2015-01-16
Good Morning Dear Ones,
If you have forgotten some of the details of Mephibosheth’s story, reread 2 SAM 9: 1-3 now. This story gives us a real view of the kindness God had brought into King David’s heart as he got older, and it also allows us to see how seriously David took his covenant before God with Mephibosheth’s father and David’s dear friend, Jonathan, before the latter’s death at the battle of Gilboa [1 SAM 31: 1-13]. Some additional discussion of Mephibosheth is needed, so that we can see how this series of events impacts our present day lives. Mephibosheth was Saul’s grandson and Jonathan’s son. He grew up in Lodebar, far from David’s sphere of influence at the time. He lived a life of frustration and limitation because of his disability. It was a constant reminder to him of the loss of his grandfather, uncles, and father. Since I have a disability, I can understand some of the feelings and frustrations Mephibosheth had, and yet, I live in a world which has helpful inventions and in a country which has civil building codes that take handicapped people into consideration. Mephibotsheth’s situation was far more frustrating than anything I encounter. My worst complaint is that there were certain places I couldn’t go until I saved up enough to afford an electric cart. People were not so understanding with a disabled person in Mephibosheth’s time; he was thought of as helpless and weak, even if he wasn’t. David’s kindness transcended this foolish judgment in favor of honoring his covenant, made long beforehand with Jonathan.
When I think of Mephibosheth, I can no longer complain about the constant nerve pain in both my feet. Years ago, some modern medical researchers were developing drugs to treat Epilepsy, and they discovered these drugs have a secondary effect of dulling (not stopping) nerve pain. I’m fortunate enough to have access to these drugs (even though I don’t suffer from Epilepsy). Mephibosheth had constant pain that went untreated in both of his crippled feet. These were the results of being dropped by his nurse at the tender age of 5, the day David’s men were coming close to Lodebar and Mephibosheth’s caretaker forgot the covenant that existed between the two families [2 SAM 4: 4]. There is truth in the old adage, “when your feet hurt, everything hurts.” I have at least some modicum of relief; Mephibosheth never did. Walking must have been yet another challenge for him, as he got around on some kind of home-made crutches. And yet, David’s invitation to Mephibosheth to join him at his kingly table was not just his feeling sorry for this young man. Instead, it was David feeling honor-bound to a covenant made before God between their two families.
We must remember another aspect to this story. Human sinfulness often exerts itself in the form of rumors. There had been a rumor that no crippled people were allowed to live in Jerusalem, particularly later in David’s palace. This began when David and his men went to war with the Jebusites there [2 SAM 5: 6-12]. “You will not get in here, even the blind and the lame can ward you off,” thought the Jebusites, as David and his men advanced and eventually captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David (6-7). David’s response was to say, “’Anyone who conquers the Jebutsites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.’ That is why they say, ‘The blind and lame will not enter the palace.’” David took up residence in the fortress and built up the area around it, as he became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him” (8-10). We can be reasonably sure that Mephibosheth heard this twisted rumor, which added to his bitterness and fright when he appeared at David’s door with Ziba (his servant) in response to David’s invitation.
In evaluating the lessons for us that arise from this story, I can’t overlook the lack of forgiveness on the part of many sinful people. These are the ones who don’t take the time to understand people they encounter and the situations they face. Instead they pass snap judgments and refuse to forgive people even for confessed wrongdoing followed by genuine apology. David had no need to apologize for his treatment of Mephibosheth, but Mephibosheth had been forced to think less of himself than he should due to his disability. For all we know, this young man may well have had his father’s intelligence and courage. But people wouldn’t have taken the time to learn that, other than David, who did so by honoring his covenant. PS 33: 13 tells us, “The Lord looks down from heaven and sees every person.” David’s kindness and friendship with young Mephibosheth wasn’t missed. Nor would any seriousness and gifts of the Holy Spirit [GA 5: 22-23] we show toward our covenant partners, potential ones, and Him be forgotten or overlooked. David was truly “a man after God’s own heart” [1 SAM 13: 13-14], despite his human foibles. We must ask ourselves, despite our own human foibles, how seriously do we take God’s will for our own covenant relationships with others and with Him? Have we ever begun a rumor, sent out opinions or information that we haven’t checked carefully first? Have we taken the time to consider the consequences of our decisions and actions beforehand? How carefully do we think about words we say before saying them? These are questions well worth considering.
PRAYER: O Lord, we come to You in reverence with our heads bowed, to offer You richly deserved praise and thanks for the wisdom of the lessons You have for us. It is our intent to let You know that we have heard and received them. We accept that there is plenty of room for us to improve in learning from past mistakes and from human history. We thank You for being patient in giving us the time to learn these lessons [2 PET 3: 9]. Through our “parent apostle” James, we learn the problem with our human tongues. JAS 3: 5-6, 10, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest fire is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, set the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell…Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” Twisted meanings, self-serving statements, lies, and misconceptions all arise from sinful, emotion-driven people. Such messages can be the beginning of sadness and misery that can even transcend the span of a single human life. Refusal to know and understand different cultures has led to repeated wars and awful atrocities, like the Holocaust. Lord, I remember the woman who came to her pastor asking why nothing she tried to do in her life worked. And then, there was the Holy Spirit’s idea that came to him, to ask her if she had any bad covenant relationships in her life. She told him she was holding a grudge against her mother. The pastor told her to forgive her mother and then get back to him. She prayed for Your help, and You gave it to her. You gave her the courage to swallow her pride and offer her mother genuine forgiveness. Once this was accomplished, this lady went on to be a good and loving servant for You, one whose life gave her much satisfaction. That is only one example of all the wonderful ways You transform human hearts for the better. We acknowledge Your greatness and submit to Your leadership. In the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, we thank and praise You, and we offer You this prayer. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am led to begin a new segment of this “Our Covenant” series called “Covenant Applications.” The rubber needs to meet the road at this point. We need to see how to apply all the covenant information thus discussed in our own lives. We can have a wonderful impact upon others embittered by their life’s circumstances, sometimes without saying a word about it. Our actions and conduct of our covenant relationships can set a powerful example for others. Our Lord Jesus has empowered those who obey God’s teachings, the dictates of Biblical truth, to sometimes have this beneficial effect. There are people who are universally loved because of the ways they apply these truths in their own relationships. Most of us are a mixed bag of goodness tinged with sinfulness, the latter being the areas of their lives where they haven’t yet become aware of their sin or where they haven’t yet cooperated with God’s efforts to sanctify them. I’m told the word “sanctification” is “churchy” and hard to understand. And yet, this on-going process, this cooperation between God and the believer, is in progress as we mature spiritually. One person has said that it’s the process of becoming holy. Even that is hard to understand. I would rather say it’s the process in which the believer works to reveal his own sins and genuinely confess them to God. At the same time, God works to enable the believer to know Him better and to make His agenda his own. Yes, it’s a cooperation between God and the believer, in a holy covenant relationship that matters greatly to both and that involves the believer submitting to God’s superior wisdom and leadership. And all of us who believe should offer God praise and thanks forever, for His patience in making this becoming holier for the human possible!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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