Monday, October 19, 2015

II Samuel 9: Mephibosheth

The word comes down that the new king is looking to find any surviving heirs of the previous king.  There can be only one conclusion as to reason for the search: the new king must want to execute any rivals in order to strengthen his grip on the throne!

At least, that is what a typical king would do.  As we have seen, however, David is far from a typical king.  David's heart is instead motivated by the solemn promise he made to his best friend Jonathan so many years earlier.  Prince Jonathan, son of King Saul, surrendered his own claim to the throne of Israel, knowing in his heart that David was God's hand-picked man for the job.  Jonathan asked only that David would one day remember his descendants and provide for them.  David has reached a point in his kingship where he feels it is time to honor his covenant with Jonathan.

David has to ask around and investigate to see if any heirs of Saul and Jonathan remain.  After all, any would-be princes would have gone underground to be in hiding from the king.  A former servant of Saul, Ziba, 'fesses up when David says that he is looking to show kindness to any remaining of the house of Saul.  "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet," says Ziba (vs. 3).  His name is Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth, we learned in II Samuel 4, had been five years old when his father and grandfather were killed in battle.  When the news of their death arrived, his nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled.  He lost his father, his grandfather, his claim to the kingdom and his ability to walk normally all in one day.  Mephibosheth probably felt that he was living a cursed life.

I wonder what was going through Mephibosheth's mind when messengers from the king showed up looking for him one day.  He probably felt that he was a goner.  When Mephibosheth appears before David, he bows down to pay him honor (vs. 6).  He is expects to face the king's wrath - but instead he faces the king's grace.

David says, "Don't be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.  I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table" (vs. 7).  Mephibosheth benefited from the relationship that his father had with the king.  He was an heir to the promise, a recipient of the covenant.  Instead of being executed for his ancestry as he might have expected, from that day forward he ate regularly at the king's table.

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