The Wound That Brings Life
2 Samuel 4:4 KJV 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.
2 Samuel 9:1-10 KJV 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? [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. [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. [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 Lodebar. [5] Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. [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. [8] And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? [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.
l. INTRODUCTION -- MORE TO LIFE THAN WE KNOW
There once was a fellow who, with his dad, farmed a little piece of land. Several times a year they would load up the old ox-drawn cart with vegetables and go into the nearest city to sell their produce. Except for their name and the patch of ground, father and son had little in common. The old man believed in taking it easy. The boy was usually in a hurry—the go-getter type.
One morning, bright and early, the hitched up the ox to the loaded cart and started on the long journey. The son figured that if they walked faster, kept going all day and night, they would make it by early the next morning. So he kept prodding the ox with a stick, urging the beast to get a move on.
“Take it easy, son,” said the old man. “You will last longer.”
“But if we get to market ahead of the others, we will have a better chance of getting good prices,” argued the son.
No reply. Dad just pulled his hat down over his eyes and fell asleep on the seat. Itchy and irritated, the young man kept goading the ox to walk faster. His stubborn pace refused to change.
Four hours and four miles later down the road, they came to a little house. The father woke up, smiled, and said, “Here’s your uncle’s place. Let’s stop in and say hello.”
“But we’ve lost an hour already,” complained the hot shot.
“Then a few more minutes won’t matter. My brother and I live so close, yet we see each other so seldom,” the father answered slowly.
The boy fidgeted and fumed while the two old men laughed and talked away almost an hour. On the move again, the man took his turn leading he ox. As they approached a fork in the road, the father led the ox to the right.
“The left is the shorter way,” said the son.
“I know it,” replied the old man, “but this way is much more scenic.”
“Have you no respect for time?” the young man asked impatiently.
“Oh, I respect it very much! That’s why I like to use it to look at beauty and enjoy each moment to the fullest.”
The winding path led through graceful meadows, wildflowers, and along a rippling stream—all of which the young man missed as he churned within, preoccupied and boiling with anxiety. He didn’t even notice how lovely the sunset was that day.
Twilight found them in what looked like a huge, colorful garden. The old man breathed in the aroma, listened to the bubbling brook, and pulled the ox to a halt. “Let’s sleep here,” he sighed.
“This is the last trip I’m taking with you,” snapped the son. “You’re more interested in watching sunsets and smelling flowers than in making money!”
“Why, that’s the nicest thing you’ve said in a long time,” smiled the dad. A couple of minutes later he was snoring—as his boy glared back at the stars. The night dragged slowly, the son was restless.
Before sunrise the young man hurriedly shook his father awake. They hitched up and went on. About a mile down the road they happened upon another farmer—a total stranger—trying to pull his cart out of the ditch.
“Let’s give him a hand,” whispered the old man.
“And lose some time?” the boy exploded.
“Relax son. You might be in a ditch sometime yourself. We need to help others in need—don’t forget that.” The boy looked away in anger.
It was almost eight o’clock that morning by the time the other cart was back on the road. Suddenly, a great flash split the sky. What sounded like thunder followed. Beyond the hills, the sky grew dark.
“Looks like a big rain in the city,” said the old man.
“If we had hurried, we’d be almost sold out by now,” grumbled the son.
“Take it easy, you’ll last longer. And you’ll enjoy life so much more,” counseled the kind old gentlemen.
It was late afternoon by the time they got to the hill overlooking the city. They stopped and sated down at it for a long, long time. Neither of them said a word. Finally, the young man put his hand on his father’s shoulder and said, “I see what you mean, Dad.”
They turned their cart around and began to slowly roll away from what had once been the city of Hiroshima. (From: The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles Swindoll, pp. 425-427)
-There are twists and turns in life that will not have answers for them until we are at the final destination!
ll. THE STORY BEHIND THE TEXT
-Our text tells one of the most outstanding stories found in all of Scripture. There are very few other places that demonstrates the overwhelming capacity of grace and kindness.
A. The History Behind the Text
-However, to fully embrace the story that we have read here, one has to retreat in time in the life of David. The whole motive for David’s actions emanates from a connection that he had made approximately 18 years earlier in his life.
-1 Samuel 20:14-15 records an agreement, a promise, a covenant, which had been made with one of David’s dearest friends Jonathon.
-In 1 Samuel 24:21, David made a promise to one of his most hated enemies. He had caught Saul in the cave in Engedi and had not killed him but had cut off a portion of his clothes and then called out from the distance. Because Saul knew that God had taken his hands off of him, he began to grasp the reality of the situation that his days as king were nearly over. David had given Saul his word that once he came to the throne that he would spare Saul’s family.
-In those days, the usual way of business was when a new king came to the throne he would hunt down and kill all of the previous king’s family. He would do this to thwart any attempt at retaliation toward the new king.
-David made a covenant with Jonathon that he would spare him and his family. David would have the opportunity to live up to the promise he made with Jonathon. It would not have any impact on Jonathon because he had died on the battlefield with his father, Saul. But as we have read in the text, he had a son named Mephibosheth that David would fulfill his promise to.
B. The Events Leading Up to 2 Samuel 9
-In the closing chapter of 1 Samuel, we are made aware of the fate of Saul and Jonathon. They had been on a battlefield and the Philistines had overcome them and Saul, David’s greatest enemy, had finally died on his own sword.
-Several other elements happened prior to David demonstrating this act of grace to Mephibosheth. It is told in 2 Samuel 1-4 and some of the most intriguing plots that you will ever read is listed there.
• The nation had split after Saul’s death (2 Samuel 2:8).
• David ruled the southern portion and Ish-bosheth reigned in the north (2 Samuel 2:4; 2:8).
• Abner, Saul’s greatest general, would be murdered by Joab, David’s great general, in the gates of Hebron (2 Samuel 3:27).
• At some point, Ish-bosheth’s own men murdered him and literally sent his head to David (2 Samuel 4:7).
• At this point, David finally came into his kingdom some 20 years after he had been anointed by Samuel (2 Samuel 5:1-3).
-All of these events occurred surrounding this restoration of Mephibosheth.
C. Mephibosheth
-But our focus is on this single character, this son of Jonathon. The Bible clearly states to us that Mephibosheth was lame in both of his feet.
-Consider with me what happened in 2 Samuel 4. This woman who was taking care of the child of Jonathon had been monitoring the situation at hand. She knew that Saul and Jonathon were in a battle with the Philistines.
-Once word reached her that both had been killed on the battlefield, something seized her. Fear, panic, and grief seized her heart all at once. These emotions sent her spiraling out of control. With adrenaline surging, she rushes around the house and grabs a back pack and hurriedly tosses some cheese, a cold piece of lamb, and a half a loaf of bread that has slowly hardened as the day has passed into the pack.
-She quickly tosses a few clothes, some of her own and some for Mephibosheth, into another bag. She looks around once more at this little place that has been home for at least five years for her and Mephibosheth and seeing a few candles lit, she quickly blows them out and strikes out for the high country.
-With tears in her eyes but the strength of fear motivating her steps, she grabs up the little five-year-old and starts running for the hills. The little boy has no idea what is going on but he has enough sense to stay quiet because he can sense the alarm in his nurse’s actions.
-She runs on for a mile or so and realizes that she cannot keep up this pace forever and so she slows down to a brisk walk, carrying this little boy and her bags. The day has started giving in to dusk and so she starts to run again.
-She is familiar with some of the area and so she decides that there is a cave that she can get to a few hours after dark if she will hurry. It is not long before she is exhausted from alternately running and walking. There is an incredible pain in her side and her breath is now coming in great heaving gasps.
-Little Mephibosheth with his trusting eyes is aware that something is terribly wrong but his immature mind cannot even begin to process what has happened nor what is to come in the days beyond.
-The nurse fleeing from a perceived threat and harm is desperately trying to find the mouth of the cave that she once frequented when she was a child. The sounds of the night start coming with regularity.
• The chirping crickets.
• The low whine of a distant wolf.
• The high-pitched cry of a night hawk.
• The beating wings of an owl who is pursuing his prey in the dark.
-All of these sounds assail her ears. It is not long before a choking panic seizes her again for the second time. Her bags seemingly weigh a ton. The child she is now having to carry has gone to sleep and his listless body is even harder to manage now than earlier in the day when he was awake.
-The terrain is no longer friendly to her anymore either. She realizes that she is on a steep climbing path that is littered with rocks of varying sizes. Some of them are as large as basketballs and others are marble-sized rocks and she is having to navigate through all of them.
-Her run has no turned more into a jog and it will not be long until her strength forces her into a walk.
-The miles begin to fly by and it is nearing midnight when she finally starts to recognize the country that she knew as a little girl. Finally, the moon is cooperating with her and the whole landscape has the white, soft light that only a full moon can bring.
-Suddenly, in her mind, she hears a distant voice that is calling to her after all of these years. It is the voice of her father, who has been long dead, but it has a strength on this night as never before.
-There have been times before that the voice of her father has called out to her with some long forgotten advice that helped her. Now this voice calls out again, “Little Lamb (that is what he would call her), watch out for the pit vipers hiding in the rocks.”
-This voice from the past brings her pace to an even slower walk. She had gone no more than 30 yards than when she sites a huge pit viper just two steps beyond her. She turns and begins a dead run down the path. Because she is running down hill and fear has shot her legs into overdrive, she stumbles on the rocks, and down, down, down she tumbles. . . . . .
-She loses the child and he goes flying beyond her and lands awkwardly on a mid-sized boulder at the edge of the path and then he teeters over the edge and falls into a small ravine. He is screaming in pain and this one single event changes his little life forever.
-The nurse, bleeding from lacerated knees and elbows, aching from bruises on her back and right side, is suffering from a blow to the head. She momentarily blacks out. . . . It seems forever before she finally comes to. . . she is brought back to a groggy consciousness by some fearful screams.
-She has no idea how long she has blacked out but she knows that the boy needs her in the worst sort of way, so she finally summons herself to her feet and crawls and more aptly falls into the ravine where the child lies.
-She understands immediately that he this is more than just a bump and bruise deal. She sees that pain in his face, there is a strange whiteness about him, and then she notices that he cannot move either one of his legs.
-She gently tries to pick him up again but he howls out in pain. . . .
-So starts the long process of this nurse trying to get the young child to recover from his trauma.
-Because of her ancient training, she knew that she would have to find some hyssop plants and either oil or powder of myrrh to help him. She would mix the crocus plant and the rock rose to help him. . . .but the days would turn into months and finally the years would mount and little Mephibosheth was destined to be lame for the rest of his life.
lll. THE LESSONS FROM THE TEXT
-This story is a sad saga but there are some lessons that come from this story of grace that can usher healing into your life. Healing in some cases is never an easy task but when God steps on the scene, He can overcome much of the pain, grief, and bitterness that we are at times forced to endure.
A. He Was Injured At the Hands of Someone He Trusted
2 Samuel 4:4 KJV 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.
-One of the most difficult lessons to learn out from this story comes from the first passage that we read. 2 Samuel 4:4 informs us that he was hurt by someone he trusted.
-His injury came because someone else dropped him. Sometimes there are situations in life that causes us to fall and be damage our ability to ambulate in life.
-The whole set of circumstances was beyond his control. In the effort to help, someone hurt him. I am well aware that this is one of the most bitter pills of life to swallow. You trusted someone else, you trusted someone you loved, and you ended up crippled from that relationship.
-For some:
• It was a parent, a mother or father, who did not fully provide for the needs you were supposed to have in life. Now, years have passed and you are still crippled by their negligence.
• It was an ex-husband or ex-wife who hurt you to the core with infidelity. The sick feeling ran deep in your soul. The bitter sting of betrayal hurt worse than if you would have had to endure a physical blow.
• It was a situation in life. A stunning setback in business. The loss of a career. A troubling health problem. The partner who went back on his word.
• It was the loss of someone very dear to you.
-Somebody you trusted, dropped you, and crippled you for life.
-Can I say something very gently to you on this day? God can work it out. God in His unbelievable power can help repair your heart, your mind, and your emotions.
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Matthew 19:26 KJV But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
-You may struggle with circumstances that are beyond your control but God has the ability to correct us and help us to become what we can and ought to be.
B. There Is a King
-The next lesson is found in the 2 Samuel 9:1-3.
2 Samuel 9:1-3 KJV 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? [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. [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.
-The second lesson: There Is A King!
-There was a great question: The King asked, “Is there anyone in the house of Saul that I can show kindness to?”
-There was a troubling answer from Ziba: “There is a son who is lame.”
-This is the difficult thing with most people. Look at how Ziba answered back, “There is a son and he is a cripple.”
• No mention of his name.
• No mention of his potential value.
• No mention of hope.
• No mention of any strong points.
-Simply, just a man with a terrible problem. A man with a huge handicap.
• Where Ziba sees a problem, David notes a person.
• Where Ziba finds a deficiency, David sees grace.
• Where Ziba raises red flags, David finds green lights.
• Where Ziba shows a handicap, David is thinking healing.
-No matter how crippled you may be, there is a king who is seeking you out. He will scour the ends of the earth to find you where you are. While everyone else is finding a focus on the failure, the King desires to bring a lame man to the palace.
-You cannot forget that there is a King.
C. You Cannot Stay In Lodebar
2 Samuel 9:4-5 KJV 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. [5] Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
-The third lesson that comes to us is from 2 Samuel 9:4-5. You cannot stay in Lodebar.
-The name “Lodebar” means “no pasture.” It refers to wasteland. So here is Mephibosheth, living as an outcast in a very barren place, far from the lush royal estates that might have been his as Saul’s grandson.
-Lodebar is a place of desolation, dryness, poverty, and of bitterness. The dust is choking and the heat is stifling in Lodebar. As long as the lame stays in Lodebar, the stale bread of yesteryear will be the only thing that you can eat. You will be forced to drink the tepid water from a muddy cistern instead of an overflowing well in Lodebar.
-Lodebar is a place where you feed off of crumbs. The crumbs:
• Of anger.
• Of bitterness.
• Of jealousy.
• Of malice.
• Of negative faith.
-Lodebar is a place of defeat. But there is more to this portion of Scripture. It is revealed that Mephibosheth lived in the house of one named Machir. The name is rendered as “sold out.”
-Oddly Mephibosheth had sold out his future and was going to live in Lodebar until his dying day. That is what happens when you come to the point, “I am crippled and I cannot go any further than where I am now.”
-Just as Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees, you will have to leave Lodebar but once you leave this place, life has a way to turning into something greater than you have ever known before.
D. There Is a Table of Grace
-The last lesson we learn is from 2 Samuel 9:10. There is a table of grace.
2 Samuel 9:10 KJV 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.
-Mephibosheth’s name means: contending with shame or the scattering of shame.
-When he was summoned to the courts of David, he felt that shame once again start to overwhelm him. The shame of living in the family of an ousted king, the shame of his condition, and the shame of his injury all started bringing that choking humiliation up again.
-His life had been one painful, disfiguring reminder of the day that his injury had afflicted him. Now, he lies face down in the court, fully expecting the sword to destroy his life. He would now die as he had lived, in shame.
-But David, the king, instead brought him to the table. His wound stayed for life but it brought life. Lame feet then became his greatest asset. When we realize that pain was in the plan, then we are capable of strong maturity that makes saints.
-Mephibosheth’s soul can only be dumbfounded as he tries to fathom what has happened to him. David is pouring out unrestrained grace on him. The story ends with Mephibosheth dining at the king’s table.
Grace In a Barren Place -- Julie Martin
I was that Mephibosheth
Crippled by my twisted pride and
Hiding from You in a barren place
Where You could not find me
Where You would not give me what I deserved.
But somehow You found me and
I don’t understand why but You
Gave me what I do not deserve
You not only spared my desolate life but
You made it bountiful
And here at Your table
I will thank You, my King.
lV. CONCLUSION -- HEAVEN’S BANQUET HALL
-The setting is the palace of King David. Gold and bronze fixtures gleam from the walls. Lofty, wooden ceilings crown each spacious room. In the banquet room, David and his children gather for an evening meal.
-Absalom, tanned and handsome, is there, as is David’s beautiful daughter Tamar. The call to dinner is given, and the king scans the room to see if all are present. One figure, though, is absent.
-Clump, scrape, clump, scrape. The sound coming down the hall echoes into the chamber. Clump, scrape, clump, scrape. Finally, the person appears at the door and slowly shuffles to his seat. It is the lame Mephibosheth. Now the feast can begin.
-He is not a son. He is not even a member of the royal line. He is simply a man of grace.
-Fast forward on into an unknown time in the future. Imagine the golden banquet hall of heaven. The room is filled with light. The glory of God is literally radiating about the place. It is warm, calm, relaxing, and Heaven. The doors open and the masses of people enter.
-Instead of the mighty and handsome, in hobble the sick, the lame, and the disfigured—those whose lives were broken by the crippling effect of sin.
Luke 14:21 KJV So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
Philip Harrelson
March 25, 2006
barnabas14@yahoo.com
