6-17-2008 Vacation Bible School
Lesson: Mephibosheth and God-like Kindness
David makes an inquiry: (in chapter 9)
- of the ruined house of King Saul (sin and misconduct ruin)
- disobedience ruins lives/wrecks homes
- This was a great while after David assumed the throne
- Mephibosheth was 5 at the time of his accident
- His nurse dropped him while fleeing to safety, (when King Saul died)
- That left him crippled
- He is now grown, and has his own family (has a son)
- David made vows to Jonathan (his father) a long long time ago
- Here his memory is jarred
- and he remembers those promises
- sometimes we need to shake ourselves
- to remember just in case we have left promises unfulfilled
- Acts 13:6 Paul reminiscing about David:
“that he served his generation according to the will of God”
- Meaning: he was a good man, that made it his business to do good
- In this story of Mephibosheth, David sought opportunity to do good.
- David asked a person a question,
- that he was sure would be apt to know the answer
- The question: “Is there any yet left of the house of Saul, that I might show him kindness? (in another verse he says “the kindness of God”).
- He would show kindness for Jonathans sake
- Saul had a very large family 1 Chron 8:33
- Large enough to replenish a large community
- Disobedience/sin can empty full families
- God visited the iniquity of Saul upon his household
- But David would not (instead he spared)
Saul was David’s sworn enemy
- Yet David would show kindness to his house
- David had forgiven Saul, of his vile deeds towards him
- Thus the verse “vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay”.
- When we bless instead of curse, this is how we overcome evil.
- And find mercy for ourselves
Jonathan was David’s sworn friend
- just as God is faithful to us
- Let us be faithful to each other
- When Mephibosheth meets David, he bows
- Mephibosheth’s.0 request to David:
1 Sam 20: 14 & 15 “show me the kindness of the Lord so I don’t have to die.”
- He continues the request: “and the same to my seed”.
- “Gods kindness is more, than we can normally expect from men”.
- Ziba was an old acquaintance of Saul
- A man in the know
Mephibosheth lived in obscurity
- hidden away Living with a kind man named Machir
- who had taken him in
- probably from his mothers or fathers influence
- however, probably forgotten, as a dead man
David sent for Jonathan’s son, to be delivered with speed
- Machir had taken him in
- David reimburses Machir for his trouble and kindness
Proverbs teaches “he who waters, shall be watered himself” (Prov 11:25)
Mephibosheth had been trained (influenced) by his father Jonathan
- it shows as he reverences King David
- as lame as he was, he fell on his face
- and he does homage to King David (the highest respect)
History teaches that when Jonathan was next to his father Saul near the throne
- that David bowed before Jonathan 3 times
- 1 Sam 20:41 verifies it as a fact)
- Now Mephibosheth, returns the honors
David receives him with all kindness
- the long trip over, to see the King
- probably caused Mephibosheth’s heart to almost fail
- trying to figure out what was the purpose for the Kings urgent call
- would he too have to die, as all of his brethren before him
- David remembers his first name
- David was probably best man at Jonathan’s wedding.
- David probably was called to the scene, when Mephibosheth was born
- Chap 9:7 David said, “don’t be afraid”.
- same words Jesus would speak, "be not afraid".
- David spoke peace to his troubles soul.
- Great men, should not pleasure in having others fear them
- David gave him all of his grand fathers land (possessions)
David was more than fair
- as King, he had a right to take it all away from a fallen enemy
- Instead, David takes him to be a constant guest at his own table
- Not only to comfortably feed him
- But to pay expenses for guest to constantly visit him
- David considered him to be still royalty
- Although lame, and unsightly,
- David is honored to have him in his house
- As one of David’s family
- Most King’s son’ (most likely spoiled brats)
would consider that the world owes them
- Mephibosheth was very humble/amazed.
- Thus we understand his reply.
- “what is thy servant that you should look upon such a dead dog?”
- he has dead crippled limbs,
- though the son of a prince
- And the grandson of a King
- He considered himself less than the king’s favors and gifts
David commanded men to till Mephibosheth’s fields
- To harvest his crops
- And he had a son named Micha
- All that lived in Ziba’s house, were servants unto Mephibosheth
- fifteen sons and twenty servants
The promise is confirmed to Jonathan
- and witnessed by Ziba his lifetime servant (assigned by David).
Saul was known as “a mighty man of substance” “(1 Sam 9:1)
- “and had fields and vineyards to bestow” ! Sam 22:7)
- Mephibosheth is now, master of it all.
- Zibah will manage his estate (for life)
Lots of Mephibboseth’s out there
- my close relative has a son just caught by his dad
- selling drugs out of their home
- another son dropped
- another, fell through the crack, so to speak
- ever heard the term “somebody dropped the ball”
Over the last three years:
- My attitude has changed towards kids who are on drugs
- Instead of focusing on how terrible they are
- I am now focusing on the giant they are facing head on
- we cannot help them until we are willing to accept part of the blame
- we adults, we baby boomers have dropped the ball
The story now unfolded, should encourage spiritual growth
- our look should now turn inward
- we should examine ourselves
- our motives
- our goals
- our focus
Anyone who has really studied about this King David
- a man after God’s own heart
- has heard this story
During David’s time of being king
- they (all Kings)had rights of ancestry
- this son Jonathan was in line for the throne
- if the oldest son is unable or unwilling
- the next oldest becomes king
- if no sons are willing, a daughter becomes Queen
If one king was ousted
- and the new king takes over (new family altogether)
- they could not afford to leave any remaining heirs alive
- to later create a stir, or uprising against the new royal family
- so many would be killed or at the least exiled or imprisoned
- this even included little babies
- in the interest of stable government
- one couldn’t afford to take the chance
- if their reign was to be successful
When David was proclaimed king, instead of Saul
- every one around him was in danger
- but something was different here
- David’s great love for Jonathan
- Their friendship was legendary
- An undying love or regard
- And now to mention David’s respect for Saul
- Not for the person Saul
- But towards his anointed position
- Ant the fact that God had placed him there for his season
- So now, every one connected with Saul, was in danger
- Many were killed
- Some were hanged, including 7 of Jonathan’s brothers
Even though Jonathan knew that David was a threat to his own inheritance
- yet he still protected David from his fathers wrath
- their relationship was not built on envy, nor on jealousy
- but was built upon mutual respect and trust
- Jonathan knew very well, that his father feared David’s popularity
- He also knew that Saul wanted him dead
- If Jonathan had been at all like his father (pause and think of this)
- He would have helped his father kill David
- His love for David exceeded his own ambitions
- This love must be now connected to the New Testament church
- Do we love her, more than our own ambitions?
His nurse injures him
- He is now only a bit player in a drama surrounding David
- and David’s struggle to occupy the place God was promoting him to
- Mephibosheth appears only a few times
- yet he is a powerful message to us all
The Hebrew word kindness:
- means more than being kind to someone
- The root word hesed: suggest covenant loyalty.
David’s question to Zeba was actually deeper
- than we originally grasped
- “is there any one remaining in the household of Saul that I can show covenant loyalty to.”
The modern church today drastically suffers undue harm and tragic effects
- because most Christians are not in a covenant relationship with her
- my covenant relationship is based upon Solomon’s wisdom
- the story where two mothers claimed the same child
- Solomon called for a sword
- and commanded that the child be cut into (divided between two)
- this was only a test to determine who the real mother was
In other words, the health of this (or any) local body of believers
- is more important to me than my own ministry
- and I hold my ministry position sacred
- and never take it lightly
- the local church body, is God’s making (creation)
David’s covenant relationship set the tone for this special meeting
- where he now calls Mephibosheth out
This story must be likened to God’s loyalty to us
- even when things don’t go right for us
- God still remembers us
when Saul died (was killed)
- David wrote a song and ordered that all Israel sing it.
- David allowed the Gibeonites to kill 7 of Saul’s sons to bring peace
- But David slaughtered none
- David evidently felt secure in his Kingship
- So much so, that he did not have to do that
- He was well aware that God had placed him there,
- and that same God would keep him there for his season
David’s covenant with Jonathan “If I am still alive, show me the faithful love of the Lord; but if I die, never cut off your faithful love from my house, even if the Lord were to cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 1 Sam 20: 14-15
Faithful love in Hebrew means:
- mercy, loving kindness, faithfulness.
- And in all cases the word faithful is associated with God
David gave this son everything he should have inherited
all of his fathers possessions
and a care taker (with a very large family) to take care of it
