2 Samuel 9:1-8
1 Then David said, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul, so that I could show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they summoned him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”
3 Then the king said, “Is there no one remaining of the house of Saul to whom I could show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan, one who is disabled in both feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.”
5 Then King David sent messengers who brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6 Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!”
7 Then David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will assuredly show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you yourself shall eat at my table regularly.”
8 Again he prostrated himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should be concerned about a dead dog like me?”
Kindness to Mephibosheth
For Jonathan’s sake
There is a Japanese proverb that says, “Once past the throat, the heat is forgotten.” It refers to the tendency of people to rely on others in times of hardship, but once the hardship has passed, they forget the favor they received. We Christians, too, often forget the help we have received from others and lose a heart of gratitude, or we forget our thankfulness and promises to God. But David was not like that. A true believer seeks to live with integrity in every aspect of life. In the customs of the ancient Middle East at that time, it was common to eliminate the descendants of the previous dynasty to ensure the stability of the new one. However, David, who feared and honored God, did the exact opposite. (1) Behind this was the covenant of friendship with Jonathan, the son of Saul (1 Sam. 20:14-15). (2) David resolved to seek out any surviving member of the house of Saul, in order to show them the kindness of God.
Ziba a servant of the house of Saul
(1) David found Ziba, a prominent servant of the house of Saul, and from him learned that Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, who was lame in both feet, was still alive. Mephibosheth had been living under the care of the family of Machir in Lo-debar. (2) Mephibosheth came to David, fearing for his life, and bowed down before him. (3) But he received a proposal from David that was like a dream. All the land of his grandfather Saul in the territory of Benjamin would be returned to him. Moreover, he was granted permission to eat at the king’s table as an honored guest. (4) Mephibosheth, who has escaped death many times, was deeply moved and accepted David’s offer. What kind of lesson can we learn from David’s decision? He took the initiative to seek out a descendant of Saul’s house in order to fulfill his promise to Jonathan. Let us also examine ourselves to see whether there are any promises we have yet to fulfill, whether to others or to God. God blesses and helps those who carry out what they have promised.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please help me to walk in a manner worthy of being Your child. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.