So King David had [Mephibosheth] brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
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.
“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table”
(2 Samuel 9:5-7).
King David showed his loyal kindness to Mephibosheth because of a covenant he made with his friend, Jonathan. The favor David extended gave privilege and honor to this man based solely on promise. Mephibosheth (whose name means “a shameful thing”) became crippled and an orphan when he was five years young—when both his father, Jonathan, and grandfather, King Saul, were killed in battle.
His esteem was so low by the time David found him that he identified himself as a “dead dog.” But the king reassured him not to fear his standing before him. Then David brought him to live in the palace, where he dined at the king’s table the rest of his days. Though he was “lame in the flesh”, Mephibosheth was treated like one of the king’s sons (2 Samuel 9:11).
When the king came into Mephibosheth’s life, all that was lost to death was restored. Mephibosheth inherited property and his relationship to the king was restored. He became a member of the royal family and was given helpers to work his fields.
No longer was Mephibosheth exiled, orphaned, or seen as an enemy of the throne. He was treated like one of the family.
There are events in the Old Testament which are a foreshadowing of a greater spiritual reality yet coming. The shadow of this one stretches far into eternity future. The parallels in this narrative to the gospel are better than any in Scripture. And they’re fully realized in gospel graces of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The gospel good news is that because of Jesus, those united to Him have been given a new identity, new citizenship, and a rich inheritance. What was lost to death has been restored. We are no longer enemies of the King. We are members of the royal family. And we’ve been given a Helper, the Holy Spirit. No longer are we exiled or orphaned. And the King’s table awaits us.
Ephesians 2:6-7 says, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” We are richly lavished in the kindness of our King. All because of covenant. No matter where we live here on earth, our citizenship is in heaven! Jesus has made us rich beyond measure—for we are heirs of eternal life (Matthew 19:29); heirs of promise (Ephesians 3:6); heirs of the kingdom (Luke 12:32; Matthew 25:34); and of the Spirit (Galatians 4:6). And, according to the apostle Peter, none can rust, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:4).
We have been lavished in blessing upon blessing—all wrapped up in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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