Unmerited favor
2 Samuel 9: Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, taking all his meals at the king’s table.
David remembers his friend Jonathan. He and David stood together in the dark days years earlier. At that time they made promises to one another and David hasnโt forgotten those promises. When David learns that Jonathan has a surviving son he seeks him out. Mephibosheth is lame and has had no contact with David, yet David treats him with respect and kindness. Mephibosheth, obviously, has done nothing to earn anything from David. In fact, as the grandson of Saul, he might still have a claim on the throne in the eyes of some people. Most kings of that era would make it their first order of business to wipe out all his predecessor’s heirs to the throne. David, though, does the very opposite. He returns all Saul’s wealth to Mephibosheth and then gives him an honored place in his own household. David’s action here reminds me of the unmerited favor the King has shown to me. Like Mephibosheth, Iโve done nothing to make myself worthy of this great kindness. And, as David reached out to Mephibosheth because of Jonathan, so has the Lord reached out to me because of Jesus.
Take Away: All the people of the Lord are recipients of the unmerited favor of God โ unworthy, but made welcome in his household.
Tag: Mephibosheth
Devotional on 2 Samuel
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