One or the other got away with it
2 Samuel 19: You and Ziba divide the property between you.
On the day that David fled Jerusalem several came to offer help and encouragement. One of those people was Ziba, servant of Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth. Normally, a new king would kill all of the previous king’s family but David did just the opposite. He invited Mephibosheth into his household and gave him all of his grandfather’s wealth. When David fled his son, Absalom, Mephibosheth was nowhere to be seen, it was his servant Ziba who came out to assist David. When David asked him where Mephibosheth was Ziba reported that Mephibosheth had said he was glad to be rid of David and that he was scheming to take his grandfather’s throne so that neither David nor Absalom would have it. David replied by granting all of Mephibosheth’s wealth to Ziba. Now that the battle between Absalom and David has ended in David’s victory and David is returning home, one of the people who come out to greet him is Mephibosheth who cheers David’s victory. David asks Saul’s grandson where he was when he was fleeing the city and he replies that Ziba tricked him, leaving him behind when he very much wanted to stick with David. In this case either Ziba or Mephibosheth is lying. It may be that Ziba gambled that David would win in the struggle against his son so he wanted to discredit his master and get on the good side of David. The other possibility is that Mephibosheth did think that he might somehow beat out both David and Absalom and take his grandfather’s throne. If that’s correct, then when David wins, we here see Mephibosheth quickly acting to cover his tracks and make up with David. Which one is it? I have no idea! Interesting isn’t it? If Ziba lied, he got away with it, and came away with half of Mephibosheth’s wealth. If Mephibosheth lied, he got away with it, losing only half of his wealth and remaining a very rich man. My devotional thought on all this? Not much, really; maybe a fresh realization that the bad guys sometimes win in this world. God will sort it all out in Judgment.
Take Away: Someday all wrongs will be made right. Till then, we just have to trust the Lord with the sometimes unfairness of life