SERIES: A Person After God’s Heart
Loyal Love
SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus
Introduction: We come today to my favorite David story. It is a story of love and loyalty and grace. It is a story that will lead us right to the Cross. Will you turn with me to the ninth chapter of 2 Samuel, and I will read from the NIV. I invite you to stand as I read:
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“Your servant,” he replied.
The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”
“Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“Your servant,” he replied.
“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.”
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.
Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.
A great reversal of fortunes
There are two main characters in today’s text–David and Mephibosheth–but their story starts some fifteen or twenty years earlier. Mephibosheth was a young lad of five, the son of Jonathan, David’s best friend, and the grandson of King Saul. Though Saul was a wicked man, Jonathan was a courageous and godly prince. We can assume that Mephibosheth was reared in a godly home and was dearly loved by his parents. He had everything going for him.
At the same time, however, David was living in exile and in caves, struggling to survive against the relentless efforts of Saul to find him and exterminate him. Though years before God had promised that he would be the next king of Israel, there was no visible evidence that such a destiny was fast approaching. If odds were being laid on the careers of these two individuals—Mephibosheth and David—there is little doubt that the bets would be placed on the former.
However, over a very brief period the fortunes of Mephibosheth and David change dramatically.
Mephibosheth, heir to the throne, experiences total collapse of his world.
He is orphaned and crippled in one day. (1 Samuel 31:2, 2 Sam. 4:4). You will perhaps recall from the last chapter of 1 Samuel, King Saul and Prince Jonathan were both killed in a battle with the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. Saul committed suicide after learning that three of his sons had been slain that day. So, in one battle Mephibosheth’s father, grandfather, and two uncles died. The fact that no mention is made of Jonathan’s wife (the mother of Mephibosheth) causes me to suspect that the Philistines probably continued their murderous rampage by executing additional members of the royal family.
Panic was immediate. In 2 Sam. 4:4 we read about the results:
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 crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.
The reason for panic in the palace is not just the marauding Philistines. David, whom Saul has chased and sought to kill for a decade, has just been anointed king by his followers in Judah, and is negotiating for the loyalty of the other eleven tribes. It was well known that the custom in ancient dynasties was for a new ruler to exterminate every member of his predecessor’s family to eliminate any possible rivals. Mephibosheth is next in line for the throne, now that his grandfather, father, and uncles are dead, and since he is too young to fight for the throne, his nurse knows he must escape and remain hidden if he is going to survive.
He escapes alright, but in the process his nurse falls, and apparently both of his legs or ankles are broken. Being in hiding, appropriate medical care could not be sought, and the result is that Mephibosheth is crippled for life. Though his father was an archer, never again will Mephibosheth be able to run through the fields retrieving arrows from his father’s targets. Never again will he play in the gardens of the palace or splash in the Jordan with the other children. His life is forever changed.
He is exiled. (9:4) He is secreted out of the land of Judah and east of the Jordan River to a desert place called Lo Debar. It is outside the reach of David’s influence, but it is also outside the reach of all the good things this king’s grandson enjoyed for the first five years of his life. His royal identity is suppressed and all the privileges of royalty denied him.
He is filled with fear for his life. (9:7) The seventh verse reveals that this young man, perhaps now in his mid-twenties, is very frightened when David locates him. That’s understandable, for he has been taught all his life that detection by David’s security forces could mean certain death. What a reversal of fortunes for this young man!
David, once exiled and hunted, now enjoys the epitome of power and influence. David experiences just the opposite of what happens to Mephibosheth. Saul’s death signals the end of his days on the run and the beginning of success.
He becomes king in Saul’s place. He is anointed King over Judah, and then before long the eleven northern tribes pledge their loyalty to him. David is now ruler over all twelve tribes of Israel. But that is not all.
He is victorious over his enemies. (8:1-2, 6, 14) Chapter eight recounts one military victory after another. Let me just summarize the theme of this chapter with the words of verses 6 and 14: “The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.”
He is acclaimed by his people. (8:13) Look at verse 13, “And David became famous after he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.” Everything is going David’s way. I think it is safe to say that he is standing at the very epitome of his power and influence. In fact, if one were to draw a graph of his life, everything at this stage would be pointing up. Therefore, it is especially interesting that we find the story of Mephibosheth here. Often when people become VIP’S they show less interest in the unfortunate and the marginalized, not more. But David is a man after God’s heart, for God has always had a special place in His heart for the weak and hurting.
A great (and rare) exhibition of loyal love (grace)
Verse one of chapter 9 reads, “David asked, ‘Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?'” The word translated “kindness” here is a profound word in the Hebrew OT, “chesed,” used hundreds of times of God’s love for His people. No single word in our language is adequate to translate it, so we use adjectives to bring out the distinctive quality of this kind of love: lovingkindness, steadfast love, covenantal love, unconditional love, loyal love. It is love without regard to shifting circumstances, hormones, emotional states, or personal convenience.[i] It is probably the Hebrew word closest to agape love, or “grace” in the NT.
Normally only the best of people are responsive to the needy, even when they come directly across our paths. But it is rare indeed for anyone to seek out someone he doesn’t even know to show him kindness, as David does here. But it’s his motivation I want to focus upon; it has to do with loyalty.
David remembers his commitments, though made years before and under emotional stress. (1 Sam. 20:14-16, 41-42)
I want you to turn with me back to the 20th chapter of 1 Samuel, a passage which we studied last summer. David is on the run and his best friend, Jonathan, is pledging loyalty to him, even though Jonathan’s father is trying to kill David. Let’s pick up the story in verse 12:
“Then Jonathan said to David: ‘By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the Lord as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family–not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.’ So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ‘May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.’ And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him because he loved him as he loved himself.”
Did you notice that twice Jonathan used the word “kindness” or “loyal love” in his request for a covenant. The word is the same as that which David uses here in 2 Samuel 9:1. David pledged loyal love then, and now he remembers his pledge. The impressive thing about this to me is that David remembered his promise, though it was made years before.
One gets the impression today that most every commitment is temporary. You’re my lifelong friend until you offend me. This is my church for better or worse until the choir sings something I don’t like. He’s a secure employee until a merger comes along that can boost stock prices, and then he’s toast. People commit themselves in marriage “til death do us part,” unless, of course, someone more attractive comes along. I even heard about a display of Valentine cards with the message, “I Love You Only.” Attached was a sign, “Now Available in Multi-Packs.” (By the way, guys, I subtly worked that illustration into my sermon to spare you the pain of forgetting that Valentine’s Day is just eight days away!). Our culture doesn’t know much about loyal love.
Not only was David’s commitment made years before; it was also made at a very emotional time in his life. In 1 Samuel 21:42 it says that David “bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together–but David wept the most.” Clearly this was one of those heart-wrenching good-byes we have all been through, situations we didn’t think at the time we would ever get through, but, of course, we find that time heals such wounds. And we eventually forget.
David doesn’t forget, even though he could easily say now, “Sure, Jonathan and I were best friends. But he’s been dead for 15 years now and I’m sure he wouldn’t want me to be tied down to any old commitments I made under the emotional pressures of the moment.” But he doesn’t. He is a man after God’s heart, and God tells us that commitments and vows are not to be taken lightly. It is better not to make them at all than to make them and break them.
Mephibosheth finds grace in a barren place. (9:7, 13) David finds Mephibosheth in Lo Debar, meaning “a barren place.” And his extension of loyal love—grace, if you will—is nothing short of astounding. First, he calms Mephibosheth’s well-founded fears. Just imagine what went through the mind of this young man when David’s FBI knocked on his door and said, “Please come with us–to Jerusalem. The king wants to see you.” This could mean nothing good.
But the first word out of David’s mouth when they meet is his name, “Mephibosheth.” He is recognized as a person. He isn’t a nameless exile. He isn’t a victim. He has a name, and David is aware of it. You know something? We can’t love in general. We can’t love by categories. We can’t love by decree or legislation. That’s what liberal politicians try to do. I admire them for trying, but it can’t be done. We can only love a named person who has a past, a present, and a future.[ii]
And David continues to show his love by saying, “Do not be afraid.” He could see Mephibosheth trembling, expecting a death sentence, but he speaks peace to him. We find these words frequently in the Bible, “Do not be afraid,” and that is because there is much in life that generates fear. We constantly meet up with people who have more power than we have. Will they exploit us, use us, diminish us, even get rid of us? We learn to be cautious, to put up defenses, to even become paranoid. Oh, that we might find more people like David who would offer us grace in our barren places. Even more important, would that we might be like David ourselves.
Second, David brings Mephibosheth back from exile to live in Jerusalem. Imagine not having to live in hiding anymore, not having to use an alias, not having only foreigners as your neighbors.
Third, the land and personal possessions of his father and grandfather are restored. This is profound, friends, because this is what puts content into David’s use of the word “loyal love.” It’s relatively easy to speak kind words, but backing it up with costly actions is what makes it real. David turns over to Mephibosheth all the lands of his grandfather and father so he can have an independent income. Then he also assigns Ziba, who had once been a steward for Saul, to assign his servants to manage the farms. This is loyal love–generous, extravagant, unconditional, uncalculating. This love isn’t greeting-card sentimentality; it goes beyond survival to sustenance.
Fourth, David promises Mephibosheth that he “will always eat at my table.” Three more times in the chapter the fact is mentioned that “Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.” This is repeated for a reason. The greatest sign of acceptance in ancient times was to be invited to sit down at table with someone else. He is virtually adopted into the king’s family. Imagine what that was like–sitting there with David and Michal and Absalom and Tamar and Solomon.
In 2001 I sat at a table for over an hour with President George W. Bush–four feet away from him–only the Archbishop of St. Louis was between us–and Karl Rove was next to me. It was incredibly exciting, and I can’t describe to you how important I felt. But Mephibosheth sat at the king’s table every day!
What makes these actions by David so full of grace is that not one of them is required or earned. David has no obligation to do any of this. Custom, culture, and law all argue against giving Mephibosheth the time of day. But David acts contrary to custom, contrary to culture, contrary to the legal system of the day in favor of grace.
A great response to loyal love
We must never assume that a generous act of love, such as David extended here to Mephibosheth, will be rewarded by loyal gratitude. There are no guarantees. Love is risky business. We can be taken advantage of; we can be betrayed. Jesus was. And David might well have been.[iii]
Please turn to chapter 16. At this point David’s fortunes have taken a sad turn. His son Absalom has staged a coup, and David is fighting for survival. We’re going to study Absalom’s revolt in a month or so, but for now I want you to simply be aware that David has abandoned his palace in Jerusalem and is fleeing for his life. Let’s read 16:1-4:
When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine. The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?’” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the desert.” The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson (Mephibosheth)?” Ziba said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’” Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.’” “I humbly bow,” Ziba said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
What’s going on here? Ziba, the man whom David had ordered to manage Mephibosheth’s land and crops, is claiming that Mephibosheth has refused to join the rest of the royal family in exile because he hopes that David and Absalom will weaken one another in civil war. Then he will be able to step in and seize the throne that legally belongs to him as a descendent of Saul.
Has Mephibosheth become a traitor? I don’t think so. Rather I believe that …
Mephibosheth himself is betrayed but demonstrates single-minded loyalty to David. (16:1-4, 19:24-30) I cannot prove this beyond a doubt, but it appears to me that Ziba is feigning loyalty to David and falsely claiming that Mephibosheth is a traitor. My reason is found over in chapter 19, where I would like for you to turn for a moment. By this time Absalom has been defeated and has died, and David has returned to Jerusalem and consolidated his power. Various individuals and groups are coming to pay their respects to the king and to either beg forgiveness for joining the coup or reaffirming their loyalty to him. In verse 24 of chapter 19 it says:
“Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, ‘Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?’ He said, ‘My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba my servant betrayed me. And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever pleases you. All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who sat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?’ The king said to him, ‘Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the fields.'”
It is evident from this that David doesn’t know whom to believe. Ziba accuses Mephibosheth, and Mephibosheth accuses Ziba. David decides to let each take half of Saul’s inheritance. In doing so he demonstrates, I believe, some of the wisdom Solomon later became famous for. Solomon was once faced with determining which of two young mothers was lying. One had a child who died when the mother smothered it accidentally, but both mothers claimed the remaining child was her own. So Solomon said, “That’s easy, let’s just cut the child in two and each can have half.” The real mother of the child, of course, protested vehemently, “Let her have the child, but don’t cut it in half.” And through that brilliant move Solomon was able to identify the real mother and bring about justice. David also may have determined the truth here, for in verse 30 we are told, “Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has arrived home safely.'”
Gaining property or position or power is not in Mephibosheth’s heart. He’s willing to let Ziba have the property; he is satisfied to just be a member of the king’s family. David has been loyal to his commitments, and now Mephibosheth responds in turn with loyal love to David.
The last reference to Mephibosheth in the Bible comes in chapter 21.
David spares Mephibosheth’s life. (21:7) We don’t have time to describe the setting here or explain all that is going on (it’s quite complicated), but suffice it to say that David agrees to execute seven male descendants of Saul so that the Lord’s judgment on the Gibeonites might be averted. But the verse I want you to note particularly is verse 7: “The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul.” Mephibosheth would have been a prime target of this purge if it weren’t for the loyal love that David had promised and agrees to fulfill. So even after Mephibosheth’s loyalty is called into question by Ziba, David still protects him and continues to show him grace.
The last point I would like to make today is that we have here in 2 Samuel 9 …
A great illustration of God’s loyal love (grace)
I would like to share that illustration in three brief parts.
The condition which grace meets. Mephibosheth, though once enjoying fellowship with his godly father, became orphaned, exiled, disabled, and afraid. In his own words he was no better than a “dead dog.” A dog in Israel was considered a worthless animal; thus, a dead one was less than worthless. That’s illustrative of the condition of man, who once in the Garden enjoyed fellowship with his heavenly Father, but now is His enemy, dead in trespasses and sins. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
The salvation which grace offers. Mephibosheth, despite his handicapped condition, was totally accepted into the king’s family, granted an inheritance, invited to eat at the king’s table, and provided for as one of the king’s sons. That’s illustrative of the wideness of God’s mercy in that He accepts us into His family and provides not only eternal life, but life more abundant, if we will put our faith and trust in Jesus. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the privilege of becoming children of God.” (John 1:12).
The response which grace merits. Mephibosheth responds to David’s loyal love by being loyal in return, in fact, by renouncing all his possessions in return for the privilege of being with the king. The response that God looks for in us is like that the Apostle Paul offered in Titus 3:3-7:
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
It all goes back to the kindness and love of God. Perhaps there is someone here this morning who has never understood the loyal love, the grace and mercy, of God. Maybe today you see yourself in Mephibosheth. Perhaps you even see yourself as a dead dog that doesn’t deserve God’s mercy. That’s OK. Just as Mephibosheth’s view of himself, based on his past, didn’t stop David from pouring out his loyal love, so your past hurts and brokenness don’t stop God from offering His Son to be your Savior.
You can return to your Creator and become an adopted Child of the King, with all the rights and privileges that pertain thereto, if you will just acknowledge your sin and accept Jesus as the payment for your sin. I want to challenge you to do that this morning. In fact, I’m going to pray a sinner’s prayer, and if this expresses the desire of your heart, I encourage you to pray it quietly after me.
Prayer: Father, thank you for sending your One and Only Son, Jesus, to the Cross to die for me. I acknowledge that I am a sinner, living in exile, living in fear. I want to thank you for Your willingness to adopt me into Your family and give me an inheritance for all eternity. Today I put my faith in Jesus and invite Him into my life. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Communion: Now for those of us who know Christ as personal Savior, I want to remind you about an amazing invitation to always eat at the King’s Table. All of us have been crippled by sin. Some are crippled as Mephibosheth was–physically. Others are crippled emotionally. Still others are crippled by addictions or unhealthy relationships or financial disaster. Sin has taken its toll on every single one of us.
I want you to realize, friends, that when Mephibosheth was invited to the King’s table, he was still crippled, and we as Christians are still crippled by sin too, even though we’ve been reconciled with the Father. He says to us, as David said to Mephibosheth, “Don’t be afraid. I will surely show you kindness, for the sake of my Son. You will always eat at my table.”
And you know something? The invitation will never be withdrawn until we are offered the greater privilege of sitting at table in His very presence. Jesus said, “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
Is there a better reason to celebrate the Lord’s Table?
DATE: February 7, 2005
Tags:
Loyalty
Loyal love
Grace
[i] Eugene Peterson, Leap Over a Wall, 173.
[ii] Peterson, 174-5.
[iii] Peterson, 176.