2 Samuel 9

2 Samuel 9

Shawn Bumpers / General

Instructions

As we saw in the second half of 1 Samuel, David suffered much at the hands of Saul.

It would have been understandable if David had conveniently forgotten his promise to Jonathan.

1 Samuel 20:14–15 NKJV

And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”

1 Samuel 20:42 NKJV

Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

These chapters all seem to flow together and it could be easy to lose these sense of time passing.

According to chapter 4, Mephibosheth was five years old at the death of his father.

In each case it’s חֶ֫סֶד Chesed: A word that means loyal love.

Titus 3:4–7 NKJV

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Paul saw the kindness of God in the coming of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross.

Nobody else could.

As we saw in chapter 5 of Hebrews this past Sunday, Christ is both priest and king.

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

v1-4

The promise that David had made to Jonathan dealt with Jonathan’s immediate family.

But David extends that promise even wider … willing to include any of Saul’s surviving sons or grandsons.

That son was Mephibosheth.

His name means “Dispeller of Shame.”

2 Samuel 4:4 NKJV

Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

David’s motivation for seeking Mephibosheth was not spurred by his disability.

Rather, it was David’s desire to honor Jonathan, the father. 

Ephesians 1:3–7 NKJV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

David had already showed kindness to Ziba.

Ziba had 20 servants.

v5-8

Mephibosheth was at the house of Machir in Lo-Debar.

East of the Jordan / southern part of the Sea of Galilee.

It would not be surprising if he felt both fear and resentment at being called by David. 

So, what a bizarre moment this must have been for Mephibosheth!

If he believed what his grandfather had said about David, he would have been fearing for his life.

In this we have a picture of our King Jesus Christ saving us out of our terrible condition … bringing us from a place of no pasture to green pastures.

It was God who reached out to us and not we who sought Him. 

Romans 5:8 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

v9-13

To hand over Saul’s property to his grandson was great, but it had to be managed.

Mephibosheth just was not able.

David modelled his kindness on the kindness of God, as verse 3 says.

So then, his kindness, was not limited, but freely given to the undeserving as an act of free grace. 

David’s words of verse 11, “eat at my table,” are found three other times in the passage … verses 7, 10, and 13.

They indicate that Jonathan’s son would be treated as if he were David’s own son.

Ephesians 2:1–6 NKJV

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Revelation 3:21 NKJV

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Psalm 23 NKJV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Galatians 3:26 NKJV

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:8 NKJV

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

John 14:2–3 ESV

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Romans 8:1 NKJV

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NKJV

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

John 3:18 NKJV

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.