“Next Mephibosheth grandson of Saul arrived from Jerusalem to welcome the king. He hadn’t combed his hair or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safe and sound.” (2 Sam 19:24-25 The Message)
Our lesson from David’s fall today takes place as David is returning to Jerusalem in glory. On the way, he meets up with Mephibosheth, son of Jonathon and grandson of King Saul.
Now to fully understand this story, we need to go back a few years in history. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathon, grandson of King Saul. When news came that Jonathon and Saul were dead, Mephibosheth was only five years old. In that day, whenever a new king took over the throne, it was customary for him to have all the descendants of the former king killed. Fearing that this would happen, Mephibosheth’s nurse took the young child and fled. Unfortunately she dropped him, and as a result, he was lame in both feet for the rest of his life (See 2 Samuel 4:4).
But David wasn’t like other uprising kings. He remembered Jonathon with affection, and he set out to find any of Jonathon’s family who was still alive. When he found out about Mephibosheth, David brought him to the palace. He gave him all of Saul’s land and wealth, he gave him Saul’s servant, Ziba, to look after him, and then he gave him a place at the king’s table (See 2 Samuel 9).
But as David fled Jerusalem during Absalom’s attempt to usurp his throne, he was met by Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth. Naturally David wanted to know where Mephibosheth was. Ziba’s response? “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.'” (2 Samuel 16:3)
Now this answer didn’t sit well with David, for what Mephibosheth was doing was considered an act of treason. His response? “So the king said to Ziba, ‘Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.'” (2 Sam 16:4 NKJV)
With this background in mind, imagine David’s surprise to be met by Mephibosheth. Naturally David had a question or two for the wayward man: “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” (2 Sam 19:24)
Here is where we learn the true story: “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me” (2 Sam 19:25 NJKV).
As it turns out, Mephibosheth, who was lame, needed a donkey to ride in order to follow the king. But when he went out, there was no donkey. Ziba had already taken Mephibosheth’s donkey to David (See 2 Sam. 16:1). Thus, Mephibosheth was stuck in Jerusalem with no way to follow. And as a result of deception, all his wealth was given to the lying servant, Ziba.
Now Mephibosheth had plenty of reason to be bitter. But he wasn’t. Instead, he was grieved for the king who had redeemed him from a life of hiding and shame: “but my lord the king is like the angel of God . . . For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king. Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to cry out anymore to the king?” (2 Sam 19:24-28 NKJV)
King David realized the love for him in Mephibosheth’s heart, and he reinstated him gladly: “Why do you speak anymore of your matters?” (2 Sam 19:29 KNJV) And he promised to give Mephibosheth back what Ziba had stolen from him.
Mephibosheth’s response? “Then Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.'” (2 Sam 19:30 NKJV)
To Mephibosheth, the wealth didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he was once again in right standing with the king!
Friends, we can learn a lesson or two from Mephibosheth!
Let’s take a look at some of the parallels in this story: Just like Mephibosheth had been redeemed by King David, we have been redeemed by Christ. He has taken our place, and set us instead, at the right hand of God! He has given us blessings and riches that we aren’t worthy of having!
But just like Mephibosheth’s wealth was given to Ziba, sometimes things happen and these blessings and riches from God are stolen away.
Our attitude?
We generally get angry at God. But perhaps we would do better to follow Mephibosheth’s example: “Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.”
God is calling us, friends, to stop focussing on what we don’t have. Instead, He is calling us to simply rejoice in His presence! Instead of begging God to change our circumstances, God wants us to be content WHERE WE ARE in Him!
But don’t forget what David did to evoke this response from Mephibosheth: He promised to give Mephibosheth back his wealth!
And God will do this for us as well, but first, we have to have our priorities straight. We need to learn from Mephibosheth that our first concern is to be happy in the presence of our Lord and Maker. Our relationship with Him should be our #1 priority, and only when it is will we be guaranteed happiness, for only then will we become content where we are and with what we have!
And what happens after that isn’t even important anymore, is it?
Join us next week for LESSONS FROM DAVID’S FALL, Part 11: Do It – NOW!!!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org, with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org.
(To access the entire “Lessons From David’s Fall” mini-series, please click here.)