“Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” 1 Samuel 9:7
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
David and Mephibosheth: 9:1-13. David is clearly established as a ruler of a country he has made powerful. Now he searches for any descendants of his friend Jonathan. One man has survived, who is crippled from childhood. David restores Saul’s land to him, and shows him great kindness. Normally any change of dynasty meant the new ruler would attempt to kill surviving members of the royal family, to forestall any later challenge to the throne. David shows how different he is from those rulers who neither trust God nor care for other human beings.
1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?
7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” 8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”
9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.” 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.
–> This chapter shows David’s faith in God (rather than in men or circumstances) and also his faithfulness. He kept his promise to Jonathan his friend.
–> This photo reminds me of Van Gogh’s painting called “Interior of a Restaurant.” The doors lined and tinged with red color seem to signify the blood of Jesus and thus Passover.
