David remembers Jonathan

2 Samuel 9:1-13

Key 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.”

Introduction:

We are apt to live according to our common sense. David could have lived in the same way. As a new king, he could have destroyed the family members of the previous dynasty as his enemies. But amazingly he shows kindness. It stems from God’s kindness. God loves us first although we are like dead dogs due to our sins. May the Lord have mercy on us to overcome our common sense but to live according to God’s high standard (image of God) and overcome this world in loving others with God’s love.  

1. Read verses 1-5. What does David ask his men? (1) Who is summoned to appear before David? (2) What does David ask him ? (3a) What is Ziba’s answer? (3b) Where is Jonathan’s son? (4) What does David do? (5)

1-1) Read verses 1-5. 

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“At your service,” he replied.

3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from 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 lame in both feet.”

4 “Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

1-2) What does David ask his men? (1) 

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

We can learn from David who loved God as well as others. 

In chapter 7, he wanted to build up a house for the ark of God. 

Now he wants to show kindness for others. 

Usually one becomes a king, it is natural to wipe out the sons of previous dynasty.

But David looks for the opposite thing. 

1 Samuel 20:14-17 shows David’s covenant with Jonathon.

“But show me unfailing kindness like the LORD’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15 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.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD call David’s enemies to account.” 17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.”

Nothing is more important than keeping our promise before the Lord. David remembers Jonathan and his covenant with him. His actions were not based on feelings, but on the promise of a covenant.

1-3) Who is summoned to appear before David? (2) 

2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“At your service,” he replied.

1-4) What does David ask him ? (3a) 

3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”

David wanted to show someone else the same kindness God showed to him.

Human kindness and God’s kindness is different.

1-5) What is Ziba’s answer? (3b) 

Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”

2 Samuel 4:4 - Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the newsabout Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.

1-6) Where is Jonathan’s son? (4) 

4 “Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

Even he does not own his house. 

1-7) What does David do? (5)

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

2. Read verses 6-8. How does David show kindness to Mephibosheth? (6,7) How does Mephibosheth respond to David’s kindness? (8)

2-1) Read verses 6-8. 

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 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.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

2-2)  How does David show kindness to Mephibosheth? (6,7) 

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“At your service,” he replied.

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.”

Mephibosheth must have been afraid when he was called to appear before the king. He had hided himself for a long time so far. 

But David reminds of his promise with Jonathan. 

1 Samuel 20:42

“Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.”

2-3) How does Mephibosheth respond to David’s kindness? (8)

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

Mephibosheth didn’t feel worthy of such generosity. He considered himself a dead dog, meaning a worthless person.

3. Read verses 9-13. What does David say to Ziba?(9-10) How does Ziba answer David? (11a) What happens to Mephibosheth and Ziba?(11b-13)

3-1)  Read verses 9-13. 

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 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.)

11 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[ HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+9&version=NIV" \l "fen-NIV-8239a" \t "_blank" a] table like one of the king’s sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.

3-2) What does David say to Ziba?(9-10) 

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 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.)

3-3) How does Ziba answer David? (11a) 

11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” 

3-4) What happens to Mephibosheth and Ziba?(11b-13)

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.

David’s grace to Mephibosheth is a wonderful picture of God’s grace to us.

We are Mephibosheth in that:

We are hiding with great fear.

We are separated from the Lord God.

We didn’t know him or His love for us.

Our God first sought us. (He loves us first).

The Lord’s kindness is based on covenant, not on His feeling or any situation.

The King returns to us what we lost in hiding from Him.

We have the privilege of provision at the King’s (Jesus’) table.

We again have access to the King and fellowship with Him.

The King’s favor does not immediately take away all our weakness.

David’s grace to Mephibosheth is also a pattern for us in serving and ministering to others. 

We are David in that: we should seek out our enemies to bless them. We should look for the poor and weak and hidden to bless them by going out campus for fishing. In this way we must show God’s kindness to others who do not know it.

One word: Praise the Lord and His unfailing love and kindness!