There is a story in the Books of Samuel--away back as far as the time of
the kings of Israel--which will help us to understand the Gospel. It is
about a man of the name of Mephibosheth.
You remember what a hard time David had when Saul was hunting him to kill
him--just as men hunt for game.
Well, one day David and his good friend, Jonathan, were taking a walk
together in the fields. Saul was very angry, and was bent on killing
David; but his son, Jonathan, was looking out for a chance to save him.
The fact had been revealed to Jonathan that David was to be king after
Saul’s death, instead of himself, but this did not lessen his love for
David. That must have been a real friendship which could stand this sort
of thing.
After they had agreed upon a sign by which David was to know whether it
was safe for him to stay around the court of the king, where he could see
his friend once in a while, or whether he must leave, and go off into the
cave of Adullam, Jonathan says to him:
“David, it has been revealed to me that you are to be king after my
father. Now, I want you to promise me one thing. When you come to the
throne, if any of the house of Saul are alive, I want you to be good to
them, for my sake.”
“I will do that, of course,” said David. So he made a solemn covenant to
that effect, and then he went away to the cave of Adullam, to get out of
the way of Saul, who was bound to kill him if he could.
But God took care of David. You never can kill or harm a man if God is
taking care of him.
About four years after that, David heard that there had been a great
battle over by Mount Gilboa, and that the Philistines had beaten back the
Israelites with great slaughter, and that Saul and Jonathan were both
dead. So he got his men together, and went out after the enemies of the
Lord and of Israel; and it was not a great while before he had turned the
tables on them, and set up his kingdom at Hebron.
It must have been pretty near fourteen years after that before David
remembered his promise to his old friend, Jonathan. It is a great deal
easier to make promises than to keep them. How many broken vows has God
written down against you?
But one day King David was walking in his palace at Jerusalem, where he
had removed his capital, and all at once he happened to think of that
promise. It is a good thing God does not forget His promises that way.
“That’s too bad,” mused David. “I had forgot all about that promise. I
have been so busy fighting these Philistines and fixing things up that I
have not had time to think of any thing else.”
So he called his servants in great haste, and asked: “Do any of you know
whether there is any of Saul’s family living?”
One of them said there was an old servant of Saul’s by the name of Ziba,
and maybe he could tell.
“Go and tell him I want him, right away.”
Pretty soon Ziba appeared, and King David asked: “Do you know whether
there is anybody of the house of Saul in my kingdom?”
Ziba said there was one he knew of--a son of Jonathan, by the name of
Mephibosheth.
Jonathan! How that name must have smitten King David! One of the sons of
his old friend living in his kingdom for as much as fourteen years, and
he had never known it! What would Jonathan think of him for forgetting
his promise that way?
“Go, fetch him!” says David. “Go quickly. Tell him I want him. I want to
show him the kindness of God.”
Now, where do you suppose Mephibosheth was all this time? Why, he was
down at Lo-debar. Did you ever hear of that place? If you are a sailor,
did you ever come across that port? When you have traveled on the
railway, did any of you ever stop at that station?
Ah, yes! That is where the whole human race are until they come to Christ
for salvation--away down at Lo-debar, which means “a place of no pasture.”
The king is in haste to keep his promise now. I see them hurrying off.
Maybe they take the king’s own chariot, and rattle away to find this son
of Jonathan.
When they reached the little out-of-the-way place, I fancy there was a
great commotion.
“Where is Mephibosheth? The king wants him.”
Poor fellow! When he heard this announcement he hung his head. He was
afraid the king wanted to kill him because he was of the house of Saul,
his old enemy.
“Don’t be afraid,” said the servants. “The king says he wants to show
you the kindness of God. He is in a great hurry to see you, so get ready
and jump right into the chariot. Don’t you see the king has sent his own
chariot to fetch you?”
It did begin to look as if the king meant no harm to him.
But poor Mephibosheth had another difficulty. He was lame in both feet.
He was a little fellow when King David came to the throne, and an old
servant, who was afraid that all the house of Saul would be killed, took
him up and ran away to hide him. Somehow he managed to drop the lad, and
lamed him in both feet.
And now I can see poor Mephibosheth looking down at his feet. Maybe his
toes turned in, or he was club-footed. And he says to himself: “I am not
fit to go to the king. I am a poor cripple. I am not fit to be seen among
the tall and handsome servants of the palace in Jerusalem.”
“Never mind your lame feet, Mephibosheth; so long as the king sends for
you, it is all right.”
So they take him up and put him in the chariot, and start for Jerusalem
on a run.
As soon as the king sees him he takes him in his arms and cries out:
“O Mephibosheth! The son of my dear old friend, Jonathan! You shall have
all that ever belonged to the house of Saul, and you shall live with me
here, in the palace.”
Some people think that Mephibosheth, like certain low-spirited
Christians, after he went to live with the king, must have been all the
time worrying over his lame feet. But I do not think so. He could not
help it, and if David did not mind it, it was all right. So, I think that
when he dined with David in state, with the great lords and ladies all
around him, he just stuck his club feet under the table, and looked the
king right in the face.