Burning Bush Blogs
Equipping Men with Biblical Knowledge and Leadership Skills
Category: Personal Study
Thread: Game of Thrones
Post Topic: David’s Mercy
Post in Thread: #14
Previous: Battle for Jerusalem
Next: The King’s Deadly Affair
Scripture: 2 Samuel 9:1-13
Key Verses:
2 Samuel 9:1
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Observations
Context
- King Saul’s son Jonathan had always been David’s closest friend.
- They had pledged unending loyalty to each other and their descendants.
- The fragmentation during Saul’s reign was a distant memory.
- Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle by the warring Philistines.
- The house of David won the ensuing civil war.
- David had become the well-established king of a united Israel.
Events
- David asked Saul’s former servant Ziba if anyone remained from the house of Saul.
- Scripture doesn’t mention any events or conversations that prompted David to remember Jonathan and make this inquiry.
- He didn’t ask specifically about Jonathan’s children. The inquiry was open to any from the house of Saul.
- Ziba revealed that Jonathan’s lame son Mephibosheth still lived, and was hiding in the house of Machir.
- David sent for Mephibosheth.
- The introduction went well, and David promised to provide for Mephibosheth.
- Mephibosheth bowed and asked “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
- David gave farmland to Mephibosheth, and put Ziba and his 15 sons in charge of the farmland, with instructions to provide for Mephibosheth.
- Mephibosheth was taken in as though he was David’s son. He was always given a seat at the king’s table.
Interpretation
Setting
David’s palace in Jerusalem.
Genre
Narrative description.
Author
The author is unknown, but they had access to the records of the kings and possessed a thorough knowledge of the life and times of Samuel and the events surrounding the first kings of Israel.
Takeaways
- Something in David’s soul made him think of his fallen friend Jonathan.
- He listened to God’s voice, and reached out to see how he could show kindness in honor of Jonathan.
- He treated Mephibosheth like his own son.
- Mephibosheth didn’t know what to make of it.
- The house of David had defeated the house of Saul in a brutal civil war, yet here was David himself showing kindness.
- On top of it all, there was nothing Mephibosheth brought to the table. He was a helpless lame man.
- David did more than offer a passing gesture of a single gift or a day of honor for this man.
- He gave him a place at the king’s table.
- He provided land and servants to care for Mephibosheth and his family.
- This was a lasting bond that David created.
Imagine
Mephibosheth recognized that faint scent, trickling out from behind ornate doors. The incense was rare. Expensive. The aroma sparked a distant memory-a memory from Mephibosheth’s childhood, before the accident. Before that stupid nursemaid had dropped him in a panic. His grandfather’s palace had been nothing like this royal home, but those memories were all Mephibosheth had left…
“Mephibosheth… are you listening? It’s time.” Ziba stood before him, four attendants by his side. “It would be so much easier if we just carried your chair in.”
Mephibosheth waved away Ziba’s outstretched hand. “Just give me my crutches. I’m not going in there like a beggar. I’ve gotten by this long, I’ll hobble one more time, even if it’s my last.”
“The king said he only wants to show kindness.”
Mephibosheth grunted. No use arguing. He’d heard about David’s friendship with his father, but a lot had happened since then. And how much could he believe those stories?
Whatever he plans for me, I’ll take it standing up.
Another servant held out the crutches. Mephibosheth took a deep breath and pulled himself up. One step at a time, he balanced himself on disjointed feet, then thudded the crutches forward. Thud. Swing. Balance. Thud. Swing. Balance. Head down, he didn’t dare look up before the king spoke to him.
The well-oiled doors swung open with only a whisper, and the full aroma of the king’s quarters greeted him. Flowers freshened the air, and what else was that? Cinnamon? Mephibosheth knew he’d crossed the threshold when the color of the marble deepened below his feet. In pain, he stopped. Dully, he heard Ziba say something to the king. Confident footsteps approached. As much as he was able, Mephibosheth bowed.
“Mephibosheth!” the king’s voice boomed.
“At your service.” His voice sounded croaky. All his earlier bluster, gone. The crutches wobbled under his arms.
“Don’t be afraid,” David said, “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.”
Could it be? Could David’s friendship with his father mean so much after all this time?
Mephibosheth bowed even lower, struggling to stay upright. “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
David stepped closer. A warm hand touched Mephibosheth’s shoulder. He raised his chin and searched David’s face. Not a hint of malice showed. What was the opposite of malice? Could that be what mercy looked like?
Mephibosheth’s fear melted away. For the first time in his life, he felt safe.
Correlation
- Passages about this event:
- 2 Samuel 4:4 – Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled.
- 1 Samuel 20:14-16 – David and Jonathan made a covenant to always remain loyal to each other and to their families.
- About God’s mercy to us, like David showed to Jonathan’s son:
- Ephesians 2:4-5 – God provided the ultimate act of mercy by sending the Son to us, who are completely undeserving. We were dead in our sins, but he made us alive together with Christ.
Application
Generic Applications
- Covenants are like oaths. They are solemn promises that must be kept. God is a covenant maker and keeper of his promises.
- We should only make promises that we know we can keep. And then we should keep them, regardless of the benefit to ourselves. David received nothing for his kindness and mercy.
- An act of mercy can provide a lifetime of devotion.
Personalize it
- As I read the story of Mephibosheth, is God putting someone like him on my heart? Is there some way I can reach out to that person to show mercy or kindness?
Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:
Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.
Leave a Reply