https://odb.org/MY/2021/10/11/at-the-kings-table
The story of Mephibosheth at 2 Samuel 9:6-13 is heart touching. I was touched when I first heard it preached and even as I read it today, I’m still touched.
It’s an intriguing story about how King David because of his love for his good friend, Jonathan, gave Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s crippled son, a life long place at his table. Not only that, King David also returned to Mephibosheth all of King Saul’s property including the household of Ziba, Saul’s steward (his children and servants) to farm the land and serve Mephibosheth. Rather than being left to fend for himself as a dead dog (as Mephibosheth described himself) for he was a disabled person needing help from others, he was returned his rightful place as a grandson of a king.
King David restored not only Mephibosheth’s status as someone who eats at the King’s table but also gave him back his inheritance. Mephibosheth thus had the means to sustain his status with Ziba’s 15 sons and 20 servants now serving him.
It was intriguing because Saul was David’s enemy, the man who wanted to kill him a few times to deny him his place at the throne. As history will tell us, in most if not all tussles to any earthly throne, whether royalty or political, the direct foe and his or her descendants are usually destroyed, wiped out or totally isolated, even in present times but especially during ancient times. Chinese Emperors of old were known to kill an entire family line of their rivals the same way an alpha male lion kills off all offsprings of the previous alpha male when it takes over a pride. David displayed the abundant grace of God although he was human like you and I.
Mephibosheth reminds me of a prophesy I received 4 years back that God will bring a great opportunity my way that will settle all my debts, will give me recognition for my efforts all these years and I will come by a big inheritance. Restoration will come my way in the days to come.
But more importantly at the wider level, Mephibosheth speaks of what God plans to do with our lives as we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. It is a beautiful picture of the salvation of Jesus Christ that God will restore us our rightful place at His table as His children although in the past we could only hope to eat off the crumbs that fall from the table. As children of God grafted into the Royal Family of God as co-heirs with Christ, we are now privileged to eat all the delicious dishes and servings that a king and his family eat. For those who had been on a tour to China, they will he acquinted with the Emperor’s meal and that’s precisely what we may now enjoy as sons and daughters of the living God! In addition to our status of children of a king, we are also blessed with our full inheritance in Christ, which is eternal life but also the full power of God working through us as we yield ourselves to God. Mephibosheth is an excellent picture of God’s abundant and overflowing grace – will we not respond to God’s calling and serve and love Him with all our heart, all our mind and all of our strength?
Ronnie's Thoughts 