Notes
One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
“Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”
Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”
“Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”
Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”
Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.” (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
Ziba replied, “Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.
Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.
2 Samuel 9:1-13
King Saul and his son Jonathan were both killed in battle, leaving only Mephibosheth behind. In fear for their lives, his nurse fled with Mephibosheth but dropped him in the hurry, which caused him to be unable to walk.
Lo-debar, the city where Mephibosheth was living, was a place for outcasts and criminals. Its name means a place of no pasture, no word, or no communication. Mephibosheth was a prince but was living in isolation in an evil place.
Imagine how Mephibosheth felt when David’s men came for him - the same king who took his family’s place on the throne. He probably thought he was about to be killed. But what he thought would be a horrible situation ended up being great.
We’ve all been dropped in one way or another, and it always affects us. Many of us live as outcasts, away from where we are meant to be. And many approach Jesus in the same way Mephibosheth approached the king’s men: with fear and an expectation of harsh judgment. But what Jesus does is invite us to sit at His table.
Like David with Mephibosheth, God doesn’t care what family we are from, what our past is like, or what has happened or been done to us. When we come to Him, we are given a seat at the king’s table, where our sin is washed away and we can have peace forevermore.
Group Questions
- What are some examples of ways we might be “dropped” in life?
- Have you ever felt like you’ve been somewhere like Lo-debar?
- How do you think Mephibosheth felt with the way David treated him?
- What does it mean for us to sit at Jesus’ table?
Prayer
God, we’ve experienced drops in our lives. Sometimes we feel like outcasts. But we know that you will use us in any way you can. We want to be who you have called us to be.