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. 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. 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. And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
In ancient days the courts of kings were a complex systems of relationships, interwoven for political, military and financial reasons. When a new king came into the power the typical approach was to destroy all the members of the old king’s remaining family. However, David had made a promise to his friend Jonathon, Saul’s son, that he would always care for his family (1 Samuel 20). In the above passage we are finally seeing the culmination of David’s promise to Jonathon, by taking care of his son, Mephibosheth. David appoints one of his servants, Ziba, to care for all of Mephibosheth’s property. The fact that he had property, or was now restored to his property by David, is a gracious act by David. Remember, most leaders just killed their predecessor’s family. Ziba would now serve Mephibosheth as an act of kindness to King David. However, this relationship between David, Mephibosheth and Ziba will become increasingly complex as David’s reign unfolds. When David is run out of his kingdome by his son, Absalmon, Ziba comes to David’s aide and reports that Mephibosheth was taking advantage of the situation:
2 Samuel 16:3-4 (ESV)
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.’” 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.”
However, upon David’s return to leadership and to being king after Absalom is defeated, we are told another version of the events:
2 Samuel 19:25-27 (ESV)
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.
This is the dynamics in the royal court in those days. David is trying to show grace. He will eventually divide the riches between Ziba and Mephibosheth. Being king was hard. David’s act of grace to care for Jonathon’s son would cause, perhaps, more trouble than it was worth. But, it was David himself who wrote that the person who will seek God and never be moved will:
Psalms 15:4 (ESV)
...
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He made a commitment, a vow, to Jonathon and despite the trouble that Mephibosheth would cause him, David kept his oath, to his own hurt. We are to keep our vows ... even when it hurts.
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