2 Samuel 9:1-13

Good morning, church. It is always a pleasure to be with you, and a little bit of a special surprise that I'm with you on this side of the pulpit this morning.

Surprise to me, of course, not a surprise to the Lord. So we'll be taking an unexpected and humanly unplanned break from our exposition of the Gospel of John this morning.

We'll be in prayer for Nathan.

Mr. Reminder will be on the lookout for ways to help the Rainers as Nathan is on the mend.

Please be in prayer for me this morning, as this preparation had to be done in only a couple hours.

Thankfully for me, God is all-wise and powerful. It is only my responsibility to let the lion of God's Word out of its cage this morning.

So join with me in prayer before we examine God's Word together.

Dear Lord, thank you for the breath in our lungs this morning.

Thank you for gathering us together to sing your praises, to bear with one another through this life as you grow and sanctify us to the image of Christ,

to celebrate the greatness of the Gospel and to cherish the depth of your kindness and wisdom shown to us through the testimony of your Word.

It is an abundant gift that we have your Word to explore and to see how you've revealed yourself to us in it.

Help us to see your working today and obediently follow where you lead us.

I pray that you would take this brief sermon and multiply its effects beyond what I think is possible,

because we know that you give the growth.

Thank you for your faithfulness to us, that we can count on it, and it is our hope everlasting.

We pray this and come to you in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today, we will be looking at a powerful prefigure of Jesus Christ,

as well as a name that I do not expect to be announced on Slack anytime soon.

Of course, that means we will be studying David and Mephibosheth this morning.

I invite you to turn to 2 Samuel.

The focus of our time today will be in chapter 9,

but we will have some quick touch points earlier in the story

to help frame our understanding of the situation in chapter 9.

So, at the end of 1 Samuel, in chapter 31,

we read about Saul and Jonathan falling in battle against the Philistines.

In chapter 1 of 2 Samuel, this news makes its way to David,

and he weeps and mourns the death of his best friend and king.

David's poetic lament was captured and recorded.

A few verses in the middle summarize it well.

Verse 23 and 25 of chapter 1 of 2 Samuel says,

David loved these men.

God used Saul to put David in the position to bring much glory to God

as David led campaigns and battles and defenses against people that hated God and Israel.

Jonathan was a faithful friend and brother in arms with David

as God preserved them through those many battles.

And despite Saul's determined murderous chase against David,

David still loved and respected Saul,

as we can see here clearly in David's mourning of Saul.

There are many biblical phrases that have permeated English,

and we read one, we see a common one here,

how the mighty have fallen.

This was a genuine tragedy.

I often hear this phrase used facetiously or sarcastically,

so I want to be sure that we are not anachronistically reading that notion back into this.

This was a real tragedy, a real mourning that David says in his feeling.

He repeats this rephrase how the mighty have fallen three times during his lament.

This was a deep, impactful loss for the nation.

So in the power vacuum of Saul's death,

the nation of Israel starts to crack politically,

not unlike it was in the time of the judges.

David is appointed king of Judah in the south,

and Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, is appointed king of Israel in the north.

Saul's general, Abner, took Ish-bosheth and endorsed him as king.

In these politically unstable situations,

people tend to listen to the guy who has control of the army,

so Ish-bosheth became king.

We also read about David's general, Joab,

and his actions during this politically unstable time.

A while later, Abner, Saul's former general,

defected and went and joined with David.

David, Joab, David's general, voiced his distrust of Abner to David.

And he also, Abner, had a personal vendetta against Joab

because Joab killed Abner's brother, Asahel, earlier in these conflicts.

So Joab quickly set about his plan to murder Abner, which he does.

David publicly mourned Abner's death

and confirmed that he had no role in the murder.

News of this murder gets back to Israel and Ish-bosheth,

and the city starts to go crazy,

and Ish-bosheth loses his courage.

At the same time, in Israel,

two raiding band captains were with Ish-bosheth in the city,

and they take this tumultuous moment of this uncertainty

following Abner's death

as a moment for them to have opportunity for gain.

So they assassinate Ish-bosheth and take his head to David,

hoping that David will give them a reward

because they took out David's enemy.

David sees the men for what they are,

murderers, and puts them to death for their wickedness.

In the middle of this account, in 2 Samuel chapter 4,

2 Samuel 4 · chapter mention

in verse 4, the narrator kind of flashes back about Mephosheth,

likely so that the reader would understand

why the next of kin was not appointed king

after Ish-bosheth is murdered.

So this is 2 Samuel 4, verse 4.

2 Samuel 4:4

Jonathan, the son of Saul,

had a son who was crippled in his feet.

He was five years old.

So, okay, that's the headline.

Jonathan had a son who was crippled in his feet.

This is how he got crippled.

He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan

came from Jezreel, the battlefield.

And his nurse took him and fled.

And as she fled in her haste,

he, Mephibosheth, fell and became lame,

and his name was Mephibosheth.

So in the chaos about hearing about a leader's death,

in this case Saul's death,

Mephibosheth has an accident and can no longer walk.

Years later, in the chaos about another leader's death,

in this case Ish-bosheth,

his uncle is assassinated.

So no one tried to take up this young crippled Mephibosheth

and put him on the throne,

as had been done for Ish-bosheth.

So the political dust settles,

and David is anointed king over a reunited Israel.

The chapters that follow this are generally quite positive.

God gives David victory over the Philistines.

David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

God makes a covenant with David to uphold his house forever.

And God gives many more military victories

around the land to David.

And there is a repeated phrase there in chapter 8,

in verse 6 and 14.

The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

And the narrator follows this latter verse,

in verse 15, with this,

So David reigned over all Israel,

and David administered justice and equity

to all his people.

So to be clear, at this point,

this is a mountaintop, high point moment

in the life of David.

He has brought the Ark with him.

God has made him victorious wherever he went.

God has made a covenant with him

that will last forever.

I mean, this is the top of the top.

There's justice and equity for all the people.

This is a huge sigh of relief for this nation.

We must remember that this has been,

what came before David

was the reign of Saul,

selfish, murderous,

and at times pretty insane.

And before Saul was the time of the judges,

a very dark and depressing time

in Israel's history,

full of sin and wickedness.

So this had been since the time of Moses and Joshua,

that the people would have known justice and peace like this

about 350 years before.

Now, we just celebrated the 250th anniversary

of the United States independence earlier this year.

So with that context,

350 years feels like a long, long time indeed.

So with that lengthy introduction,

we now arrive in chapter nine,

where we will consider first,

David's intention in the first five verses.

So read with me in 2 Samuel chapter nine,

verses one through five.

And David said,

Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul

that I might show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

Now there was a servant of the house of Saul

whose name was Ziba.

And they called him to David.

And the king said to him,

Are you Ziba?

And he said,

I am your servant.

And the king said,

Is there not still someone of the house of Saul

that I may show the kindness of God to him?

Ziba said to the king,

There is still a son of Jonathan.

He is crippled in his feet.

The king said to him,

Where is he?

And Ziba said to the king,

He is in the house of Mekir,

the son of Amiel at Lodabar.

Then King David sent and brought him

from the house of Mekir,

the son of Amiel at Lodabar.

So from the very beginning of this account,

we can see David's true and stated intention.

Is there anyone left that I may show him kindness

for Jonathan's sake?

And then again,

Is there anyone left that I may show

the kindness of God to him?

As we've already covered today and more

beyond that and recorded in scripture,

David knows well the enduring, faithful kindness of God.

And that is what he is looking to show.

It is out now,

out of an overflow of God's kindness to him,

that he seeks out who else he can lift up

and bless to honor the promises

that he made to Jonathan and Saul.

So once again,

getting back some other context,

in 1 Samuel 20, verse 42,

1 Samuel 20:42

Jonathan summarizes the covenant

that he and David made together.

Then Jonathan said to David,

Go in peace,

because we have sworn both of us

in the name of the Lord,

saying,

The Lord shall be between me and you,

and between my offspring

and your offspring forever.

And after David spares Saul's life

in 1 Samuel 24,

David swears this to Saul.

So Saul said to David,

Swear to me,

therefore,

by the Lord,

that you will not cut off my offspring after me,

and you will not destroy my name

out of my father's house.

And David swore this to Saul.

The difference in flavor

from these two promises

is telling about the difference in character

between Jonathan and Saul.

Jonathan's covenant is mutual

and founded on their mutual faith in God

and God's kindness to both of them.

Whereas Saul's is a little bit more,

Hey, you could have just killed me,

but promise you won't kill my sons

after I die kind of thing.

And it's very one directional.

And yet David still agrees to it.

So I think that's noteworthy

to see the difference in character

between Jonathan and Saul.

So, continuing.

Likely since Saul's death,

Ziba, who is Saul's former servant,

had assumed the leadership

and stewardship of Saul's estate

and was probably sending the prophets to David

as the new king

like the other land managers would have done.

Now, later on in 2 Samuel,

after this account,

we see Ziba deceive David

in an attempt to actually undo

what happens in this chapter.

Even still,

here in chapter 9,

Ziba does what he is told.

So then the attention turns the other way

from David to Mephibosheth in verse 6.

And we can glean how he expected

this summons to go.

So now in verse 6 through 8,

we'll consider Mephibosheth's expectations.

And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan,

son of Saul,

came to David and fell on his face

and paid homage.

And David said,

Mephibosheth.

And he answered,

Behold, I am your servant.

And David said to him,

Do not fear,

for I will show you the kindness.

I will show you kindness

for the sake of your father, Jonathan.

And I will restore to you

all the land of Saul, your father.

And you shall eat at my table always.

And he paid homage and said,

What is your servant

that you should show regard

for a dead dog such as I?

So Mephibosheth comes in

humble, lowly, and respectful

before David the king.

Then even after,

David brings him in

on his own intentions,

brings him in on his own plan,

that he will show him kindness,

restore to him Saul's estate,

and invite him to eat at his table.

Mephibosheth continues

his own self-abasement

in verse 8,

referring to himself

as a dead dog,

seemingly not believing

that this could truly

be a real offer,

a real invitation to him.

The subtext that we can infer

is that Mephibosheth

expected David

to carry out the norm

when a reigning family regime

changed to snuff out

any chance of rebellion

or treachery

from the deposed family.

This political pattern

happens all the time

in stories,

as it has happened

repeatedly in history.

It's a common story trope

that a member

of a wrongfully deposed family

comes back to avenge

his family against the usurper.

However, clearly,

Mephibosheth

is in no position

to lead a rebellion

against David.

And he has definitely

heard already

that the Lord

gave victory to David

wherever he went.

Understandably,

Mephibosheth likely assumed

that he was about to be

another victory

in that long

and growing list

of David's victory.

But David chose

not to repeat himself

and answer Mephibosheth's

confused question.

Instead,

David moves forward

to carry out

his promise

and declaration

to Mephibosheth.

So, verse 9 through 13

we'll consider

the king's table.

Starting in verse 9.

Then the king

called Ziba,

Saul's servant,

and said to him,

All that belong

to Saul

and to all his house

I have given

to your master's grandson.

And you and your sons

and your servants

shall till the land

for him

and shall bring in

the produce

that your master's grandson

may have bread to eat.

But Mephibosheth,

your master's grandson,

shall always eat

at my table.

Now Ziba had 15 sons

and 20 servants.

Then Ziba said

to the king,

According to all

that my lord the king

commands his servants,

so will your servant do.

So Mephibosheth

ate at David's table

like one of the king's sons.

And Mephibosheth

had a young son

whose name was Micah.

And all who lived

in Ziba's house

became Mephibosheth's servants.

So Mephibosheth

lived in Jerusalem

for he ate always

at the king's table.

Now he was lame

in both his feet.

So I want to consider

three aspects

to this chunk,

this fulfillment

of David's promise.

So first,

restored.

David gives the land

and the servants

back to Mephibosheth

as they were

to Saul

that the land

and the servants

would provide for him.

As I mentioned earlier,

this would not sit well

with Ziba in the long term,

but David is meaning

to do right

by Mephibosheth

for the sake

of Jonathan

and Saul.

The second aspect

that he's provided for.

Men who could not walk

in this time

did not have much,

if anything,

they could do

to provide for themselves.

Computer programming

was not an available

career path.

Of course,

God had kept

Mephibosheth alive

one way or another,

but now,

Mephibosheth

was always welcome

to eat at the king's table.

Now he was secure,

not begging

from one house

to another.

Mephibosheth

is adopted,

so not only

was he welcome

to eat at the table,

but he did so

like one of the king's sons,

not as a beggar.

This is a world-flipped,

upside-down change

in Mephibosheth's life.

He was likely forced

to beg for food,

water,

and shelter

for the many years

that he roamed the land

in a land of civil war

and political turmoil,

and now the man

that he thought

would kill him

has welcomed him

like one of his own sons.

So this is a beautiful

account of

an overflowing

kindness and faithfulness

before God

that we see

exampled by

King David.

But this is not

the end of the story,

it's just

the foreshadowing.

God promised David

that his son,

that his house

would uphold,

that he would

uphold his house

forever.

David fulfilled

his promise,

and God will also

fulfill his promise

to David.

So let us see

how the son of David

acts when meeting

a man that could not

walk.

If you would turn

in your Bibles with me

to Mark chapter 2,

Mark 2 · chapter mention

we're going to read

the first 12 verses

together.

And here we will see

a greater restoration,

a greater provision,

and a greater adoption.

So starting in Mark chapter 2,

Mark 2 · chapter mention

and when Jesus

returned to Capernaum

after some days,

it was reported

that he was at home,

and many were

gathered together

so that there was

no room,

not even at the door.

And he was preaching

the word to them,

and they came,

bringing to him

a paralytic

carried by four men.

And when they could

not get near him

because of the crowd,

they removed the roof

above him,

and when they had

made an opening,

they let down the bed

on which the paralytic lay.

And when Jesus

saw their faith,

he said to the paralytic,

Son,

your sins are forgiven.

Now some of the scribes

were sitting there

questioning in their hearts,

Why does this man

speak like that?

He is blaspheming.

Who can forgive sins

but God alone?

And immediately,

Jesus perceiving

in his spirit

that they thus questioned

within themselves,

said to them,

Why do you question

these things in your hearts?

Which is easier to say

to the paralytic,

Your sins are forgiven?

Or to say,

Rise,

take up your bed,

and walk?

But that you may know

that the Son of Man

has authority

on earth to forgive sins,

he said to the paralytic,

I say to you,

Rise,

pick up your bed,

and go home.

And he rose,

and immediately picked up his bed

and went out before them all,

so that they were all amazed

and glorified God,

saying,

We never saw anything like this.

So David did the best

that he could do.

He gave the best blessing

that he could give

to Mephibosheth,

but he was only

an Israelite king.

As we read at the end

of the story

in 2 Samuel 9,

Mephibosheth was still lame

in both his feet.

He was fed now,

he was clothed,

he was sheltered,

all good things,

but he was still lame.

Jesus sees this man's

greatest need,

his sin that separates him

from the love of God.

Jesus not only identifies

this greater brokenness

than his physical body,

Jesus has the solution

and authority

to carry it out.

And to demonstrate

that spiritual authority,

Jesus shows his authority

over the physical as well,

and heals the man

so that he can walk.

Jesus does not give

the crippled man food,

he gives him himself,

the bread of life,

that he may never

have to hunger again.

Jesus does not only

restore his physical body,

Jesus restores

his relationship

to his creator,

the source of all life.

Jesus does not invite

the man for dinner,

he brings him

to his true father

so that he can be adopted,

called a son of God

and a co-heir with Christ,

to share in the riches

of God's grace forever.

This is a greater David,

that as David did

the best that he could do,

he did fulfill his promise.

Jesus doesn't have

any promise to this man,

and yet he showed him

this abundant kindness.

David was following through

on his word,

Jesus is going out of his way

to fulfill and restore

this man to life,

not just physically,

but ultimately,

spiritually.

And it is in this way,

and it is later through

the life, death,

and resurrection

of Jesus Christ

that God would fulfill

his promise to David

to uphold his house forever.

So, for some closing applications,

first, we must see ourselves

rightly within these stories.

We are the Mephibosheth

and the paralytic.

We have nothing to bring.

We can often be confused

by the great mercy of God

toward us,

expecting the natural consequences

of our sin,

but by faith in Jesus Christ,

we can be restored,

forgiven,

restored to new life

and everlasting life

with God.

Always welcome to be with God

like his own son.

Once we have placed

our faith in Christ,

we are compelled

by the love of God

to tell the other beggars

where the bread of life is.

God's grace is not only

abundant for me,

it is abundant for all

that would place

their faith in Christ.

So, if you have been

so richly blessed

to know God's forgiveness

in Christ,

you must understand

that this blessing

and goodness

is not for you

to keep for yourself.

Let's close in prayer.