A dead dog at the king’s table
2 samuel 9
Main Point: The kindness of God should be humbling and prized, not arrogantly despised.
I. The Covenant Remembered (9:1-5)
The covenant promise is fulfilled in the initiative of grace, for the covenant itself is all of grace! God always makes the first move. Were he not to do so, we would remain as we are, dead in our sins and oblivious to the gospel. The same principle may be applied to personal relationships. If you want to be of help to someone, if you want to befriend a neighbor, if you want someone to come under the sound of the gospel, you must be ready to take the initiative. You have no right to expect someone else to do it for you. This is what grace is about—reaching out to bless even your adversary’s household, without your being asked, or their deserving it! David owed Mephibosheth nothing; Christ owes us nothing; but praise God that Jesus came to save sinners like us and that, by his grace, the Davids reach out in compassion to the Mephibosheths of this world.
– Gordon Keddie: Triumph of the King: The Message of 2 Samuel
II. The Covenant Restores (9:6-8)
Today’s counsellors and psychiatrists would probably set this down as ‘a poor self-image’ or ‘low self-esteem’ induced by disability and deprivation. And perhaps there was an element of this in Mephibosheth’s self-deprecatory remark. Nevertheless, it needs to be said that there are times when self-deprecation and low self-esteem are justified because they are a realistic assessment of our true condition before God.
– Gordon Keddie: Triumph of the King: The Message of 2 Samuel
III. The Covenant Exceeds Expectations (9:9-13)
David is not merely fulfilling the letter of his promise to Jonathan. Mephibosheth is not merely tolerated. He’s not just given provisions. He’s invited into a relationship with David. Eating is a powerful symbol of friendship. That was true then and it’s still true today. That’s why Jesus eating with “tax collectors and sinners” was so controversial. God’s king was eating with God’s enemies as a sign of God’s grace. It is the same today. Christ does not merely tolerate us. He invites us into a relationship of intimacy and friendship. And that is powerfully symbolized in the invitation to eat at his table in the Lord’s Supper. Christ says to you, Eat at my table.
– Tim Chester: 2 Samuel for You
