The Kindness of the King
And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. II Samuel 4:4 (KJV)
Jonathan, who was Saul’s son was now dead. Mephibosheth, his only remaining son, was just five years old when His father and grandfather died in battle. When news came of their deaths, Mephibosheth’s nurse grabbed him and ran to escape. In her haste, she dropped him, causing him to be lame.
The name Mephibosheth means to scatter, to exterminate, confusion, shame, shameful thing. When we face trouble, it is not good to do things in a hurry. Instead, step back and calmly assess the situation to take the right course of action. If not, we can make missteps and end up falling, causing us to be lame in one or more areas of our lives. Haste causes errors that lead to shame and confusion.
It is important that Mephibosheth was age five when this happened. Five represents grace in the Bible. When we do things in haste and make a mess of it, God has someone prepared to help us.
And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet…. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. II Samuel 9:3, 6-10 (KJV)
Grace is unearned and undeserved. It is the kindness by which God bestows favor and blessings upon those who do not deserve it. Daivd did this for Mephibosheth and God does it for us through Jesus. David is a type of Christ, and Mephibosheth represents the church. David took care of him all his days, and Mephibosheth ate at the king’s table. Even when others hurt us and place us in situations of shame, Jesus removes that shame. Once shattered and shamed by life’s circumstances, Jesus calls for us and brings us to His table to honor us and provide for us.
God restores everything we lost. He makes us as one of the King’s sons. Like Ziba and his house were called to till Mephibosheth’s fields and care for his property, God brings people to us to help us and serve us. In spite of our weaknesses and limitations, God takes us from tragedy to triumph. We will live in peaceful dwelling places with no more shame and no more being scattered. Come to the table. You have a permanent dwelling place with the King.
