David Reaches Out To Mephibosheth

Saul had tried for years to kill David.  After Saul’s death, Ishbosheth had struggled to prevent David becoming king.  Rather than holding a grudge against Saul, David remembered how Jonathan had helped him over the years and decided to show respect for him by doing something nice for Saul’s family.  He consulted Saul’s old servants to see if any of Sauls family were still alive, in II Samuel 9:1-3.  “And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?  And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba?

And he said, Thy servant is he.

And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?

And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.”

David had not known Jonathan had a son, who had been born after David had fled into the wilderness.  He had been crippled while Saul’s family was trying to escape after Saul and Jonathan were killed, according to II Samuel 4:4.  “And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”

David had wanted to honor Jonathan’s memory, and honoring his son would be the best possible way he could imagine.  David acted immediately, in II Samuel 9:4-7.  “And the king said unto him, Where is he?

And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.  Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.  Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence.

And David said, Mephibosheth.

And he answered, Behold thy servant!

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show 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.”

Mephibosheth knew the hatred Saul had had for David, and he expected David to hold a grudge as a result.  He couldn’t believe David was being so nice as to give him back everything that had belonged to Saul’s family, as we see in II Samuel 9:8.  “And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?”

Mephibosheth was handicapped because of the injury to his leg.  David assigned Saul’s former servant to to manage his lands for him, in II Samuel 9:9-11a.  “Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.  Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do.”

David’s action made Mephibosheth a very rich man, but David wasn’t finished.  He asked Mephibosheth to come as a guest to stay at the palace as if he were a member of the family, in II Samuel 9:11b-13.  “As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.  And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.  So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.”   With his own wealth, Mephibosheth was free to come and go as he pleased and was not indebted to David.  They could just be friends. 

This is the very relationship Christ wants with us, as John 15:15 describes.  “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”  Like Mephibosheth we have been adopted as if we were his children and treated as his friends.  He doesn’t hold our past against us.