Today I want to look at the life of a rather unknown Biblical figure: Mephibosheth. I don’t know that many people know very much about him, much less how to pronounce his name! His life is worth taking a closer look at, though, for I think you will see that he is a good illustration of how God’s grace works. Let’s look at the first place in Scripture we hear about him.
2 Samuel 4:4 says, “Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”
The news which the nurse is given is that Saul and Jonathan have been killed. Back at the end of 1 Samuel, and again in 2 Samuel 1, we are told that Saul and three of his sons are killed by the Philistines. This sets off a series of problems in which a war starts between Saul’s people and David’s people. Ish-bosheth, another of Saul’s sons, is made king of Israel, but the house of Judah follows David and knows that he is supposed to be king. As 2 Samuel 3:1 says, “There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.”
So when the news came to Mephibosheth’s nurse that Saul and Jonathan had both died, she grabbed little Mephibosheth in order to escape with him, but she dropped him or tripped or something happened that caused him to fall, and he broke both feet. Given all that information, and the fact that there are a lot of people mentioned in the Bible, it’s logical to think if we ever hear about him again, it will be to learn that he’s died. Especially since the house of Saul is fighting against David, and due to his injury that left him lame in his feet, Mephibosheth would be an easy target for David’s men to eliminate. Except that isn’t the case, and we do hear about him again, somewhere between fifteen or twenty years later. Let’s read what happens.
2 Samuel 9:1-13 (ESV) says, “And David said, ‘Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, ‘Are you Ziba?; And he said, ‘I am your servant.’ 3 And the king said, ‘Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?’ Ziba said to the king, ‘There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.’ 4 The king said to him, ‘Where is he?’ And Ziba said to the king, ‘He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.’ 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’ And he answered, ‘Behold, I am your servant.’ 7 And David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.’ 8 And he paid homage and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?’ 9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, ‘All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.’ Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, ‘According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.’ So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.”
This is pretty remarkable, isn’t it? Many years have gone by. Mephibosheth has grown up, and he even has a young son of his own. He’s been living in a place in Gilead named Lo-debar, and he’s still lame in both feet. According to Strong’s Concordance, the name Lo Debar means pastureless, or translated literally, no pasture. I noticed in reading other people’s comments about Mephibosheth that some people translate Lo-debar to mean “no-thing” and then they write a sermon based on that idea: that Mephibosheth was living in nothing and was brought to the palace. It makes it very dramatic when it’s worded that way, right? But the word actually means no pasture, and that is dramatic enough. For without pasture, that land would be desolate and barren. Now, summoned from that wasteland, Mephibosheth is given a place in Jerusalem.
It would have been great kindness and mercy if David would have merely spared Mephibosheth’s life. But he did so much more than that. He gave him a seat at his table and he gave him property and servants. The seat at David’s table is particularly profound, for that is where David’s sons sat during dinner. That was a seat of honor and great status, to be included among David’s family. And as if that was not enough, he gave him possession of a valuable estate. An estate so valuable that it could house and support a huge household and a vast number of servants. Ziba shows us just how huge and profitable owning this estate was. As we read in the next text, Ziba was able to quickly assemble and bring to David “two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine” from that property. For unfortunately for Mephibosheth, he didn’t live happily ever after on that property. There is more upheaval in David’s kingdom, more fighting, more factions, and more war. David’s own son Absalom tries to take the throne, and to save his own life, David leaves the city. When David first hears that Absalom has betrayed him, 2 Samuel 15:30 says, “But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went.” Let’s continue reading to find out what happens next.
2 Samuel 16:1-4 says, “When David had passed a little beyond the summit, [of the Mount of Olives] Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, ‘Why have you brought these?’ Ziba answered, ‘The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.’ 3 And the king said, ‘And where is your master’s son?’ Ziba said to the king, ‘Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, “Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.”’ 4 Then the king said to Ziba, ‘Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.’ And Ziba said, ‘I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.’”
Is Ziba telling the truth? Has Mephibosheth betrayed David? Does Mephibosheth really think he can take the throne? Or is Ziba deceiving David and lying to him in order to take the property away from Mephibosheth?
We will have to wait to see whether we think Ziba was telling the truth or not, but we see that no matter if David’s judgement was correct in this hasty decision he made, he rightfully gives credit to God for His help in this time of hunger and need as he’s fleeing. In the NIV Student Bible, there is a note that says that this event is most likely what David is referring to in Psalm 23:4-5, when he says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” If this is the event that David was thinking about when he wrote that Psalm, then David gave the credit to God for bringing this provision to him. Now whether the presence of enemies is referring to Absalom and his men seeking to kill him, or to Ziba, that remains to be seen.
Either way, David is surrounded by enemies, and he’s already heartbroken that his son betrayed him, and now he hears that even Mephibosheth, whom he refers to as his son you might have noticed, has betrayed him, too. Perhaps that is why David doesn’t pause to consider that Ziba might be lying to him. Maybe he thought if Absalom could turn against him, then so could Mephibosheth.
If you know David’s life story, then you know Absalom is defeated, and David keeps control of the throne. What happens to Mephibosheth, though? We know Ziba had kicked him off the land, but we don’t know where he was living at this point. So when Mephibosheth hears that David is returning to Jerusalem, he returns in order to talk with him. Let’s keep reading.
2 Samuel 19:24-30 (ESV) says, “And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, ‘Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?’ 26 He answered, ‘My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, “I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.” For your servant is lame. 27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. 28 For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?’ 29 And the king said to him, ‘Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.’ 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.’
Mephibosheth is finally able to give his side of the story. Do you think he’s telling the truth? Does David believe him? If you think he’s telling the truth, do you agree with David’s decision? Does dividing the property seem fair? And what of Mephibosheth’s last words, that Ziba can have it all, he’s just happy David is home safely? Was Mephibosheth speaking with hyperbole, or did he give it all up? We can’t know the answer to that question, for the text tells us nothing further.
In Ellicott’s Commentary, he offers his opinion on this event. He says, “When Ziba came to David with his false report about Mephibosheth, David had instantly transferred to him all his master’s possessions (2Samuel 16:4); he now saw the injustice of his hasty action, and ought at least to have reversed it, if not to have punished Ziba besides. Either, however, because he had still some doubt of the real merits of the case, or more probably because he was unwilling for political reasons to offend Ziba, he resorts to that halfway and compromise course which was both weak and unjust. The circumstances of the case, the continued mourning of Mephibosheth, the silence of Ziba, concur with the physical infirmity of Mephibosheth to show the truth of his story.”
And in the Geneva Study Bible, which was originally printed in 1560, it says, “David did evil in taking his land from him before he knew the cause, but much worse, that knowing the truth, he did not restore them.”
I agree with both of those sentiments: David should have restored all the land to Mephibosheth. But at least he restored half to him. Then later, when restitution was being given to the Gibeonites whom Saul had unjustly wronged, David did not allow Mephibosheth to be killed along with Saul’s other remaining sons. 2 Samuel 21:7 tells us, “But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.”
That ends the Bible’s account of the life of Mephibosheth. He’s an important figure, though, for he’s an illustration of the grace that God offers to us. For Mephibosheth was the natural enemy of David, and he would have been a rightful heir to Saul’s throne since his father Jonathan had also been killed. Yet, David had mercy on him because of the vow he made to Jonathan. It was not on account of what Mephibosheth had done; it was on account of what Jonathan had done for David. It was because of Jonathan, and for Jonathan’s sake alone that David harbored Mephibosheth. 2 Samuel 9:7 says, “And David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.’”
Mephibosheth is like us, in that while we were still enemies of God, Jesus loved us and redeemed our lives. That is what Jesus has done for us. It’s not on account of what we have done that God offers us salvation and harbors us from the judgment we deserve. It is because of what Jesus has done for us that we are made safe. It is for Jesus’ sake that we are saved: it is on account of what Jesus has done for us. It is Jesus’ merit that purchased our salvation. Mephibosheth knew that he was undeserving of David’s help. That’s why he refers to himself as a dead dog. In 2 Samuel 9:8, Mephibosheth asks David a rhetorical question. It says, “And he paid homage and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?’” Mephibosheth did not try to exalt himself. He knew that his life lay in David’s hands. Even at the end of his story, he says Ziba can have the property: he is just happy David is alive and is back in Jerusalem. He knows that whatever generosity David shows him is undeserved.
In Psalm 8:3-4, David asks a similar question of God. He says, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” David knew he was undeserving of the generosity of love and grace that God showed him. Do we regard the Lord’s blessings of salvation from that same humble mindset? Some modern worship songs I’ve heard seem to imply that it is God who is blessed that we have chosen to love Him. That is backwards thinking, for it is us who are the undeserving. It is us who are blessed that God chooses to love us.
In reading through the text of how Mephibosheth became lame, something else dawned on me. Mephibosheth’s feet were broken by the fall, but the reason he was lame and could not walk was not because his feet were broken, it was because his feet were not made straight as they healed. His feet stayed crooked because they were not properly set. I read a book called Johnny Tremain in which the main character burns his hand, and instead of setting it properly, the skin heals in a way that fuses the skin of the fingers together, rendering his hand useless. A doctor offers to correct the injury and set it right, but Johnny refuses because he doesn’t want to suffer the pain of the procedure and he doubts it will work. Mephibosheth doesn’t seem to have that option given to him, but his injury, had it occurred in modern times, most likely would have been treatable. His feet could have been healed.
This is where David and his dealing with Mephibosheth is an example of God’s grace, but it pales in comparison to the actual greatness of God. God does so much more for us than David did for Mephibosheth. David could not heal his feet and restore his ability to walk. David could not see into Ziba’s heart, nor Mephibosheth’s for the matter, and so his judgement is not perfect. God’s grace is so much greater, for God does so much more than this. God takes what is broken, and He mends us, making what is crooked, straight. But, like my example, we have to allow God to do this for us. We have to have faith and trust in Him. If Mephibosheth had not trusted David, he would not have sat at his table. He would have run away, fearing for his life. But he trusted David’s words.
Do we trust God’s Word? I feel like some Christians do not trust God’s goodness toward them. They seem to be always waiting for God to harm them rather than bless them. They fear change, and having gotten comfortable and used to the problems in their lives, they don’t want to trust God and allow Him to do a work in their lives. I want to tell you, you can trust our Savior Jesus. He only wants the best for you. Things that seem painful or scary at first, if you simply take Him at His Word, He will not disappoint you. As Jeremiah 29:11 promises us, God says to every believer who follows Him, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Also, unlike the way David dealt with Mephibosheth, we do not have to fear the words of those who accuse us before God. God knows our hearts and intentions: He rightly divides our hearts and offers perfect judgement. He will never unjustly abandon us and leave us to fend for ourselves. The devil loves to accuse us and slander us before God. The devil points out our shortcomings and pronounces judgement. He wants to remind us of our past sins and call us traitors to God. But Jesus doesn’t remember our sins once He has forgiven us. He has thrown our sins away, as far as the east is from the west. If we have repented of our sins, Jesus doesn’t call us sinners anymore. He does not consider us His enemy, but our friend and brother. Psalm 103:11-12 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
Jesus does all this for us and more. Like David sought out Mephibosheth, Jesus seeks us out and offers us a seat at His table, including us into His family. He provides for our needs. We are undeserving of this great love and mercy, and yet, for Jesus’ sake, God adopts us and takes us in. It is not due to something we have done, but because of the generosity of what Jesus did for us. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus calls us out of the barren land of sin, and makes a place for us. Mephibosheth’s story mirrors and foreshadows for us the greater redemption and blessing that awaits us, for each of us believers in Jesus will have a seat at the table in the New Jerusalem when He returns. Jesus gave us this promise. He said, as recorded in John 14:1-3, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Let us rejoice in the generous love the Father has shown to us for Jesus’ sake. This is why we worship and praise the Lord. For He has blessed us so richly and we are so undeserving of it all.
Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the great love You have shown to us when You sent us Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Please help us by Your Holy Spirit to trust in You. Help us to allow You to heal the areas in our lives that are lame. Please make all the crooked places straight. Thank You for making a seat for us at Your table. We love You and can never thank You enough for all that You have blessed us with. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
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