And David said, Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2 Samuel 9:1
David had finally established his Kingdom and was ruling and reigning out of Jerusalem. But here we see him asking about any relative of Jonathan. For those of you who don't know who Jonathan was, he was King Saul's son who had befriended David. The two of them had been more than best friends. They were very tight and deeply cared for each other. At some point, Jonathan betrayed David, though Scripture doesn't mention exactly what it was.
However, here we see David wanting to bless anyone connected with Jonathan. David is a type and shadow of Jesus. His kingship over Israel is an everlasting kingdom and God told David there would always be one of his descendants on the throne... with the final one being Jesus, Himself.
I was reading this chapter of Samuel and the story leapt out at me. Not that I hadn't read it before.. many times.. but this time, it took on a new meaning.
The king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the unfailing, unsought, unlimited mercy and kindness of God? Ziba replied, Jonathan has yet a son who is lame in his feet. v3
David finally finds someone who knows a relative of Jonathan. Jonathan had a son who was crippled, disabled we might say in our present time. The Scripture tell us he was "lame in his feet". In ancient Israel, people who had disabilities were often looked down on. It was believed that the person must have committed a horrible sin for God to allow or even cause their disability. We often see in the Bible how the lame and blind wandered about, begging for money so they could eat. A crippled man was not allowed to be a priest. He could enter the courtyard of the temple, but not any further. To be crippled brought shame and often ostracization from society.
So, I got to thinking about this in spiritual terms. The Bible says "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We ALL, are, in a sense, spiritually disabled. None of us are worthy to worship before a Holy God. We should all be considered outcasts, shameful and outsiders to the Kingdom of God.
That's why Jesus came to Earth, to seek and save the lost, to offer Himself as a sacrifice so we could become a part of His Kingdom. And since David is a type and shadow of Jesus, it warmed my heart to see him do the same thing. No, he didn't sacrifice himself but he went out of his way to inquire after and bring to his kingdom a cripple, the son of a man who had betrayed him and the grandsom of a man who had hated him and sought to kill him (King Saul).
And Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold your servant! v 6 Then in verse 8, And the cripple bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?
He calls himself a dead dog. This is how we should approach our Lord.. with humility and reverential fear. Because without Jesus, that's just what we are: Dead Dogs.
What's really awesome is that David restores this "dead dog" to the land Jonathan and Saul owned. Not only that, David provided a host of servants to do all the work. But best of all, he orders Mephibosheth to eat at his table every day.
So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table, [even though] he was lame in both feet. v 13
What a great shadow of what our Lord does for us! He takes us when we were still sinners, outcasts, dogs, and then dies for us, brings us into His Kingdom and insists we join Him at His royal table.
Yet, another thing struck me as I read this story. David only restored this young cripple because of Jonathan. The lad was Jonathan's son. David and Jonathan had a close relationship. That's why David showed mercy on Mephibosheth.
God will do the same for all the descendants of those who truly love Him and have a close relationship with Him! So, this story is not only about us and God's mercy toward us, but of God's mercy toward our descendants.
I know many of you, like me, have lost children and grandkids... so be of good cheer, the Lord wants to restore them to their rightful inheritance and host them at His table in His Kingdom! That's what leapt out at me about this story as I read it. So have faith. Pray. And believe!
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