Before I begin this entry,
I am going to let you know that this will be a deep,
spiritual, thought provoking one; not light-hearted!
This Fall Semester I have been involved with a Bible Study called LOVED -Learning to Rest by Clara Jones, who is one of our pastors wives. This study is all about learning to rest in the Father’s love through Jesus. It has been a powerful study! The lecture/teaching from Clara last week was on resting or abiding in Jesus. Part of our homework assignment was studying Mephibosheth.
I have always enjoyed the story of Mephibosheth. In fact, when I directed children’s choirs way back when, one of our Christmas Programs was called, “No Phibbin, Mephibosheth.” I certainly didn’t receive these thoughts years ago.
You might not be familiar with Mephibosheth. In fact, you might not can even pronounce his name :) I think it is worth our time to review & refresh our memories before diving into the meat of this entry.
King Saul was the first king of Israel. During his reign, he & the Israelites were at war with Goliath, the nine foot Giant, & the Philistines. David, a young boy, came on this scene when his father sent him to check on his brothers who were fighting in the war. Secretly, David was already anointed by God to be the next king over Israel. After David killed Goliath, David’s new job was to help sooth King Saul by playing his harp.
Jonathan was one of the sons of King Saul. If I have my facts straight, he was suppose to be next in line to be king. Somehow, Jonathan knew God’s plan that he would not be Israel’s second king, but David would be. Through the years, King Saul hated David & spent most of his reign trying to kill David. Despite all this, Jonathan & David had a special bond of brotherly love between them. Jonathan even made a covenant with David that would bond them forever. Now to Mephibosheth. His father was Jonathan, which makes King Saul his grandfather.
In one days time, King Saul, Jonathan & other sons of King Saul, were killed in another battle. Even though God already anointed David king, it needed to become a reality to the region of Judah. In those days, when a king died, the new king, who was outside of the previous king’s family, usually would kill all of the previous king’s family! Now, we are finally up to this passage.
Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.
Which now takes us to this passage!
David and Mephibosheth-2 Samuel 9
1 King David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of King Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied.
3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” 4 “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “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.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.
12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
God ends this chapter & story with verse 13-And Mephibosheth …; he was lame in both feet. I find this interesting. God also states his disability in verse 3. Why did God begin & end this Chapter this way?
The Christmas twist will come
in continuation Part 2…
ann :)
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