NOTES OF AN ADDRESS ON 2 Sam. 9
IN this chapter there occurs a very remarkable sentence. It is this: "The kindness of God." David enquired, saying, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?" (v. 3.) He wanted an object on which to display this kindness-an unworthy object, an offender, an enemy; for it is such that divine kindness meets, according to the gospel of the grace of God. Hence we read in Titus that "we ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us:.. that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Again, in Ephesians we read, "But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us even when we were dead in sins... by grace ye are saved." Now I would ask, if you all know the meaning of grace? for the kindness of God saves us in the way of grace. Grace means something more than love. God loves angels, that is not grace. God loves sinners when dead in sins, altogether bad, and saves them, that is grace. God, therefore, so to speak, needs a sinful creature, a ruined, incurably bad sinner on whom to display His grace. It is the grace of God that melts and wins man's heart. Pure and spotless angels may see God acting in grace to save man, but they have not tasted it for themselves. When an angel sins he is consigned in chains to everlasting darkness; but unclean, filthy men have the gospel of God's grace preached to them, which brings salvation to whosoever believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the amazing kindness of God.
Need I call attention to the fact that man has sinned, got away from God, and, as we constantly find, hates God, despises Christ, refuses the mercy and kindness of God in salvation, and thus deserves to be banished from God's presence for ever. Not one of us could stand before God for one moment on the best things we have ever done, "for all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Man has shown his hatred and antagonism to God in rejecting and crucifying His beloved Son. "Ah," say you, "men that acted so wickedly as to mock and scourge Him, to drive the nails into His holy hands and feet, to cry out, 'Crucify Him, Crucify Him; Away with Him, Away with Him; Not this man, but Barabbas,' deserve to perish." Such, you say, are hell-deserving sinners. But you forget, perhaps, that we all have the same evil principles in our hearts, and in some way or other have manifested the same hatred to and rejection of Christ. So that another has said—
“The soldier pierced His side, 'tie true,
But we have pierced Him through and through.”
All who have not protested against the world's rejection of Christ are certainly equally guilty, but instead of God opening the earth and swallowing us all up, He proclaims to all forgiveness of sins and justification by the blood of the cross. This is grace. It is free, unmerited love to the worst of objects. The cross of Christ is the public manifestation and divine measure of "the kindness of God." Thus the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men. It is a solemn thought, but what many are about is refusing eternal life and glory as God's free gift.
David wanted to shew "the kindness of God" to the house of Saul. Saul was David's enemy, and Saul was also rejected by God, under His condemnation for sinning against Him. But mark, there is a double aspect in this kindness, he not only pardoned this uncomely offspring of his chiefest enemy, but brought him into the place of nearness and fellowship with himself. We are told four times in this short chapter that he should eat bread at the king's table as one of the king's sons.
God loved man when dead in sins-morally loathsome and unclean; yea, He so loved the world, and that not only to cleanse the believer from sin by the atoning blood of His beloved Son, but to bring him into nearness and relationship with himself, for nothing less could satisfy the heart of God. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us," and elsewhere we are told,” Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.... Beloved, now are we the sons of God." Thus the grace of God has met us in our need and ruin, and brought us nigh to Himself in Christ in heavenly places, and that too in the blessed relationship of children, so forcibly illustrated by David, to eat bread at the king's table as one of the king's sons.
Now observe how this "kindness of God" affected Mephibosheth's heart. Mephibosheth was a cripple, lame in both his feet, having nothing naturally to recommend him, but was an object peculiarly for pity and kindness. The king sent for him. How could it be, thought he, that the king should take any notice of such a poor, needy, worthless one? This grace so humbled him, that when brought into the king's presence he fell on his face and did reverence. And when the king assured him of his loving purposes towards him, he was still more humbled, so that he bowed himself and said, "What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" (v. 8.)
Thus we see Mephibosheth called by David, reconciled, blessed, and brought into the king's house, and set at the king's table, in all the happiness and honor belonging to one of the king's sons. Surely this is "the kindness of God." The cripple's feet are hidden under the king's table, and joy and gladness fill his soul while partaking of the king's bounty and love.
The king's kindness went after its object. He sent for the lame Mephibosheth. The royal message reached him. Did he reply, I am afraid to go into the king's presence? It is too good to be true. Must I not do something for it? Must I not get better first, and the like? No. He received the king's word in all simplicity, and gladly obeyed the welcome news. So the gospel now. It announces God's grace. It bids the loathsome, filthy, unclean sinner to come into God's presence. It is this men need, to be reconciled to God, to be happy in His blessed, and infinitely holy presence, and there and there alone is reconciliation, and eternal salvation known. Is not Christ there? Is not the mercy-seat there? Does not the blood speak there? Does not the heart of Jesus still cry from thence, "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out!" Oh, it is when the sinner sees how loving and gracious God is to him in Christ, that he is attracted into the presence of God, is broken and melted under a sense of his utter unworthiness, and bows and worships with reverence and godly fear. And as David said, "Fear not" to this trembling child of Saul, lame in both his feet, so God's perfect love in Christ removes all fear that hath torment, and brings the soul to find not only peace but joy too in the presence of the God of all grace.
But this blest and happy man had to do with an adversary during the king's absence, who was both an accuser and deceiver. It was while the king was thought little of, and when most were despising and rejecting him, that Mephibosheth was thus tried; but his heart was faithfully set on the king all through his absence. How could he but love one who had so loved him. His sympathies then were with the king. Ziba, however, went into the king's presence, and accused Mephibosheth of caring more for Saul's things than for David's; like Satan, who insinuated that Job cared more for God's gifts than for God. "Doth Jot fear God for nought?" So the believer now has to watch against the wiles of Satan, to quench his fiery darts, and to know that he is the accuser of the brethren before God day and night. (Rev. 12:1010And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:10).) The flesh, and Satan, and the world seek to oppose his progress, and to misrepresent him. (2 Sam. 16:33And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. (2 Samuel 16:3).)
The time, however, came when the king returned, and then truth came to light. The faithfulness of this one who had partaken of "the kindness of God" was made manifest, and the falsehood of his accuser was made plain. It then turned out that Mephibosheth's heart bad been in such true sympathy with the king during the period of his rejection, that when he joyfully went forth to meet him, it was made clear that "he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day that he came again in peace." (2 Sam. 19:24-3024And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. 25And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth? 26And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame. 27And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. 28For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king? 29And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. 30And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house. (2 Samuel 19:24‑30).) Nor was this all. In the king's presence this faithful one could boldly say, in answer to the king's question, "Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth? My Lord, O King, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass that I may ride thereon, and go to the king, because thy servant is lame. And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God; do therefore what is good in thine eyes. For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet did thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right, therefore, have I to cry any more unto the king?" And this is not all; for when the king's sentence was that the land should be divided between him and Ziba, it only gave further opportunity for the true faithfulness of Mephibosheth to his royal friend and lover to come forth. He declines, therefore, the gifts, because he has got the giver. Everything can now go because his heart had an object that more than filled it. "Let him take all," said Mephibosheth, "forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.”
Now I ask, can anything more vividly and touchingly set forth the true ground of peace, the trial by the way, and the judgment seat of Christ, than this brief narrative? First: Is not "the kindness of God" the alone ground of peace, as manifested in the redemption-work of Christ, and the new position and relationship God has brought the believer into in Him risen and ascended? Then, as to the trials by the way. Are not betrayal, slander, deceit, and false accusation, sooner or later, the experience of most of God's faithful ones? And what then is the relief? Is it not that the Lord Jesus, the true David, now rejected, and thought so little of, will come again from heaven, and Himself then be the everlasting solace of our hearts which will never more be grieved. It is Himself for whom we wait, it is the Lord Himself who will descend from heaven with a shout, and then we shall assuredly find that however rich and blessed His gifts have been, yet “Greater far than all beside, HE, HE HIMSELF IS thine.”
And, thirdly, every perplexity will be unraveled then, every hidden thing brought to light. Real faithfulness to Christ, thought as little of now, it may be, as at the time when Mephibosheth neglected to dress his feet and trim his beard, will then shine forth in brightest luster, because it is the work of the Holy Ghost in the heart, the fruit of divine grace. Then every false accusation will be made manifest, every untrue insinuation cleared. But, above all, we shall be "forever with the Lord.”