“CAN YOU LEAD WITH COMPASSION?”
2 Samuel 7-9
Series: “Heart of a Champion: A Study of David”
Pastor Robbie Rutherford
New Day Christian Church, SW Florida
October 6, 2024
INTRO
We have been studying through the life of David and today we are going to see David show compassion to a helpless and scared outcast.
How many of you would say I hate feeling helpless and afraid?
If you came today helpless and afraid, lean in because today’s message is for you.
SCRIPTURE
David is finally king. A beautiful palace is built for David and his family.
In 2 Samuel 7, we see that God was with him and gave him rest from his enemies
So, David thinks one day: “It’s not right that I live in a palace and the ark of God is still in a tent.” David wants to build a temple, a house for God. So, he mentions this to the prophet Nathan, and he says, “Great idea, go for it!”
But that night God says to Nathan, “Tell David that he will not build me a house, his son will do that!” He is referring to David’s son Solomon who does end up building a great temple for the lord. But God doesn’t finish there. He says “I am going to build a house for David, but not a physical house … a dynasty”
Nathan tells him all this and then he finishes in 2 Samuel 7:16 saying
16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ “
This is a pivotal text in the Old Testament…
God made a covenant with David that he would build a house for him. A dynasty that will last forever.
Prophets for the next 1000 years will repeat this prophecy. One thousand years later Jesus would come as that descendant of David. Whom we call the Son of David.
This is where we will pick up in our text today.
2 Samuel 9:1 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul
Historically when there was a new king who didn’t inherit his kingship from his father, the new king would search out family members and faithful followers of the previous dynasty and kill them.
But David was not a typical king.
“Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
He wants to show kindness for Jonathan’s sake
Remember when David was preparing to flee from King Saul, he secretly met his best friend Jonathan (one of Saul’s Sons) to tell him goodbye.
David made a covenant with Jonathan promising he would show kindness to Jonathan’s family.
It’s been 20 years since David made this promise. And now David is going to make right on it.
2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. 3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba’s got to thinking this is a joke right… No king does this…
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
Ziba says there is one son but he’s not much of a threat, he can hardly walk.
He’s trying to get David to feel some sympathy.
This son’s name is Mephibosheth
There is an earlier passage that explains how he became disabled.
2 Sam 4:4 (Jonathan’s son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
David asked
4 “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” 5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
At this point Mephibosheth is about 20 years old.
He has no house of his own. He’s living with people that aren’t his family. In a desert city called Lo Debar which literally means “Not a Pasture”
A pasture is a place that represents abundance. There is nothing of abundance in Lo Debar.
This is Mephibosheth’s future, he was born into the wrong family, he endured the wrong circumstances, and he’s helpless and afraid. Living a life with no abundance no pasture.
Some of you know what it’s like to live in Lo Debar.
You’re living in a desert, not physically but spiritually.
It’s easy to feel forgotten…. Helpless… like an outcast when you’re living in Lo Debar.
One day Mephibosheth hears a knock on the door and it’s his worst nightmare is coming true. This knock means he is no longer hidden from King David.
There are palace officials at his doorstep, they tell him to pack his things.
He assumes that this is the end of his life, and he begins the long journey to Jerusalem.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.
David tells Mephibosheth because of what someone else has done. I will spare you and show loving-kindness…
Until this point, Mephibosheth had no idea David had made this covenant with his father. David didn’t owe Mephibosheth anything! By all cultural accounts, Mephibosheth was David’s enemy.
But David shows kindness
I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
-David says I’m going to show you kindness and spare your life.
-I’m going to give you all the land that belonged to your grandfather,
-You are going to eat at my table always as a member of my family.
8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
He says I’m worthless, I’m not worthy of this generosity. He thought he was dead!
Mephibosheth comes from Lo Debar … a place of no pasture … helpless and afraid … to a seat at the table of the king.
What a story of grace!
David tells Ziba, your family is going to take care of Mephibosheth’s land and serve his family.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.
We don’t know, how those family dinners went, but we know Mephibosheth cherished them.
12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
APPLICATION
You may have noticed. Mephibosheth’s story is a lot like our story!
Ephesians 1:4-8 NLT Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us along with all wisdom and understanding.
Just like David extended grace to Mephibosheth he didn’t deserve, we receive the grace we don’t deserve.
It is through Jesus we are welcomed to the table of the king.
This story is a picture of God’s Grace towards us!
In response to it there are three steps we need to take
1. Accept the invitation to the table.
Recognize your need for grace
This means recognizing your condition before God… a dead dog… a sinner in need of God’s grace.
There is nothing you can do to make yourself right with God except humbly surrender to Jesus.
When we experience this grace, our response should be to
2. Invite others to the table.
David knew everything he had was by God’s grace. So, he responded in the only way he could. By extending that grace to others. This should be our response.
1 John 3:16-1816 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Find ways to show loving kindness to others in your life, not because of what they do for you but because of what Jesus did for you.
And finally.
3. Show up to the table.
You are a part of the family of the King – act it! Show up to dinner!
Set aside time to pray… Open God’s word… Show up to a small group and spend time with your brothers and sisters… Make a habit of being at church every week to worship the King.
Show up and celebrate your place at the table of the King.
Your invitation to the table came at an incredible cost.
Show up to the table.
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