“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? 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. 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.” (2Samuel 9:1-3)
David has now had time to think about the promise he has made to his friend Jonathan. Many years have passed since Jonathan’s death in 1Samuel 31:2, “And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.” The time since Jonathan’s death has not always been easy. As we can see from the previous chapters, David has often been at war to protect the borders of Israel or to expand them. And the collecting of materials for the building of the temple.
The first time we see Mephibosheth’s name is in 2Samuel 4:4, “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.” He was 12 when David was made king of all Israel. Mephibosheth is now an adult, he is married and has a son, living in obscurity in the care of others. 2Samuel 9:4 says, “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 Lodebar.” These may have been his mother’s family that had survived. Nothing is known of this place called Lodebar. Its name means “pastureless” it is believed to have been on the east side of Jordan. If he desired to remain hidden from the king’s knowledge, this would be understandable.
David, all these years later, has thought of the promise that he made to Jonathan many years ago. 1Samuel 20:14-16 says, “And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: 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. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.” We are reminded once again of the deep and close relationship that these two men had for one another, one of respect and honor that meant something to David years after Jonathan’s death.
An investigation is begun into the matter of the descendants of Saul. This investigation brings them to Ziba, a former servant of Saul’s, believed to have been a Canaanite who may have been freed upon the death of Saul. He tells David of the location of the last known descendant of Saul, the son of Jonathan.
At once riders are dispatched to the residence of Machir to find Mephibosheth and bring him back to the palace to meet the king. How would you feel if you were in Mephibosheth shoes? The questions and the fear of the possibility of execution. He had a legitimate claim to the throne. It would be consistent with the practice of kings throughout history.
2Samuel 9:6 says, “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!” He is at once doing all he can to submit to David. Showing his humility and expressing his desire to serve David. David had all the power here; he can give the word, and Mephibosheth’s death would be quick. However, David has a completely different attitude in the situation. There are excitement and joy in his heart for what he is about to do. And he gets to keep his promise to his friend after all these years.
David can see the fear in Mephibosheth’s eyes. His limbs are shaking, and perhaps his voice quivered a bit in his declaration to David. 2Samuel 9:7 says, “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.” What a grand expression of grace to this young man. The honor given to him is not on his account; it is on account of his father.
David restores all the land of Saul to Mephibosheth 2Samuel 9:9-10 says, “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. 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.” This arrangement would provide for Mephibosheth’s family, his young son Micha and his descendants.
David is an example of godliness here. Does Integrity matter? Yes. He kept his promise after many years, and the only one who knew about it was dead. Does kindness matter? Yes. He showed this kindness to someone he did not know and could do nothing to repay him. Does forgiveness matter? Yes. How could you give a blessing to the descendant of the man who tried to kill you on more than one occasion? These qualities to a godly person are as natural as breathing. The words of Jesus should ring in our ears as we contemplate this account.
Matthew 5:43 says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
“love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.” is what the flesh wants to do. “Love your enemies,” is what you will be able to do if you walk in the spirit. “be the children of your Father which is in heaven” gives the motivation for it all, that we can imitate the actions of our heavenly Father.
In this account, we also see a spiritual application. 2Samuel 9:13 says, “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.” Not for works that he had done but for the works and life of another.
In this, we see a picture of God, who calls the spiritually lame into His presents. Men and women who are unable to enter heaven on their own two feet, by their works, or by their Deeds. The spiritually lame are the sinful, immoral souls that walk this earth. This description applies to every one of us. God does this for only one reason. For the sake of Jesus Christ, who bled and died on the cross to pay our sin debt. He swings wide the gates of heaven for whoever will place their faith in Jesus Christ.
