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We can turn in your Bibles to 
2 Samuel 9. Be a bit of review for those 
who attended the Wednesday night Bible study two weeks ago. 2 
Samuel 9. We'll read verses 1-13, and then 
look at the kindness shown to Mephibosheth. 2 Samuel 9. I'll begin reading in verse 1. 
Now David said, Is there still anyone who is left of the house 
of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there 
was a servant of the house of Saul, whose name was Ziba. So 
when they had called him to David, the king said to him, Are you 
Ziba? He said, At your service. Then 
the king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, 
to whom I may show the kindness of God? And Ziba said to the 
king, There is still a son of Jonathan, who is lame in his 
feet. So the king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to 
the king, Indeed, he is in the house of Makir, the son of Amiel, 
in Lodabar. Then king David sent and brought 
him out of the house of Makir, the son of Amiel, from Lodabar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son 
of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on 
his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, Mephibosheth? And he answered, Here is your 
servant. So David said to him, do not 
fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan, your 
father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul, 
your grandfather, and you shall eat bread at my table continually. Then he bowed himself and he 
said, what is your servant that you should look upon such a dead 
dog as I? And the king called to Ziba, 
Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given to your master's 
son all that belong to Saul and to all his house. You, therefore, 
and your sons and your servants shall work the land for him, 
and you shall bring in the harvest that your master's son may have 
food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's 
son, shall eat bread at my table always.' Now Zeba had fifteen 
sons and twenty servants. Then Zeba said to the king, According 
to all that my lord, the king, has commanded his servant, so 
will your servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the 
king, he shall eat at my table like one of the king's sons. 
Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah, and all 
who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 
So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the 
king's table, and he was lame in both his feet. Amen. Let us 
pray. God, we come to this passage 
now looking to learn something about God, and we pray to that 
end that your Spirit would guide us and instruct us and help us. As well, God, help us to learn 
what it is to be faithful before our God. Grant us grace to receive 
these things and to put them into practice. Again, forgive 
us of all of our sin and our transgression. Cleanse us in 
that precious fount that is open for sin and uncleanness. And 
we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, for those 
who have not been attending the Wednesday night Bible study, 
shame on you. No, I'm just kidding. Just kidding. For those who have not, though, 
there is a particular outline that we have been operating according 
to in our studies in 2 Samuel. Essentially, what we see in its 
major breakdown is that we see the commencement of David's reign 
at Hebron in chapters 1 to 4. Next is the consolidation of 
David's reign over all of Israel in chapters 5 to 8. So he moves 
not only from being the king over the south, but he's also 
the king over the north. The entirety of Israel consolidated 
under David's reign. The consequence of David's sin 
is recorded for us in chapters 9 to 20, and then the close of 
David's reign in chapters 21 to 24. So as we come tonight 
to look at 2 Samuel chapter 9, I want to do so under two observations. In the first place, the intention 
of David to show kindness to a descendant of Saul. The intention 
of David to show kindness to a descendant of Saul. And secondly, 
the execution of that kindness to that descendant of Saul. And I think that there is great 
lesson in this passage, first and foremost, concerning our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that David functions 
in a typical manner. He is a type of the Lord Christ. David's greater son is how we 
refer to our Lord Christ. And so when we look at the greater 
son, We also see something of His earthly Father in terms of 
faithfulness, in terms of godliness, in terms of righteousness. In 
fact, if you look back in chapter 8, I think verse 15 in chapter 
8 gives a good general description of the overall tenor of David's 
reign. It says, So David reigned over 
all Israel, and David administered judgment and justice to all his 
people. Now, certainly David didn't do 
this perfectly. In fact, when we get to chapter 
11 and chapter 12, we will see how imperfect David was indeed. But the general overarching character 
of David's reign is successfully summarized there in chapter 8, 
verse 15. As we have had cause to note 
many times in our studies in the Old Testament, Israel had 
her heroes. But all of those heroes ultimately 
fell short. All of those heroes were men 
at best, and they proved to the nation that there was a need 
for a greater one, a need for a hero that wouldn't fall, that 
wouldn't sin, that wouldn't commit adultery, that wouldn't commit 
murder. So David, as far as he went, 
did a most excellent job, though imperfectly, but he did in fact 
successfully point us to the Lord Jesus Christ. So let's look 
at this particular chapter. Note first the intention of David 
to show kindness. It says in verse 1, now David 
said, is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul 
that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? Now, we've 
seen this word in our studies in the Old Testament. It's the 
word hesed. It's a Hebrew word that does 
mean kindness, but it has a bit of a deeper range. It has more 
significance than, you know, me just opening the door for 
you or showing you some sort of a general kindness. One commentator 
defines hesed in this way. It is a covenant term, wrapping 
up in itself all the positive attributes of God. Love, covenant 
faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness, loyalty. He says, in short, it 
refers to acts of devotion and loving kindness that go beyond 
the requirements of duty. And that is precisely what we'll 
see in this display of Chesed. David wants to show this to others, 
to this descendant of Saul. The New King James margin renders 
it covenant faithfulness. I notice in Alec Motyer's translation 
of the Psalms, he renders that Hebrew word with the phrase committed 
love. I think the ESV gets it as steadfast 
love. So, it is love, it is kindness, 
it is goodness, it is graciousness, but it's all those wrapped up 
into one package, underscored by a dose of the covenant, to 
give it this rock-solid, sturdy foundation, and that is what 
David wants to express to a descendant of Saul. Now, note the covenantal 
background of David's desire. Verse 1 again, is there still 
anyone who is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness, 
now notice, for Jonathan's sake. Look again at verse 7, when he 
sees, or when he meets Mephibosheth. Do not fear, for I will surely 
show you kindness, for Jonathan your father's sake. This is the 
covenantal background that is in view as to why David wants 
to express this hesed to this descendant of Saul. Now, the 
covenant with Jonathan is given to us in several places. You 
can turn back to 1 Samuel 18. 1 Samuel chapter 18, you'll remember 
that David and Jonathan were good friends. And in 1 Samuel 
18, it's really quite significant. It comes on the heels of chapter 
17. Yes, Butler knows that 17 then leads into 18. But 17 is 
the battle in the Valley of Elah, where David beheads Goliath. And David is victorious in the 
name of the God of Israel. And David returns from the battlefield. And of course, the ladies are 
dancing and praising that God had given grace to David to slay 
these ten thousands. And what Jonathan does at the 
return of David is very significant. Jonathan takes off his royal 
robes and gives them to David. Don't miss the significance of 
that. Jonathan is in essence saying 
that David deserves to be the heir apparent to the crown. David 
deserves to sit upon the throne in Israel. Jonathan is self-effacing. Jonathan is giving. Jonathan 
recognizes that David truly is of God, and so Jonathan wants 
to give him those royal robes. As we saw when we worked through 
1 Samuel, Jonathan is a stellar human being. If you ever want 
a good character study in the Bible, go to Jonathan. But note 
specifically this covenant that they engage in. 1 Samuel 18.3, 
then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him 
as his own soul. Notice in chapter 20. In chapter 
20, specifically in verse 8, this whole idea of covenant is 
refreshed for us. Therefore, you shall deal kindly 
with your servant. That's hesed. You shall deal 
kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant 
into a covenant of the Lord with you. Notice in chapter 20 at 
verse 42. 2042, 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. The word covenant is absent, 
but the concept is there. They had sworn in the name of 
the Lord. And then notice in 2318, the 
last time that David and Jonathan meet together, 2318. So the two of them made a covenant 
before the Lord, and David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went 
to his own house. Now the specific feature that 
is in view when David wants to express this kindness to a descendant 
of Saul is noted for us. Go again back to chapter 20. 
1 Samuel chapter 20, specifically verses 14 to 17. In other words, 
you see here the nuts and the bolts of the covenant. We've 
seen where they've sworn a covenant together, but what is the substance, 
or what is the promise, or what is the binding aspect or element 
of this covenant that they have entered into? Notice in 20 verse 
14. Jonathan says, 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. The writing was on the wall as 
far as Jonathan knew. David was going to be the king 
of Israel. Now what was true of the kings 
of that particular day is that when they took the throne, they 
killed any rival to the throne. In other words, when David occupied 
the throne, it would have been kind of in keeping with kings 
of that day for him to utterly eliminate any heir or any descendant 
from Saul. That's the way you secured your 
throne. You killed any rival dynasty. And so you see what Jonathan 
is saying. Promise to me, covenant with me, David, that when you 
occupy the throne of Israel, that you won't kill me. that 
you will preserve me. And then that descends down, 
or that rather applies to his descendants, which, of course, 
Mephibosheth is a son of Jonathan. So going back to 2 Samuel chapter 
9, we ought to appreciate with reference to the covenant here. 
David had made this promise to Jonathan probably 15 to 20 years 
prior. Now, I realize that we've just 
looked at several passages, and you might be wondering, what's 
in this for me? Well, there's a lot in it for you. It teaches 
us something about fidelity to our word. It teaches us something 
about faithfulness to our promises. David had made this promise to 
Jonathan probably 15 to 20 years previously. Remember that Mephibosheth, 
according to 2 Samuel chapter 4, was five years old when he 
was dropped on his feet, and that's what lamed him or maimed 
him. And now in this particular passage, Mephibosheth has a son, 
a young son, but a son called Micah. So probably 15 to 20 years 
had transpired. Something you need to understand. 
The passage of time does not invalidate your word. When you 
make a promise to someone, as David did with Jonathan, you 
ought to keep it. You didn't say, well, you know, 
I did that, or I swore that allegiance, or I said that, you know, 15 
or 20 years ago. Certainly no one's expecting 
me to keep my promise. Yes, they are. God the Lord is, 
and the person that you have promised to. The passage of time 
did not nullify David's promise. As well, the consolidation of 
the kingdom did not nullify David's promise. You could see the temptation. 
David might have concluded, you know, I've eliminated the household 
of Saul, don't have to worry about any descendants that may 
come after, because I'm the king over the entirety of Israel. But he doesn't reason that way. 
Chapter 9, verse 1, is David itching to fulfill his promise. 
David hankering to make good on his word. David activated 
by the reality that he had entered into this covenant with Jonathan 
all those years past. So we learn from this brief observation 
that the promise of covenant is perpetually binding. Ralph 
Davis says, here is the power covenant exercises. The promise 
made in the past directs fidelity in the present. Again, you may 
not have sworn to Jonathan to do good to him and to his descendants, 
but you swore to your bride or you swore to your bridegroom. 
You swear to your creditor when you sign the dotted line, so 
you're not supposed to default on the loan. You swear when you 
are ordained to gospel ministry. You swear when you testify in 
a courtroom. You all make covenant. You all 
enter into covenant. You all have binding agreements 
upon you, and you need to realize that the passage of time does 
not nullify your word. The better circumstances that 
you find yourself in now does not nullify your Word. The reality 
is that when we make these promises, we need to keep them. And then 
notice also, the reception of blessing from God leads David 
to give blessings to others. We'll tease this out in a few 
minutes, but there is a link here between chapters 9 and 7. Again, we'll look at that in 
more detail later. But David had received kindness from God. 
We heard something like this this morning, didn't we? We have 
been loved on by God the Lord. We have been loved on by the 
Holy Christ. That love of Christ does what? 
It compels us. To do what? To show love to others. The link between 7 and 9 is simple. God the Lord had given David 
great blessing. David now becomes a conduit by 
which blessings will flow. There is a reciprocity. David 
doesn't pay back God necessarily, but David shows kindness or hesed, 
the same sort of kindness or hesed that he received, he gives 
this or showers it upon Mephibosheth. You see, what we receive from 
the Lord, we're not just to bottle it up. We're to let the love 
of Christ compel us. We're to let that love of Christ 
constrain us that we may be conduits of blessing to others. Now note 
specifically his plan. He meets with Ziba to determine 
whether there is a successor. So when they had called him to 
David, the king said to him, are you Ziba? He said, at your 
service. I quite like that. At your service. That's a good way to respond 
to the king. Don't mumble, don't murmur, don't grumble, don't 
complain. If your boss calls you at your 
service is an appropriate response. The king says, verse 3, is there 
not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the 
kindness of God? You see that? He's showing him 
the kindness of God. Why? Because David has been a 
recipient of the kindness of God. It must flow through us. We have received so that we will 
give. So the king said to him, I'm 
sorry, Ziba says to the king, there is still a son of Jonathan 
who is lame in his feet. Now he highlights this particular 
fact that he is lame in his feet. Robert Alter suggests so as to 
sort of qualify to David that he poses no threat to the crown. 
He is not a threat with reference to the throne. You don't have 
to worry about him, David. Yes, there is a descendant of Saul, 
but he's lame in his feet. He's not going to command Israel. 
Probably why he adds that particular thing. Tells him the location, 
and of course then David summons him. Now note the particular 
meeting. Verse 6. Now when Mephibosheth, 
the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he 
fell on his face and prostrated himself Which is another good 
response. And here's why it's a good response. 
Because Mephibosheth, as far as he knew, was an enemy of David. 
Imagine your arch enemy assuming control of a kingdom and then 
calling you, emailing you, or texting you saying, I'd like 
to see you. You would fall prostrate before 
him. You would be afraid because you 
would perceive that he's going to clean up. He's going to let 
you have it. Your arch enemy is now the king, 
and you're a descendant of the previous king. Mephibosheth may 
have been lame in his feet, but he wasn't dim in his mind. He 
understood the way that kings reign, and that the way to secure 
one's throne was to kill one's competitors. So Mephibosheth, 
understanding this, falls down before David. Robert Vanoy says 
it is probable that Mephibosheth thought his life was in jeopardy 
because he was a descendant of Saul. And it was common for the 
founders of new dynasties to murder all potential successors 
to the throne from the royal house they displaced. Several 
passages indicate this. He says this fear, however, was 
unfounded because David was a king who did what was just and right 
for all his people. Beautiful, isn't it? Mephibosheth 
knows his place. He's an enemy of the king, and 
he falls down prostrate before him. And it's interesting, because 
the way the narrator crafts this particular event, or this particular 
story, is that when David is dealing with Ziba, David is king. 
When David is dealing with Mephibosheth, David is David. It shows the 
intimacy, it shows the relationship, it shows the harmony. Not that 
it's wrong that he's referred to as king with reference to 
Ziba, but our author is showing us something concerning this 
kesed, that it does penetrate, that it does bring relationship 
to these particular parties. Now, that brings us to consider 
the execution of David's kindness to this descendant of Saul in 
verses 7 to 13. Note first his promise. Verse 
7, So David said to him, Do not fear, for I will surely show 
you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore 
to you all the land of Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat 
bread at my table continually. We ought to notice again the 
reason, for I will show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake. 
See, I think the narrator is conspicuous to make sure we understand 
David is operating via covenant. Chapter 10, David operates via 
covenant. There is a weight going on here. 
David receives the grace of God in chapter 7. Chapter 8 is a 
summary of the battles and wars that David fought. Chapter 9 
is David's expression of hesed to a descendant of Saul. And 
in chapter 10, it is an expression of David's hesed in his foreign 
policy. He shows kindness to Hanun of 
the Ammonites. And this sets the backdrop for 
chapter 11. I think what it does is exacerbates 
David's sin. The author wants us to see David 
in his true light. Zora Blackburn once said, Chapter 
11 in 2 Samuel is an affirmation of the divine inspiration of 
Scripture. Because, you see, we wouldn't write Chapter 11 
about our heroes. We wouldn't tell that our favorite 
person in the world committed adultery and committed murder. 
You see, we have Hesed to Mephibosheth in chapter 9, we have Hesed to 
Hanun in chapter 10, and we have ruthlessness to Bathsheba and 
Uriah in chapter 11. So there are links going before 
and in front of. But I just want us to focus here. 
The promise. Note what David says to Mephibosheth. He says, do not fear. Isn't that 
beautiful? We can just read that and that's 
it. No, don't fear. What's he telling him? Mephibosheth, 
I'm not going to count you as my enemy. Mephibosheth, do not 
fear, you're not going to be destroyed. Mephibosheth, you 
don't have to worry tonight that somebody's going to sneak into 
your place and cut your throat. Do not fear. David is offering 
to Mephibosheth this protection. the very thing that Jonathan 
asks in 1 Samuel. They swear a covenant, and Jonathan 
says, when you take the throne, please do not kill me. Jonathan knows what's going to 
happen. But Jonathan as well says, please 
preserve my family. And that's what David does in 
the beginning here in verse 7. He says, do not fear. David doesn't 
stop there. And this is where we see sort 
of the above and beyond the promise. This is where we see the covenant 
aspect of this kindness. Because right there, do not fear, 
satisfies the requirement, doesn't it? It satisfies the sum and 
substance of the promise. David promised to Jonathan that 
he would not kill his descendants. But David doesn't stop there. 
I hope you're thinking with your new covenant brain. I hope you're 
thinking about where we're going to take this at the end. I hope 
you're thinking about how David typifies David's greater son. He not only tells us, do not 
fear. He not only provides protection 
to us, but he gives us provision. And that is precisely what David 
promises to Mephibosheth. Notice what he says in 7b. He says, and I will restore to 
you all the land of Saul your grandfather. This is amazing. This is the way kings do things. Mephibosheth has probably got 
his mind blown about this particular moment. What's he talking about? 
The fact that I'm not dead, the fact that he has held out protection 
to me, the fact that he has sold me not to fear, and now he's 
going to restore to me all the land that was my grandfather's 
saw? This is really amazing, isn't 
it? You see, David is exercising this hesed. It is in terms of 
protection and provision, but he doesn't stop there. At this 
point, Mephibosheth could have got up off the ground, dusted 
himself off, and went home and been happy and content forever 
and ever. He could have told Mrs. Mephibosheth 
and his son Micah, Boy, David didn't kill me. Isn't that great? 
They could have rejoiced and feasted that night. That right 
there was a magnificent display of the beneficence of David. But He doesn't stop there. Isn't 
this our Lord? He doesn't stop there. He not 
only protects us, but He provides for us. And if that isn't enough, 
He gives us this position of intimacy. Note the end of verse 
7. He says, and you shall eat bread 
at My table continually. This is just too much. This isn't what we ought to expect 
from a king who's consolidating power. This isn't what we expect 
from a king who is going to deal with his enemies. I mean, we've 
just come out of chapter 8, and how David, in his wars and in 
his battles, is victorious. When we come to chapter 9, we 
have a picture of David as the mighty warrior, the hero of Israel, 
the one who takes on Ammonites. the one who takes on all the 
comers, the Philistines, everyone, and he devastates them and decimates 
them and destroys them. We come to chapter 9, we expect 
to see David in a poster with bullets wrapped around him and 
a tank in the back and a helicopter sort of perched over his head. 
He's ready to take on all comers. We certainly don't expect the 
direction that chapter 9 takes us. Is there somebody from the 
house of Saul, my enemy, of whom I can show chesed? And he meets 
with Mephibosheth, and he says, Do not fear. He protects him. 
And then he meets with Mephibosheth in the same meeting, and he says, 
I'm going to give you back everything that was Saul your grandfather's. 
And then he says, And you're going to eat at my table continually. 
You're going to sup with me. You're going to dine with the 
king. You're going to be like one of my sons. Isn't that what's 
in view here? Isn't that who sups with you? 
It is your family. Certainly you invite people over. 
Certainly you host fellowship. Certainly you have families in 
the church or families on your block that you get together with. 
But you don't count them as sons because they're not there every 
night. But Mephibosheth is going to be there every night, sitting 
at David's table. He will be counted as one of 
the sons of David himself. This is the above and the beyond. 
Ralph Davis says, David goes far beyond any bare requirement. David doesn't merely spare Mephibosheth's 
life, but heaps goodness on him. He not only protects his life, 
but restores his inheritance. He not only saves him from the 
shadow of death, but prepares a table for him. David's kindness 
goes beyond survival to sustenance. Mephibosheth is cared for by 
and with the king, and will never face destitution. It takes no 
imagination, but only faith to see that David's hesed is but 
a faithful reflection of Yahweh's, with whom there is no such thing 
as bare hesed." You see, God doesn't just preserve us from 
death. but he provides, and he gives 
us this position of intimacy. He not only spares us from hell, 
but he invites us to his table. He not only keeps us from the 
fire, but he brings us to his heart. This is the God whom we 
serve, and David is typifying here specifically our beloved 
Jesus. Now note Mephibosheth's response, 
which I submit is most appropriate. Then he bowed himself, this is 
Mephibosheth, and said, what is your servant that you should 
look upon such a dead dog as I? He bows, he does obeisance, 
he understands this transaction, he knows the score at this point, 
he understands what's happened, and he says, who am I? I'm like 
a dead dog, I don't deserve these things. You see, grace will always 
cause us to reflect accurately upon our own condition. As I 
said earlier, the man was lame, but he wasn't dim. He understood 
the reality that was transpiring before him. And he says to David, 
What is your servant that you should look upon such a dead 
dog as I? This imitates David. Go back 
to 2 Samuel 7. Remember the promise of the covenant 
in chapter 7, verses 1 to 17. And then we see David's response 
to that covenant. And what does David do in verse 
18 when he goes and sits before Yahweh and he prays and he says, 
Who am I, Lord God? Have you been humbled by the 
grace of God? Have you been brought low by 
the grace of God? You know, we sing amazing grace, 
how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. But do we feel 
it? Do we know it? Have we appropriated 
it in our own souls? Is it something that causes us 
to throb? To jump? to thrive, to flourish, 
as we sing, are we just sort of muttering it about, or are 
we thinking about the reality? Amazing grace, how great the 
sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now 
I'm found, was blind, but now I see. You see why it promotes 
in this hymn writer the reality of the recognition of his wretchedness. This is grace that brings me 
this protection. This is grace that brings me 
this provision. This is grace that brings me 
this position. And I can't help but acknowledge 
the goodness of God in this, and this is precisely what David 
does in chapter 7, verse 18, and what Mephibosheth does in 
chapter 9. The recipients of grace are able 
to identify grace because they see themselves rightly. Mephibosheth 
understood that he was being treated much better than he deserved. Isn't that what grace is all 
about? We recognize that we are being treated much better than 
we deserve. I mean, think about it, brethren. 
What does every sin deserve? Every sin deserves God's wrath 
and curse, both in this life and that which is to come. The 
fact that we're not in hell is an amazing reality. The fact 
that we have been provided for is an amazing reality. And the 
fact that we are being called to sup with the Lamb every Lord's 
Day, every time we have the supper, He invites us to sit at His table 
with Him. This is amazing, and we ought 
not to lose sight of that, and we ought to recognize our humility 
before God and realize He didn't do this because we deserved it. 
He didn't do this because we had warrant. He didn't do this 
because we merited it, any more than this lame man Mephibosheth 
warranted or merited the very benefits and blessings that David 
was pouring upon him. It's truly a display of the grace 
of God. Now note the execution, verses 
9 to 11. We won't spend a lot of time here. Basically, David 
tells Ziba to get it done. And Ziba gets it done. Praise 
God, from whom all Zibas flow. Zibas are good people in the 
life of the church. They do what the king says and 
they carry it out. We all ought to do what the king 
says and carry it out. And then notice, it tells us 
something about Mephibosheth. the household of Mephibosheth 
in verse 12. He had a young son whose name 
was Micah, and all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants 
of Mephibosheth. So a little detail to be sure, 
but I think it illustrates something. This grace that God pours out 
upon Mephibosheth abounds. It is profuse. David says, I 
will care for you and your family. Lest we leave the chapter thinking, 
does he have a family? The author tells us, he does. They have benefited. They have 
been begraced. They have been brought nigh. 
They have been blessed. I'm not arguing for paedo-inclusion 
and all that sort of thing. We've got to realize the temporal 
nature of what's happening here. The point is that David's word 
was good. It will be for your house. It 
will be for your people. It will be for your wife and 
for your son. There are benefits to be had 
in the presence of the King. And then notice, it tells us 
in verse 13, so Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate 
continually at the king's table, and he was lame in both his feet. Now when I taught this at the 
Wednesday night Bible study a couple of weeks ago, I said I didn't 
really understand what that meant, and he was lame in both of his 
feet. I mean, I understand what it 
means, he was lame in both his feet. But what does it mean? Why is it there? We've already 
been told he's lame. We were told in 2 Samuel 4 that 
he was dropped, and that's what lamed him, or maimed him, rather. 
Twice in the narrative we're told that he was lame, and I 
kind of spiritualized, but the more I've thought about it, the 
more this might be why it's here. Maybe the narrator, maybe the 
author, maybe our writer here is trying to combat what would 
be called the health-wealth-prosperity gospel. You see, once we're protected 
by David, and once we're provided for by David, and once we have 
this position of intimacy with David, then all of our problems 
will be gone. No, you're still lame in both 
your feet. The blessings conferred upon 
you by grace do not make all of your ailments magically disappear. He's still lame, but he's in 
a much better position. I mean, would you rather be lame 
and counted as an enemy of the king living off in the distance? 
Or would you rather be lame and being protected by the king and 
provided for by the king and having a position with the king? 
Well, the latter, obviously, right? The point is, brethren, 
that just because we are begraced by God or blessed by God, that 
doesn't mean all of our physical trials and our travails will 
necessarily go. Well, a couple of lessons and 
then we'll close. First, the necessity of covenant keeping. 
The necessity of covenant keeping. We ought to learn something from 
David here. His covenant keeping is exemplary. In other words, it's an example 
for us. It is a paradigm or a pattern. It is an illustration of what 
the people of God are supposed to do. You give your word, you 
make your promise, you say, I do, and you must. That is absolutely 
essential. He didn't let success make him 
renege upon his covenant with Jonathan. He didn't let past 
persecution cause him to renege. You see, it would have been very 
easy for David to say, Saul troubled me. And Saul did trouble him. I mean, 1 Samuel chapter 16, 
it begins, all the way until Saul's death. It would be easy, 
wouldn't it? I mean, we think that way, don't 
we? Well, the government makes my life miserable, so I'm going 
to cheat on my taxes. They deserve it. Those policemen, 
they don't really catch the bad guys, so I'm going to blow through 
this stop sign." We rationalize our sin, and we rationalize covenant 
breaking. David didn't do that. David did 
not say, well, you know, Saul was a dirty, rotten scoundrel 
to me, so therefore, I'm going to forget all about... No! Covenant! I swore to Jonathan. There has 
to be one. There has to be a descendant. 
And since there is, I'm going to give him the benefits that 
I swore to give to him. As well, the covenant keeping 
of God or of God's people today is demanded. It is demanded by 
God. We are not to renege on our promises. 
Psalm 15 describes, I think in beautiful detail, our Savior. 
It's descriptive of our Savior and it's prescriptive for those 
who are joined to the Savior by faith. And one of the things 
given to us is that he swears to his own hurt and he does not 
change. He swears to his own hurt and 
he does not change. I mean, that's truly true of 
Jesus alone, right? You'll all agree with me on that. 
15b, Psalm 15, 4b, rather. It's a description of our Lord 
Christ. It is descriptive, but it is prescriptive in the sense 
that all those who are joined to Him by faith are supposed 
to do likewise. We are to swear to our own hurt 
and not renege. I shared with the Bible study 
on the Wednesday night something concerning B.B. Warfield. First, Davis. Davis 
says, if you're a Christian, your life consists of covenant 
obligations, times when you made sacred promises. This is important. Sometimes we have these Wednesday 
night Bible studies and I think, you know, this is something, 
not because I taught it, but because it's in the Word of God, 
and I think everybody needs to understand these things. Sometimes 
the Old Testament gives us life lessons that we don't always 
get in the New. I'm not saying the New doesn't 
give us life lessons, I see the Old Testament as the Christian 
life lived. It is the Christian life lived. The day-in, day-out, toils, difficulties, 
and trials of God's people. Again, you get it in the New 
Testament, but you get it in a heaping dose in the Old. Davis 
says, if you're a Christian, your life consists of covenant 
obligations, times when you made sacred promises. He then gives 
several examples. He and Calvin both indicate paedo-baptism. In paedo-baptism, when you sprinkle 
your little one, your loved one, you make a vow, you make a promise 
to bring those children up in the training and admonition of 
the Lord. Well brethren, I like to think that even though we 
don't sprinkle our children, there is that unspoken vow. There 
is that covenant wherein we fall under Ephesians 6. wherein we 
understand that fathers are not to provoke their children, but 
they are to bring them up in the training and admonition of 
the Lord." That is a promise that we make to do. We are believers 
in the living God. We're not to bring up children 
to Baal or Molech. We're not to bring up children 
to Mammon or Sax. We're to bring up our children 
unto the fear of God. So, Davis and Calvin both indicate 
various fears in which we give these vows. Davis goes on to 
say, one does not keep such vows because it is dramatic, but because 
it is faithful. He says, sometimes you do not 
keep your covenants because you feel like it, but simply because 
you promised. I think that's important. We 
oftentimes are motivated by what we feel like. I don't feel like 
reading my Bible. I don't feel like going to church. 
I don't feel... You know what? You've got to get beyond your 
feelings, beloved. Baal worship was about feelings. 
Baal worship happened from the waist down. It was all about 
the feelings when you bowed before Baal. It was all about the experience. It was all about the copulation. 
It was all about the physical. Christians are not to imitate 
Baal worship. Sometimes we may not feel like 
reading our Bibles. Sometimes we may not feel like 
going to church. But we ought not to give in to 
those feelings. We ought not to fall prey to 
those desires. We ought to discipline ourselves 
for the purpose of godliness. I know that sounds zany, but 
Paul speaks to this in 1 Timothy. Davis goes on. The works of B.B. Warfield, the esteemed biblical 
theologian of Princeton Seminary, are still known and read in the 
Evangelical Church today. What is not so well known is 
the tale of his marriage. Warfield was pursuing studies 
in Leipzig, Germany in 1876-77. This time, also doubled as a honeymoon with 
his wife Annie. They were on a walking tour in 
the Harz Mountains when they were caught in a terrific thunderstorm. 
The experience was such a shock to Annie that she never fully 
recovered, becoming more or less an invalid for life. Warfield 
only left her for his seminary duties, but never for more than 
two hours at a time. His world was almost entirely 
limited to Princeton and to the care of his wife for 39 years. One of his students noted that 
when he saw the Warfields out walking together, quote, the 
gentleness of his manner was striking proof of the loving 
care with which he surrounded her, end quote. Davis concludes, 
for 39 years. That is the power covenant exercises. It's a blessing, brethren, to 
know older brethren that have been married for a long, long 
time. Some of you younger married say, 
boy, how do they do it? Ask them. Is it feeling driven? Oh, I'm always just filled with 
these butterflies in love. It's covenant. Because I said 
I do. That's what David does. That's 
what David shows. and the logical progression involved. Again, touching on what we heard 
this morning. I think in some senses, the movement from 2 Samuel 
7, we'll bypass 8, because as I said, it's a record of battles 
and wars. But in 2 Samuel 7, grace is received by David. 2 Samuel 9 and 10, grace is given 
by David. It parallels Romans 1 to 11, 
the grace of God in the Gospel, and Romans 12 and following. 
Therefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech you, by the mercies 
of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, and then 
follow all of these ways that we present our bodies as living 
sacrifices, vis-à-vis, give preference to others. Be kind to others. Be hospitable to others. Love 
one another. You see, when you receive the 
grace of God, you in turn are to pour out that grace upon others. The love of Christ compels us. 
We ought to learn as well the typical significance of David. In the first place, he operates 
according to covenant. So does his greater son. In the 
second place, David provides every temporal blessing to Mephibosheth. Protection, provision, and privilege. David's greater son, in the language 
of the Apostle Paul, has blessed us with every spiritual blessing 
in the heavenly places in Christ. You see, we are the Mephibosheths, 
who by the grace of God have fallen prostrate before the Lord, 
and He has blessed us richly with all of these things. He 
provides, David does, in an above and beyond sort of way. So does 
Christ, David's greater Son. Just two sample passages, John 
1, 16. And of His fullness we have all received, and grace 
for grace. Isn't that amazing? We don't just get grace, we get 
grace for grace. We don't get just a part and 
parcel of Jesus. We get His fullness. We get every 
redemptive benefit. We get every blessing. We need 
the wrath of God averted. Christ is our propitiation. We 
need reconciliation, friendship between heaven and earth. Christ 
brings reconciliation. We need redemption. We need to 
be bought out of the slave market of sin in Him, in whom we have 
redemption through His blood. We need everything and Christ 
delivers it. And then as well, we ought to 
note that David blesses one in this particular passage who is 
insignificant, one who is unworthy, and one who is even counted as 
an enemy. Again, I hope that you're thinking 
with your New Covenant hat on, or your thinking cap. Remember that as a kid? Put your 
thinking caps on. Put your New Covenant thinking 
cap on. Doesn't that? Isn't that what David's greater 
son does? He blesses the insignificant. He blesses the unworthy. He blesses 
those who are counted as enemies. One specimen text here, Romans 
chapter 5. We're coming to a conclusion. 
I just want you to see this, that we are the Mephibosheth 
in this particular passage of Scripture. Romans chapter 5, 
beginning in verse 6. For when we were still without 
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely 
for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man 
someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own 
love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ 
died for us. Much more than having now been 
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through 
the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall 
be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also 
rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we 
have now received the reconciliation." So according to the Apostle Paul, 
what we were prior to our contact with Jesus, prior to this meeting 
between Mephibosheth and David, we were helpless. We were ungodly, 
we were sinners, and we were enemies, and yet we have been 
brought nigh through the blood of the Lord Jesus. Again, Davis 
says, the first principle for grappling with the marvel of 
God's love is to realize that He has no business, in a sense, 
loving whom He loves. See, it shouldn't surprise us 
that the triune God loves Father loves Son, Son loves Spirit, 
Son loves Father. That shouldn't surprise us, the 
ad intra being of God in His personal relations, in terms 
of the triunity. That's not a surprise that the 
Father loves the Son. It's not a surprise that the 
Son loves the Father. It's not a surprise that both 
love the Spirit, and the Spirit loves the Son and the Father. 
He could probably draw out, tease out, however many connections, 
just say all three love each other. That's not a surprise. 
What Davis says, and I think he's right, is that it's a surprise 
that he loves us. Because we were helpless. We 
were ungodly. We were sinners and we were enemies. We were Mephibosheth in our passage. We were in that position of fearing 
for our lives. And yet we have received protection, 
provision, and a position of intimacy. And our response ought 
not to be, well, we deserved it, but it ought to be. How? I'm a dead dog. Davis goes on. What I'm saying is that we are 
the Lord's Mephibosheths. And there is absolutely no reason 
why we should be eating continually at the king's table. And if we 
have any sense, we won't be able to understand it either. If you're 
not a Mephibosheth here tonight, if you have not tasted and seen 
that the Lord is good, take it from other Mephibosheths. This 
God really is what He promises. This God really is as good as 
He says. This God really does deal with 
helpless, sinful, ungodly enemies in such a glorious way. This God provides protection. This God provides provision. 
This God provides position. So take it from the Mephibosheths 
here tonight, and flee to David's greater Son! Do not resist. Do not stay back. Do not count 
yourself as so ungodly and so unholy. The glory of Christ is 
seen in the reality that He saves just that type of sinner. Listen 
to the Mephibosheth here. We will all testify to that. 
We are insignificant, we are unworthy, and we are enemies 
of the crown rights of our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet He, by 
grace, has conquered us. He, by grace, has brought us 
nigh. He, by grace, has conferred this privilege that we will eat 
at His table continually. Don't tarry, don't stay, don't 
refuse and don't resist. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for the Word of God and we thank You for this 
grace shown to Mephibosheth and what it illustrates concerning 
the grace shown by our Lord Jesus to us. God, we praise You for 
these things and I pray that they would make a mark in our 
hearts, that we would sing with joy and thanksgiving, Amazing 
Grace, how sweet the sound, that we would acknowledge our wretched 
condition before You and the fact that You have had such kind 
dealings with us. I pray that you would go with 
us now, that you would continue to protect us, continue to watch 
over us, bring us together so we may worship you in spirit 
and truth, and we ask these things through Christ Jesus our Lord. 
Amen.