2 Samuel 9:4-8
Verse 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
Upon inquiring about the whereabouts of Jonathan’s surviving son, David finds that the man is living in the home of a wealthy man in a town about 10 miles south of the Sea of Galilee to the east of the Jordan River. Imagine Mephibosheth’s surprise at the king having him retrieved to go to the palace. He may not have wanted to go at first and yet one doesn’t easily say no to the king of the nation, especially one as militarily powerful as David. So he went.
Now Mephibosheth would not have been able to travel there alone. Since his nurse had dropped him as a young boy, he was used to being taken anywhere he needed to go. The fact that he was being housed by a wealthy man means he was likely being well cared for and hadn’t had to suffer along on his own. But he didn’t use his handicap as an excuse to ignore the king. This may tell us something about either his memories of David and his father or the things he had heard about his father and David.
When Mephibosheth comes before the king he bows down low to the ground. He once again doesn’t use his handicap as a way to dishonor David. He must have been running many scenarios through his head but it isn’t likely he had the one which was playing out for him. He heard the tone of respect and even love used when David spoke Jonathan’s name.
David looked at the man bowing in front of him and may have sought out any resemblance to his dear friend. Did the younger man have his father’s eyes or nose structure? Maybe there were parts of him that reminded David of Saul or maybe even things that made him think of his own wife, Michal, who was Mephibosheth’s aunt. Did the young man even understand that the king was his uncle?
King David wastes no time in trying to show his intentions to Mephibosheth. He wasn’t going to let the son of his friend go without understanding the level of love the king had for him simply because he was Jonathan’s boy. For David it felt good to be honoring his promise and there had to be joy flooding the king’s heart at seeing Mephibosheth. Yet the younger man couldn’t understand what was going on.
Making It Personal
Have you ever been called before an authority figure and feared the worst? How did you cope with that fear? What does it mean to you that God invites you to come into His presence?
Making It Personal Kids
Have you ever been afraid of what an authority figure wanted to talk to you about? Did you go see them right away or did you wait as long as you could without getting in trouble? Do you have to fear those in charge?
Closing Prayer
Father, how good it must have felt for David to see his friend’s son. Help us to always keep our promises and to be good to those who fear us. May we show the grace and kindness that You show us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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