David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
February 22, 2022
Commentary
Every election year, we hear many campaign promises that are quickly forgotten once leaders gain power. We expect promises to be broken and are surprised when they are kept. David was different. Before he became king, he made promises to both Saul and Jonathan. To Saul, David promised not to harm his descendants. To Jonathan, he promised to show lasting kindness. Now, as king, David was finally in a position to keep those promises, even when doing so brought him no political advantage or personal gain.
David summoned Ziba, a former servant of Saul, and asked if anyone from Saul’s family was still alive (9:1–3). Ziba remembered Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, but emphasized that he was crippled in both feet. David learned that Mephibosheth was living in Lo-debar, a remote place east of the Jordan River. David sent for him, and Mephibosheth came in fear, expecting judgment or death. When he bowed before the king as a servant, David immediately spoke kindly to him, called him by name, and explained that he intended to show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake (9:4–8).
David promised to restore to Mephibosheth all the land that had belonged to Saul and to welcome him as a regular guest at the royal table. Da-vid ordered Ziba and his sons to serve Mephibosheth and manage his property for him (9:9–13). Under most kings, Mephibosheth would have been killed to remove any threat. Instead, David treated him with honor and grace. Mephibosheth ate at David’s table continually, showing that God’s kingdom is marked not by fear and power, but by faithfulness, mercy, compassion, and undeserved kindness. Grace lifts the weak and restores dignity to the forgotten.
Application
When I think about how God treats me, do I respond with gratitude or fear? Do I believe God’s kindness reaches people who feel weak or forgotten? When I have power or comfort, do I use it to show mercy? Today I ask God to help me keep my promises, welcome others with grace, and reflect His kindness in the small choices I make.
2 Samuel 9:1–13 (NET)
1 Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”
2 Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.” 3 The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.” 4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground. David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.”
7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will give back to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will be a regular guest at my table.” 8 Then Mephibosheth bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson. 10 You will cultivate the land for him—you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce and it will be food for your master’s grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do everything that my lord the king has instructed his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth was a regular guest at David’s table, just as though he were one of the king’s sons.
12 Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.
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