| “And David said unto him [Mephibosheth], Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually” (2 Samuel 9:7). |
| The story of Mephibosheth is a very touching one, for it shows how David showed kindness to a young man who was lame on both his feet, and yet was able to sit and eat at King David’s table. You can read the whole story of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. Mephibosheth’s father Jonathan had been killed in battle with the Philistines, but David wanted to show kindness to anyone related to King Saul, because David and Saul’s son Jonathan had been such good friends. We know that Saul himself had tried to kill David many times, and Mephibosheth was probably afraid that David would kill him, because he was Saul’s grandson. However, David wanted only to show kindness to him. |
| But there is something in our verses today that is very special. David told Mephibosheth that he would eat his food at David’s table continually. Yet David also said that he would restore all the land of Saul to Mephibosheth, and told Ziba and his family, with all his servants, to work the land for Mephibosheth, so that “thy master’s son may have food to eat” (2 Samuel 9:10). If Mephibosheth were to eat at David’s table, why did he need a big estate in order to have food to eat? |
| David not only restored Mephibosheth to a place at his table, as one of David’s sons, but he also restored his dignity. He was not simply an object of charity, or welfare; no, he had his own estate with servants to work it for him. He did not need the food that was produced, but having that big estate gave him a proper dignity, as a king’s son. How gracious of David to do this! |
| The Lord has done the same thing for us as Christians. Like Mephibosheth, we did not deserve anything but death, but God has given us new life in Christ, and we will spend eternity with Him in heaven. However, He has given us more than that. He has given us an “eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15), so that we have a dignity that is appropriate for us as sons of God. What a wonderful place God has brought us into! The Lord Jesus is going to inherit all created things, and He is going to share that inheritance with us. |
