A Person After God’s Own Heart: Session 9 – Surprised by Grace

Notes: 

Do You Have the Religion of a Servant or the Relationship of a Son    See Session Slides Here

  • 2 Sam.9:1-2. David asked, ‘Who can I bless today?’ Who can I show kindness (chesed = mercy, pity, favour) to? Not ‘who deserves the kindness of God?’ There is no such thing as deserving grace. It is not given to us on the basis of merit, but demerit. Rom.3:24 ‘freely’, i.e. without a cause. See Jn.15:25.
  • Paul saw this in the work of Jesus on the cross (Titus 3:3-6).
  • It is depicted here in David’s treatment towards Mephibosheth. Being a descendant of Saul disqualified him for David’s kindness. But grace is given to the undeserving.

 

  • 2 Sam.9:3. Mephibosheth was a grandson of Saul. He was 5 years old when David ascended the throne.
  • His nurse fled from David because she thought that he was like others kings. She fell and he became lame
  • He was carried to the land of Gilead, where he found refuge at Lo-debar = a place of no pasture.
  • He would have been told, ‘The reason your feet are lame is because of David. The reason you live in this dump is because of David. David did this to you.’ So he grew up hating and fearing David.
  • Also, he lived in ignorance of the covenant that existed between his father Jonathan and David.
  • Like Mephibosheth we do not have a personal covenant with God. We are included in the covenant between God and His Son. Many suffer today because of ignorance of the new covenant.
  • David sent and fetched him. 2 Sam.9:5. Without fetching-grace we would have perished (Jn.6:44; Lk.14:18).
  • 2 Sam.9:6-7. David called him by name (See Jn.10:3; Ex.3:4; Lk.19:5; Jn.20:16; Acts 9:4).
  • ‘Here is your servant.’ The majority of Christians belong to the religion of the servant, instead of the son.
  • ‘Do not fear…’ ‘…you have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear…’ ‘…there is no fear in love…’
  • ‘… for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake; and will restore you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.’ Under grace, everything God wants to do in your life is paid for, (Rom.8:32. Matt.6:33).
  • David told Mephibosheth that he would not even have to work. Toil vs tend. In grace we have effortless ministry; not trying to make things happen, but doing what our Father is doing.
  • ‘…and you shall eat bread at my table continually…’’ He forsook his previous family and was incorporated into David’s household as his own son. We have been cut off from Adam and placed in Christ.

 

  • 2 Sam.9:8. Mephibosheth’s thoughts towards David were changed. The goodness of God leads to repentance.
  • 2 Sam.9:9. Mephibosheth means ‘one who destroys shame; a dispeller of shame’. Here he is a picture of someone who has all the rights of a son of a king but initially he sees himself as a dead dog.
  • 2 Sam.9:11. See the contrast between these two men – Ziba the servant (2 Sam.9:2,3,9-11); and Mephibosheth the son. There is not one word of grace to the servant, and not one command to the son.
  • Ziba said, ‘There is a man, but he is a cripple’. A servant draws attention to the flesh. But under the table lameness is hidden. His walk did not bring him to the table. His walk did not keep him at the table.
  • Everything on the table is by grace. Put your feet under the table and enjoy the feast.

Sequel

  • 2 Sam.16:1-4. David, the true king, is rejected. As he leaves Jerusalem he is met by Ziba. He asks, ‘Where is Mephibosheth?’ Ziba replied that he was staying at Jerusalem trying to get the kingdom.
  • It seems as if Ziba was the better person under law, and that grace had made Mephibosheth a traitor.
  • 2 Sam.19:24&25. Absalom was defeated and David returned. Mephibosheth went to meet him. He hadn’t trimmed his beard, washed his clothes or cared for his feet. David asked, ‘Why didn’t you go with me?’
  • 2 Sam.19:26&27. Mephibosheth replied that Ziba had tricked him and deceived David.
  • 2 Sam.19:24. Mephibosheth refused to take any place on earth but that of a mourner waiting David’s return.
  • Who was telling the truth? Ziba or Mephibosheth? One was a hypocrite, the other was genuine.
  • 2 Sam.19:28&29. David did not know which one was genuine so he said, ‘Divide the land.’
  • 12 Sam.9:30. See the beautiful reply of Mephibosheth: ‘It was not the land I wanted. It was that the right person be restored to the throne; the one that had shown me such kindness.’ David tested him, like Solomon, proposing to divide the land. Mephibosheth’s reply revealed he was telling the truth.