[2Sam 9:6-13] Don't Be Afraid (John Lim)

John Lim

II Samuel 9:6-13 

 Don't be afraid. 

 

“When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.  David said, “Mephibosheth!”  “Your servant,” he replied.  “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.”  Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?”  Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.  You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.”  (Now, Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)  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.  Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.  And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.”
(II Samuel 9:6-13)

 

 

So the journey for Mephibosheth comes to an end as he is brought into the presence of King David, presumably in his court.  As protocol required, Mephibosheth bowed down to pay King David homage, after all, he is in the presence of the king of Israel.      

 

As he bowed down, David said, “Mephibosheth!”  Can you just imagine this dramatic scene in the eyes of your imagination?  No one knows the outcome of this event at this point.  King David is still trying to solidify his kingdom and there have been sporadic skirmishes between Saul’s loyal followers and David’s men.  The situation is still tense.  So, no one would have known how this day would end.  David can do what he pleases as he is the supreme ruler of his kingdom.   

 

Let’s think about that first word out of David’s mouth upon seeing Mephibosheth.  We wonder what kind of tone David must have uttered, “Mephibosheth.”  Did he say this with grave accusatory tone or gentle voice of greeting an old friend?  We can’t be sure since we don’t have the nuance for this exchange. 

 

However, when David called out to him, we can safely assume that Mephibosheth was at least nervous in his encounter with the King David from what David says after his response.  It is quite probable that Mephibosheth must have displayed acute sense of fear and trepidation.  He has no idea what to expect from King David.  For all he knows, he can be put to death by David’s men who wouldn’t think twice about carrying out their commander and king’s wish. 

 

As Mephibosheth was brought into the presence of David, Mephibosheth knew well that they are not equal in stature or status.  He is a crippled grandson of a disgraced king who died.  And David is the current king of Israel who commands respect and support from his subjects.  The house of David continues to rise while the house of Saul continues to decline. 

 

So with that in mind, let’s look at the Scripture.  Look at verse 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.”

 

What David said to Mephibosheth must have been totally unexpected.  Can anyone be this magnanimous?  When Saul was the king of Israel, he tried his best to get rid of David.  He tried killing him on several occasions and failed because God wouldn’t allow it.  Mephibosheth must have heard about legendary tales of David and how he escaped the spears of Saul.  As a grandson of David’s nemesis, what could Mephibosheth expect from this stern and battle proven warrior king?

 

And yet, when David finally spoke, he is simply gracious and generous. 

 

If we ponder for a moment of what David is saying here to Mephibosheth, we come to realize that this is really nothing special as David is merely keeping the oath he made with Jonathan on that fateful day when he was running away from Saul.  David is a man after God’s heart and a man of honor, character and integrity.  He would do no less than what is just and right before the eyes of God. 

 

First thing David mentions is that Mephibosheth has nothing to be afraid of.  And secondly, he tells him that he will show kindness for the sake of his father, Jonathan.  Isn’t it possible that Mephibosheth might have been trembling in fear as David had to assure him not to be afraid?

 

As we stand before God, poor sinners, what is our stance?  We would be shaking in fear for what we rightfully deserve because of our sin.  When God saves us from our sins, He saves us based on what Christ did for us not because of what we have accomplished or have done to deserve his mercy.  When David shows his kindness to Mephibosheth, he does so for the sake of his friend, Jonathan. 

 

God saves us from our deserved condemnation for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us.  What David has done for Mephibosheth is what God has done for us.  Because of Jesus Christ, God tells us not to be afraid and that He will surely show kindness for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ just as David will show kindness to Mephibosheth for the sake of Jonathan. 

 

And David continues on to tell Mephibosheth that he will restore to Mephibosheth all the land that belonged to his grandfather, Saul.  When we were saved from our sins, we were restored in our relationship to God.  When Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, their communion with God and their fellowship with God had been severed.  That special relationship that existed prior to the fall of Adam and Eve with God had been obliterated by sin. 

But when Jesus Christ died on the cross, that severed communion and fellowship had been restored as if it never happened.  This is what is being illustrated here in the story of David and Mephibosheth.  Look at what David is saying to Mephibosheth.  All the rights and privileges that come with being God’s children are now restored fully.  All those years Mephibosheth had lived as a crippled grandson of a rejected king have been washed away with that one declaration from King David.

 

As we can imagine, life for Mephibosheth up to this point had been an arduous journey as he lived with the infamy of being a crippled grandson of Saul.   And when Mephibosheth stood before David, he is no longer a child but a man who is married with a young son.  To continue the bad dream, his life as a crippled man in that ancient times, must have posed unique challenges for Mephibosheth.  We do not have all the facts but he probably was not very wealthy or financially secure.  His days were not filled with glorious laughter and joy but filled with uncertainty and dark cloud, not knowing what will happen to him. 

 

So, when David restores all the land to Mephibosheth, it meant he was now restored to his former status of being the king’s grandson.  All the lands that belonged to Saul have been now given to Mephibosheth.  This means he doesn’t have to worry about his financial situation. He no longer has to worry about taking care of his family.  Isn’t this what happened to us when we became children of God?  Before, we were living in fear and uncertainty not knowing who we were or where we belonged.  But after we became Christians, we have become members of God’s family.  All that we had before Adam sinned has been restored to us.  We can look forward to our home in heaven and we can live on this earth with confidence and security knowing that all our needs will be provided by God who takes care of us as his beloved children. 

 

Not only is David restoring all the material possessions but he does something dramatic for Mephibosheth. 

 

“and you will always eat at my table.”

 

There is something about eating together.  When we eat at the same table, we share common bond and friendship.  When we invite people to our homes and eat at the same table, it is special as we break bread together and share our lives.  It is a meaningful expression of intimate fellowship.  When someone eats at King David’s table, it is a special privilege and honor.  When David told Mephibosheth, “and you will always eat at my table,” he means perpetually, Mephibosheth has his rightful place at the King’s table.  No one can tell Mephibosheth that he is not welcome.   Mephibosheth will always eat at King David’s table rain or shine.   

 

That is what Jesus Christ has done for us when he died on the cross.  Though we had been God’s enemies because of our sins, through Jesus, we were brought near to him.  We have been restored in our relationship with God and we have the same privilege as God’s children.  We are able to sit at His table because of Christ.  We have been granted that privilege to be treated as children of God.  We are always to eat at His table. 

 

Can you imagine what Mephibosheth must have felt when he heard such words from David’s mouth?   I am sure that he must have been overwhelmed at such magnanimous treatment from David. 

 

Now comes probably the most important verse in this chapter.  When David showed this loving kindness to Mephibosheth, what is Mephibosheth’s response? 

 

Does he respond as if this was long overdue and that it is about time that he receives what is coming to him?  Although many people might feel that David is the main protagonist in this passage, we want to examine Mephibosheth as an intriguing character who exemplifies all of us who have been saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.  From Mephibosheth’s response, we learn a great deal about sinner’s attitude and perspective.  Look at verse 8.

 

“Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

 

Mephibosheth bowed down and showed his utmost respect to King David.  He rendered to David that honor and tribute.  Just because David restored Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth as one of the princes hasn’t changed Mephibosheth’s status.  It is David’s mercy and kindness that restored the crippled man but Mephibosheth does not all of a sudden straighten out his chest start assuming that he is somebody.  Continue to look at what Mephibosheth said. 

 

After a long address by David restoring all that Mephibosheth lost throughout the years, Mephibosheth says, “What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me?”   This is more of a confession that carries a rhetorical tone regarding his identity and position. 

Mephibosheth sees himself as nothing more than a dog, probably the lowliest creature one can possibly identify with and not only that but a dead one.  One cannot get any lower than depicting himself as a dead dog.  We don’t go around telling people that we are a dead dog. 

 

We all have a sense of pride and self-esteem.  We know we are not perfect but we would never identify ourselves as the lowest scum on the earth or the lowest living creature in the food chain.  We would think of ourselves not as good as some spiritual giant but we would not think of ourselves like some common criminal in prison either.  But this is where we differ from Mephibosheth.  What is truly beautiful about Mephibosheth is that his estimation of himself may be due to his deep and mature faith.  The reason he is able to think like this is because Mephibosheth knows the depth of his despair living in dire strait.  He has been there and knows what that is like and appreciates what David has done for him. 

 

As sinners before we were saved, we know the depth of our own despair and hopelessness.  We know where we were and where we were going before God intervened and saved us from our sins.  As we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, do we look at ourselves and marvel how we have been saved? 

 

As we think of our own journey of faith, do we stop from time to time and ponder about who we were in our relationship with God?  Do we stop and simply become awed by our own salvation?   Isn’t it by the loving kindness of God that we have been saved from our sins and that we can call God, our Heavenly Father and commune with him?  As we think about this marvelous grace of God, do we become overwhelmed at God’s mercy?

 

As Christians who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, we can never forget who we truly were before God.  Every time we think about this, we see ourselves as Mephibosheth saw him.  If not by the grace of God, we are no better than the dead dog that Mephibosheth so aptly puts. 

 

As the years go by, we become even more certain that we were indeed nothing but dead dogs but by the grace of God.  Apostle Paul considered himself, chief among sinners.  I don’t think Mephibosheth ever forgot this throughout his life as we will see next week.  Look at verses 9-10.

 

“Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.  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.)

 

King David now calls in Ziba and tell him in exact detail how things will be for Mephibosheth.  He lifts up Mephibosheth from a lowly state to now exalted state.  It is quite notable that there are two more places in this chapter where eating at the King’s table is mentioned for a total of 4 times in this chapter.  Look at verse 11b.

 

“So, Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

 

Look at verse 13b.

 

“And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.”

 

As this is mentioned four times in this chapter, there is something quite significant about eating at the king’s table. 

 

It is a special privilege and David bestows this upon Mephibosheth who never imagined this is how his life would turn out.  Mephibosheth took full advantage of David’s invitation and as verse 11 says, he always ate at king’s table. 

 

As God’s children, we have been granted special privilege to sit at our King’s table.  As we remind ourselves of God’s grace and mercy, our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy for this blessing. 

 

The dialogue between David and Mephibosheth is a picture of what also took place between God and us.  Though we were in a state of sin and misery, because of God’s grace, we were reconciled with God and thus enjoy all the benefits of being God’s children. 

 

We now sit at His table, enjoying God’s presence in our lives and looking forward to that day when we will join His table in Heaven along with all the saints who have gone before us.   We are thankful and joyful for God’s love shown us.  Amen.