Come Out Of A Place Called Lodebar

A Place Called Lodebar

2 Samuel 9:1-13 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 always 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.

2 Samuel 9:5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

I) The word Lo’Debar comes from two Hebrew words: Lo, which means No, & Debar which means Pasture. Pasture less, a barren land. He was in a barren land. Many Christians today find themselves in Lo’Debar.

A barren place. Are they saved? Yes! But because of choices they made, they find themselves in a place that is spiritually barren. David rescued Mephibosheth from of Lo’Debar. Jesus rescues us from Lo’Debar.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Not only does he take us out of Lo’Debar, but he brings total restoration. In Lo’Debar he was forgotten, as a dead man, out of sight & out of mind.

Now, he’s as a son…

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

II) Mephibosheth. In the Hebrew it means,

“Dispeller (destroyer) of “shame”.”

All of the shame that Saul had brought was dispelled and destroyed. All of the shame brought on us, by sin,

has been dispelled & destroyed by the blood of Jesus!!!

Mephibosheth would never forget that day. Word quickly spread through the countryside, “King Saul and Prince Jonathan are dead and David is now King.” At the house of Jonathan, this not only brought grief, but panic as well. In that day, it was customary, that if a King took the throne, he’d often eliminate the family of the King before him. Sitting playing on the floor was little Mephibosheth, oblivious to it all, his nurse burst into the room, grabbed him up and runs toward the door for safety, but in doing so, she drops him, crushing his ankles, and crippling him for life.

a. He thought that there would never be a day that would so impact his life and so affect his future as that day. It destined him for destitution, to live as a pauper instead of a prince.

b. But Mephibosheth would soon find out that a day would come that would make a far greater impact on his life and on his future. The Day he found Grace.