Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead,
since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all!”
(2 Samuel 19:30)
This was a pivotal moment for King David. Israel had just
been defeated by David’s men; Absalom (that is David’s son) turned Israel
against King David and was attacked. So David had just reclaimed Israel after a
lengthy battle between Saul and Absalom. But this one Character, Mephibosheth
stood out to me the most as I was reading chapter 19 this morning.
Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went
down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet, trimmed his mustache,
or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned
safely. 25 When he came from Jerusalem
to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you come with
me?” (2 Samuel 24-25)
Mephibosheth arrives before King David
looking very rugged and worn out. He hasn’t washed his clothes nor trimmed his
facial hair. He’s in no position to fight the king at all! Now keeping in mind,
Mephibosheth is Saul’s grandson. But it would appear that King David has
compassion for the man, asking him “why didn’t you come with me?” Mephibosheth replies by saying:
“My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant
Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said: ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself[a] so that I may ride it and go with the
king’—for your servant is lame. 27 Ziba
slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the
Angel of God, so do whatever you think best.[b] 28 For
my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you
set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I
have to keep on making appeals to the king?” (2 Samuel 26-28)
It appears there was a bit of a fallout
between Ziba and Mephiboseth, as if Ziba saw himself the better of the servants
between one another. But Mephibosheth realises the kindness of King David
saying “But my lord the king is like the Angel of God, so do whatever you think
best.[b] 28 For
my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you
set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I
have to keep on making appeals to the king?”
Mephibosheth is pleased simply to be a
servant of David! He asks for no reward, instead he praises David for his
kindness to his servants, allowing them to eat at his table! David replies to Mephibosheth
(2 Samuel 19:29) The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these
matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.”
King David wanted to reward both
Mephibosheth as both equally being the kings servants by giving them land. But
here’s where we see the heart of Mephibosheth! (2 Samuel 19:30) Mephibosheth
said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace
safely, let Ziba take it all!” Mephibosheth was pleased simply to see
that the kingdom of Israel had been returned to King David! This was his
reward! Mephibosheth wanted nothing more than what was right for Israel but
more importantly, what was right for his King.
And like Mephibosheth, are we any different? We come to our
King broken from sin, pleading with our Lord that He would take a wretch like
us and make us His servant. That we praise our King who reserves a place for
servants at his table! And how right our response should be, “I don’t want the
gifts my Lord…I want you!” Let’s learn from men like Mephibosheth who gives us
an illustration of what it truly means to surrender to our Lord and saviour!
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