition of the kingdom are brought into this focus: kill David, kill David, kill David. We are all, by nature, Mephiboshethssinners, people of great shame, enemies of God and deserving of his wrath. Get the Shots Already! 1, 3, 7), and it means the mercy and favor of the Lord to undeserving people. For an orthodox Jew to say, I would like to share a meal w/you was like saying, I would like to enter fellowship w/you., Thats what the corrupt tax collector Zacchaeus heard when Jesus called him down from the sycamore tree. So David's judgement in 2 Samuel 19 was a correction to his previous mistake, that Mephibosheth did not think it was necessary. "I have given all that pertained to Saul" (v. 9). A. That was an old promise. a. If the two texts matched, then 19:29-30 might be viewed as illustrating, that David is unwise, but they do not. 5. He puts those shriveled legs under that white linen tablecloth. David, you know, later became the king of Israel, and, at this particular time, he was just sort of a young man. B. Thats what we were. For David to rescue and restore Mephibosheth cost him only the land of Saul, which he had never paid for to begin with; but for God to restore us and bring us into His family, Jesus had to sacrifice His life. You see, David extended kindness to Mephibosheth for the sake of Jonathan whom he loved. Really, I dont like staying at Bed & Breakfasts either. John 14:16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; David had promised both Saul and Jonathan that he would not exterminate their descendants when he became king (1 Sam. We are "strangers and pilgrims" (Hebbrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11). 2:1-3). And what will it be in the by and by? Do you want to be part of the family? Davids best friend was Jonathan, who was Sauls son. I am, says holy Rutherford, a dry and withered branch, a piece of dead carcass, dry bones, and not able to step over a straw. In another place he writes, Except as to open outbreakings, I want nothing of what Judas and Cain had. The meanest objects in nature appear to the humbled mind to have a preference above itself, because they have never contracted sin: a dog may be greedy, fierce, or filthy, but it has no conscience to violate, no Holy Spirit to resist. Ezra But the king was seeking him! HUMBLED HIMSELF. Mephibosheth has shown by his appearance, or at least is attempting to show, that he wants to be in solidarity with his protector and king. He provides abundant power. He wanted to unite Israel and Judah by kindness to Saul's family. He is in, and he's treated as the king's son. Won't Mommy be beautiful walking on those streets that match these slippers?" A town in the middle of nowherewith nothing to offer. The others at Davids table didnt talk about Mephibosheths lame feet, either. When it is the Lords work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad. Imagine a big field with hundreds of white sheep grazing. David is immediately suspicious. We were deformed, dethroned, and doomed; and, I guess the worst thing, is deceived. As for Mephibosheth,said the king, he shall eat at my table like one of the kings sons. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the kings table. E.When Mephibosheth came to David, he learned to have a proper estimate of himself(v. 8). And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, heisin the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar., 3. David's Purpose; or, The Love of God. Trenutno imamo v Sloveniji 212 obin, ki se vsaka na svoj nain ukvarjajo z uresnievanjem svojega namena, torej zagotavljanjem potrebnih dobrin svojim obanom. Mephibosheth was the son of Davids bosom friend, Jonathan, son of Saul. If David ever finds you, he's going to kill you." Oh, my dear friend, all God wants to do is to bless you, love you, and to share the blessings of the blood covenant with you. THE ABUNDANCE OF MEPHIBOSHETH2 Sa 9:11-13 Mephibosheth is a difficult name to remember and pronounce, but he reminds us of some wonderful truths about the kindness of God shown to us through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. May we remember with gratitude how much He values each human life. How to standardize the color-coding of several 3D and contour plots? 1 Chronicles Spurgeon -From this story (OF MEPHIBOSHETH)we learn to remember past kindnesses. Now, the plot thickens: "Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. 20:14-17). 4. David said, "I will restore and take care of you. While commentators have argued that Ziba's claim was implausible, since a paraplegic couldn't take back the throne, A.A. Anderson points out that Mephibosheth had a son in his 20s (II Samuel 4:4; 9:12), so he'd have help if he wanted to become king. : do I, by my attitude, own the truthfulness of it? David and Mephibosheth 9 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" 2 Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. A. 48:22): how can there be while they despise Him in whom alone peace is to be found? Yet God sought us, found us, delivered us from the fear of death, blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, brought us to His banqueting table, and raised the banner of His love over us. Possible ranges of variables that are defined by inequalities. Do you know what he did? (2 Samuel 9:7)And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy fathers sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.. And I want you to see them. Oh! He had to be brought. 11 Ziba answered, "I will do everything Your Majesty commands." So Mephibosheth ate at the king's table, just like one of the king's sons. How does this matter really stand? In an interview with beliefnet.com, Bono Vox of U2 said, The most powerful idea thats entered the world in the last few thousand yearsthe idea of graceis the reason I would like to be a Christian. Fourth, Mephibosheth was sought by the king (2Sa 9:1, 5), again picturing unmerited favor. David has that unlimited power. 2 Samuel 9 gives one of the most graphic pictures in all the Bible of both mercy and grace, with ten startling parallels to the Savior and sinner: I believe that every child of God knows a great deal about lame feet. Grow stronger from our love and care. Listen to this and ask yourselfWhy should I worry? Samuel 9,1-13; 16,1-4; 19,18; 19,25-31. However Ziba might have been faulty toward Mephibosheth, he had been signally faithful and useful to David; and to condemn him unheard, as he had Mephibosheth, was to run the risk of a second rash decision; a decision that might be now as unseasonable as rash, while any rebellion subsisted in his dominions. God is a God of all grace, but God is also a God of infinite holiness and justice. And, I'm offering you the same covenant that I had with Jonathan. No, it was not a matter of Mephibosheth seeking the king, but the king seeking him. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. It would have been very easy for Mephibosheth to grow bitter over the years-after all, he was born a prince of Israel, but now he was a nobody, depending on the kindness of strangers for his subsistence. Not because you deserve it, but because you dont. He so loved the world that He gave His Son. He deserved judgment, and he received kindness. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? Many things might be said of the first five weeks of the administration of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the USA, but it appears that chaos and confusion are high on such a list. Whose blood was shed on the cross? And, here's Mephibosheth, who's been told he's been deceived about David. Since thou art thus forgiven freely for Christs sake, go and tell to others the joyful news of pardoning mercy. Mephibosheth said, Let him take everything. The real mother said, Give the living baby to the first woman.. Ziba dagegen hlt sich in der Gesellschaft Simeis auf (2. In fact, he has done none of these things since the day David left Jerusalem until his return. He looks around. 2 Chronicles Mephibosheth tells David that Ziba had lied about him trying to take the throne for the Saulites. Someone had to help the young man to the palace, where he fell before Davidsomething difficult for a person with crippled legsand acknowledged his own unworthiness. [15] Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Therefore, the Lord Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. (2 Samuel 9:1). Christ longs after the whole world. David calls for the lands to be (shared), while the baby is to be (split) into two. This has so much to do with you, and your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and the covenant that Malachi was talking about. Some time later, David had to flee Jerusalem because his son Absalom was trying to seize his throne (2Samuel 15:13,14). Life without Jesus Christ is barren too. Paul said to believers, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. David promised Saul and Jonathan he would not do this. The Lord God will have nothing but kindness toward those who crucified His Son, and followed the antichrist. And, Jonathan represents the Savior. Many of you have already made the application. He is brought before the king and falls upon his face in reverence and respect for David. When he first came before David, he reverenced him with fear and trembling. (v. 8). Grace Praised So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, Are you Ziba? He said, At your service! Then the king said, Is 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 who is lame in his feet. 9:7). After the death of Saul, David was made king. It is in Christ Jesus that we are made new creatures. Mephibosheth received back his land, but he also ate continually at the kings table, vv. 5. III. I. We, too, are by nature in the far country, away, far away, from God. Why say anything more about your concerns? He would that "all should come unto repentance." The common attitude of human nature would not prompt such action. The king's "Fear not" fell on his ears like the peal of silvery bells, like the sound of clear water running in a fountain. See day's approach, now crimson the sky: And just as being seated at the kings table involved not only daily food but other privileges as well, so Gods salvation for Christs sake carries with it all the provisions we need, not only for eternity but for this life as well. 1. Remember, now, that Jonathan is the prince, and he takes the robe off of him, and he puts it on David. David fetched Mephibosheth and drew him to himself. We forget that most of Davids life was a life in which he had a real desire to serve God. Der andere uerlich lange (zu Unrecht) in schlechtem Licht, aber innerlich von echter Treue und Hingabe geprgt. He eats not as an alien or stranger, but as a member of the royal family. Till the land for him, serve him, feed him, bathe him, and take care of him. 1. There are the king's horses and the king's guards. David broke the poor mans fear. First of all, a child of God recognizes that he too is crippled in his feet. But in the large heart of David there was found no room for such low suspicions and mean misgivings. Remember to share a meal w/someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, fraternity, & forgiveness: the shared table symbolizes a shared life. Mephibosheth lived in the house of Machir which means "sold." "Saul sought to smite David" (I Sam. He must see David no longer as the enemy, but he must see David as the friend. No, it was not at Jerusalem that poor Mephibosheth resided. The blood of God? Whom can we trust among these shifting sands of confusion? O blessed hope! The picture here presented is perfect in its accuracy in every detail, and the more closely it be examined, the more clearly will its evangelical character appear. When Ziba tells David about Mephibosheth's act of treason, David gives Ziba all of Mephibosheth's land, which at one time was Saul's estate. Yet David, because of an earlier commitment to Jonathan, was determined to show kindness, unexpected and undeserved, to Mephibosheth and so he set about finding him. It was not land which he wanted: now that his beloved master had returned, he was quite satisfied. Jesus said, 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 do what?and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20). It takes us back to 1 Samuel 20. To Him I owe my life and breath, Do you know what happened then? But he desired instead to show favor to any living member of Saul's family for Jonathan's sake. Don't cry. Our role model is becoming the Lone Ranger, mask and all. 2. Hearing this, David ordered that the fields of Saul be divided between Mephibosheth and Ziba (2 Samuel 19:29). We are lame indeed; and, so far as we are concerned, it is quite impossible that we should ever win the Divine regard, or sit at His table among His sons. How striking is the analogy. Dear friend, it doesn't make any difference. He reminded David of how he had received him, when he was a dead man; how he had accorded him a seat at his own table and how he was unto him, "as an angel of God." First, as the good shepherd he calls his own sheep by name, 2 Sa 9:6b; cf. Just as he feared, some said mockingly, So, God gave you this child! The new father stood for a long time, silently asking God for help. Like Mephibosheth, they all feast from the King's own table. But really, is there anything more significant he could have done with his life than to be Gods instrument of grace and mercy to people who were down on their luck? Actually, Ziba left Mephibosheth behind to make it look as if Mephibosheth did not support David. Mephibosheth . Why/why not? Durch seine Wohlttigkeit gegenber David und verleumderische Lgen ber Mephiboseth rckt er sich in bestes Licht und heimst die Felder Mephiboseths fr sich ein (2. Can you be generous with those less deserving? . No one comes to the Father except through Me. This nickname was not at all a pleasant one for any man to be called by, but having got into use it would be preferred by those anxious for his safety on the one hand, and by those whose interest it was to keep him out of mind on the other. Fitting position was this to take for one whose very life hung upon the mere mercy of the king.