2 Samuel 19:24-30
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?” 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. 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. 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?” And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
Tag: Receiving Grace from Those We Harm is Refreshing.
The above story is a great example of what restoration looks like. We all want restoration. In Romans five we are told that Christ (via His death and resurrection) restores us to God. He “reconciles” us to God. All men desire “reconciliation.” In the above story King David (a “type” of Christ) is returning to being King of Israel. David’s son, Absalom, had tried to take the kingship from David. When Absalom ran David out of the kingdom, Ziba (the caretaker for Mephibosheth) meet David and brought him refreshments and donkeys for his travel. Ziba told David, at that time, that Mephibosheth was aligning with Absalom. So, David, in his haste, swore to give Ziba the estate for his faithfulness to the king. However, upon David’s return he hears a different story. Mephibosheth, who was lame from childhood, did not join David because of his inability to travel. He claims Ziba twisted the facts. Mephibosheth now wants and needs David’s grace. Five times Mephibosheth calls David, “My lord.” This is recognizing David’s authority over him. He comes to him pleading for grace (even though he didn’t need it). Mephibosheth wants restoration. He doesn’t try to make his case, he simply explains his version of events and seeks to worship and honor David. David, in return simply splits the estate in half, given them both something. Mephibosheth is willing to give the entire estate to Ziba, simply because David is safe. Ziba’s version promotes Ziba. Mephibosheth’s version was focused upon David. The key in this passage is to realize that God wants our total commitment to Him. Mephibosheth is an example of us, seeking grace from Christ. Only He can give us grace and forgiveness. He wants us to be like Mephibosheth. He wants us to seek Him and call him, “My Lord, O king!!”
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