Room in the Palace

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 9

Today's Treasure: "David asked, 'Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?' " (2 Samuel 9:1)

Don't you love God's Word? How I praise Him that His Word is not just a book of rules and regulations, do's and don'ts. The Bible is a book of the heart! Realize God's Word reflects God's ways as you read the story of King David's kindness toward Mephibosheth, the only remaining child of his best friend Jonathan. God's heart must be so tender.

Second Samuel 8 spotlights the zenith of David's reign. God gave unparalleled success. David was famous throughout the land, both hailed and feared for being the foremost example of God's power on earth. Even so, David knew well the feeling of loneliness. He must have looked around at the kingdom and thought of the man who first planned to share it. He missed Jonathan, and in spite of all Saul did, I believe he still loved Saul.

You hear David's loneliness at the top as he says, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" David had conquered kingdoms and subdued enemies. He had servants at his beck and call. All was momentarily quiet and peaceful—and he missed his best friend. God had fulfilled Jonathan's wish and given David everything, but Jonathan wasn't there to share it with him. David sought the next best thing. Zima, a servant of the house of Saul, told him about Jonathan's one remaining son named Mephibosheth.

The Bible first mentions Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 4. The boy was still a small child when news came of Saul and Jonathan's deaths. The nurse dropped Mephibosheth, resulting in his being crippled in both feet. Ziba's choice of words is interesting, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet" (v.3). Physical deformity was a great source of shame in the ancient world. Ziba might have suspected that the son's handicap would disqualify him from anything the king sought. If so, David surprised the servant.

David immediately commanded that Mephibosheth be brought to the court. When he arrived, David said, "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." 2 Samuel 9:7-8 tells us Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

Picturing this scene brings me to tears. Imagine the king sitting on the throne, surrounded by splendor. His brightly adorned servants open the door, and before him stands a crippled man. With crippled legs he crept before the king, then he bowed before him! Can you imagine the difficulty for a handicapped man to get down on his knees, press his forehead to the floor, as was the custom, then rise up? Mephibosheth was obviously humbled.

How amazed Mephibosheth must have been. Possibly he feared that David had summoned him for punishment. His uncle Ish-Bosheth had been at war with David. Whatever he hoped or feared, he probably had no idea what he was about to receive.

"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' " (2 Samuel 9:9-10).

I see two wonderful pictures in the story of Mephibosheth. First, I see an image of myself. Like Jonathan's son, apart from Christ I am broken, outcast, and crippled in both feet. I could never even crawl into God's presence, but in Christ I put my feet under His table as His child.

Have you ever felt like a Mephibosheth? Surely everyone who ever accepted Christ as Savior has crept before Him, crippled from the fall of sin, overcome by our unworthiness against the backdrop of His Majesty's brilliance.

The second picture in the story is God Himself. God delights to bring restoration to those who have been shamed. David's first desire was to restore Mephibosheth. He had been so hurt by the fall. He had lived with such shame. The king could hardly wait to see Mephibosheth's shame removed and his life restored. David knew about restoration. He penned the words, "He restores my soul" (Psalm 23:3). Perhaps the most grateful response we could ever offer God for our restoration is to help another be restored. I was nearly overcome when I looked up the name Mephibosheth and found that it means "shame destroyer" or "image breaker."*  What a precious portrait of our Savior! He has been my shame destroyer and image breaker!

Lord, thank You for demonstrating Your compassion and tenderness through the actions of King David toward Mephibosheth. Thank You that the most inwardly crippled person can be restored and made whole by the blood of the Lamb. Give me a heart to restore others and eyes to look for anyone to whom I can show kindness. In the name of my gracious Savior, Amen.

*Trent Butler et al., eds., Holman Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991), 946.

Adapted from A Heart Like His, by Beth Moore, pages 157-161. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999. Used by permission.