david helps mephibosheth - biblelessons4kidzbiblelessons4kidz.com/bl4k database/old...

David listens to God and shows kindness to Mephibosheth.

2 Samuel 4-21 (2 Sam 4:4, 9:6-13, 16, 19, 21)Main Point: We can receive grace like Mephibosheth if we listen to God.

Key Verse:

Review: Last week we talked about David’s friendship with Jonathan. Who remembers why their friendship was so unique and honoring to God? (They encouraged one another to listen to God and to follow Him. They wanted to glorify God with their friendship).

Say This: Do you remember how David and Jonathan made a covenant with one another and with God always to be faithful to each other? Part of this covenant included David taking care of Jonathan’s family. David promised to accept and care for Jonathan’s family because of his relationship with Jonathan. He knew Jonathan had proven to be faithful and righteous before God, and David wanted to honor the family of Jonathan on Jonathan’s behalf. We are going to see that David kept his word, once again proving to be a faithful friend. We’ll see that what he does for Jonathan’s family he does because he listens to God, because he’s a man after God’s heart.

Ask: Who can tell me the name of the man trying to kill David? Saul.

Say This: Remember, Saul is Jonathan’s father.

Near the end of 1 Samuel, we read something very surprising. Saul and his sons died in the battle against the Philistines. Saul did not live a life of faith. He turned his back on God and refused to worship Him. This sin caused ruin and destruction for him and the entire nation of Israel. Perhaps it isn’t so surprising that his family died tragically in this battle. Remember, sin spoils everything. It may be hard to lead a righteous life. But when we look at how the life of Saul ends, we see that it’s even harder to lead a sinful, rebellious life.

Ask: How do you think David responded when he heard the news that Saul was dead? If someone were trying to kill you for several years, how would you feel when he was no longer a threat to your life? Maybe relieved? Maybe safe at last?

Say This: Of course, we would expect David to feel very sad for Jonathan, but what about Saul? Let’s read how David responded when he heard that Saul and Jonathan were dead.

© www.biblelessons4kidz.com May be reproduced for personal, ministry, nonprofit, non-commercial uses only. 1

http://www.biblelessons4kidz.com/

PowerPoint:“Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.” 2 Samuel 1:11-12

Say This: Of course David mourned for Jonathan. But can you believe that he also mourned for Saul? Even though David has been hurt, threatened, and chased by Saul, he didn’t rejoice when the king died. David didn’t treat Saul as Saul treated him. David treated Saul with honor and respect. Why did David do this? David was a man after God’s heart. David was saddened that the king of God’s people had ended his life so tragically. David knew that God had intended to bless Saul as king over Israel, and David was sad that Saul chose disobedience that led to death. If Saul had chosen to obey, he would have experienced many blessings of a faithful life. Sin spoiled Saul’s life, the life of his son Jonathan, and deeply hurt the heart of David.

Note to Teacher: How sobering this is to those of us who are parents.

David chose not to follow Saul down the path of sin and death. After he mourned the loss of Saul and Jonathan, he made a choice to continue to listen to God. Notice what David did immediately after he hears of Saul’s death.

PowerPoint: In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The LORD said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered.

Say This: David talked to God, listened to God, and then followed God. After a painful experience like losing a best friend, we are sometimes tempted to run from God in our sadness and anger. But not David. He believed that God had a plan, and he wanted to follow it with his whole heart. When David was sad, he turned to God. When David needed to know what step to take next, he turned to God.

David took his family and friends and settled in Hebron.

PowerPoint: “Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.” 2 Samuel 2:4



Say This: As David began his reign as king over Israel, there was only one thing that kept him from following Saul’s path to disobedience, destruction, and death. There was only one thing that made David a great king.

PowerPoint: “And he (David) became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.” 2 Samuel 5:10

Say This: David didn’t become powerful because he was the strongest warrior. His power didn’t come from being the celebrated hero that killed Goliath as a young child. David became more powerful because the Lord was with him. David listened to the Lord God Almighty, and the Lord God Almighty was with him.

Shortly after David became king, he remembered his covenant with Jonathan to show kindness to his family.

To Jonathan, he promised to protect his life and to show loving kindness to his house forever (1 Samuel 20:12-17).

To Saul, he vowed not to cut off his any of the children that came after him (1 Samuel 24:21-22).

Now that Saul and Jonathan were dead, and David was king, how easy it would have been for David to forget his commitment.

David not only remembered his commitment to Saul, he went far beyond it.

Application: God promises us an ABUNDANT life in Him! He exceeds anything we can ever imagine!

PowerPoint: David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" 2 Samuel 9:1



Say This: The Hebrew word used in this passage means grace. We’ve all heard that grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Here’s another great definition of grace by Chuck Swindoll.

PowerPoint:

“(Grace is) extending special favor to someone who doesn’t deserve it, who hasn’t earned it, and can never repay it… Grace is a demonstration of love that is undeserved, unearned, and unrepayable.” Chuck Swindoll

Say This: It’s one thing to talk about grace, but it’s another thing to see it in action!! Let’s watch David show kindness, or grace, to someone in Jonathan’s family.

PowerPoint:

2 Samuel 9:3-7 The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet." "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar."

So King David had him 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!" "Your servant," 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."

Say This: This is such a beautiful demonstration of love and acceptance, but it’s even more beautiful when we understand the culture surrounding David and Mephibosheth. During this time in history, when one king took over another king’s throne, the new king would kill the entire family of the former king. This was to insure that the family of the old king would not try to regain their former power. This explains why Mephibosheth bowed down out of fear. This also



explains why David comforted him and told him not to be afraid. The tradition of the time would have called for David to kill Mephibosheth.

“Another tradition of this time was that former kings were incapacitated by cutting off their thumbs and their big toes. They could not stand or run in battle, nor could they grip their weapons adequately. When one king prevailed over another by winning in battle, he would cut off the thumbs and the big toes of his opponent, and then keep them as a kind of showpiece. These kings would sit under the table of the king, getting the scraps of food that fell. They were not honored guests; they were trophies of war. “ Source Unknown

David would have none of this with regard to Mephibosheth. He did not want him at his table as a subjected foe, but as an honored guest, the son of his beloved friend, Jonathan. It is an amazing act of grace.

David didn’t follow tradition. He didn’t follow culture. He followed God. And God leads him down the path of grace.

But why exactly does David extend grace to Mephibosheth?

Is it because he is a mighty warrior that deserves the praise and recognition of a king like David? No! He certainly isn’t a mighty warrior. We read earlier that he is crippled in both feet. The Bible says he had been crippled since childhood. He couldn’t have fought any battles that would’ve impressed David.

Did David extend grace to Mephibosheth because he is courageous in spirit? No! When he met David, he bowed before him out of fear. We know this because David comforted him with the words, “Do not fear!”

Has David made a covenant with Mephibosheth? No! David only recently discovered his existence.

David does not extend grace to Mephibosheth because of anything he has done. In fact, it’s impossible to receive grace because of something you’ve done! That is the opposite of grace. That’s merit. Remember, grace is receiving something you haven’t earned, something you aren’t worthy of, something you can never pay back. But why Mephibosheth?

David made a covenant with Jonathan to protect his family. David showed grace, unmerited favor, to Mephibosheth because of Jonathan’s worth and faithfulness. David took all the blessings and honor and acceptance earned by Jonathan and showered them on Mephibosheth. This crippled man is blessed because of the faithfulness of his father.



This reminds me of another story. It involves you, God, and a man named Jesus.

PowerPoint:

Say This: Every person in this room was born crippled like Mephibosheth. You may look down at your feet, think about what a fast runner you are, and try to argue this point. But we are all crippled in a way much worse than our feet. Our hearts our crippled. Our souls and spirits are crippled. Our mind is crippled.

PowerPoint:

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—

PowerPoint:

Say This:

You see, when God created Adam and Eve, he wanted one thing from them – their TRUST. God wanted them to trust Him. But they chose to trust in themselves, and they turned from God. This made them crippled. It also caused the entire human race to be crippled. When we think bad thoughts, it’s because



http://www.khm.de/~opal/virtualcor/images3/lotus.jpg

we have a crippled mind. When we desire bad things, it’s because we have a crippled heart. And God knows that we are even more crippled than we think. But He loves us anyway, and calls us to His home to “always eat at his table”

He extends this grace, this unmerited favor that we can’t pay back, because of someone else. And it’s not David, Jonathan, or Mephibosheth. God accepts his crippled children in this room because of his faithful Son, Jesus Christ. God shows grace, unmerited favor, to us because of Jesus’ worth and faithfulness. God takes all the blessings and honor and worth of Jesus and showers them down on his crippled children

See, when the world and everything in it became crippled, God decided to send his perfect Son to live among the crippled. Jesus lived with them, but he never became crippled like them. His thoughts, desires, and actions were always perfect. He lived a perfect life, yet was condemned to die in place of the crippled. The Bible calls those who are crippled sinners. Jesus died in the sinner’s place, proving himself to be a faithful Son, Friend, and Savior. He rose from the dead three days later. We’ve all heard this before, but do we really understand what it means?

PowerPoint:

Say This: Because death is a punishment for sin, it only has power over sinners. And since Jesus wasn’t a sinner, since he wasn’t crippled, death had no ultimate power over Him.

PowerPoint:



Say This: When Jesus rose from the dead, he proved that He was the faithful, sinless Savior he claimed to be. And this opened the door for us to receive grace through the faithfulness of Jesus. But how do we receive this grace?

Let’s go back to the story of David and Mephibosheth. I think we have something else to learn.

PowerPoint:

2 Samuel 9:8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

Say This: Just as Mephibosheth bowed before David, we must bow our hearts before our God. We must recognize we are crippled; we must recognize we are spiritually dead. We must understand that we don’t deserve this grace that God calls us to accept.

PowerPoint:

2 Samuel 9: 9-10 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson (Mephibosheth) everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You, your sons, and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table."



Say This: We must trust that God is a good and faithful King, and we must choose to believe He is the only way to cure the crippled. By eating at His table, we will receive the blessings of peace, joy, righteousness, and eternal life. After we accept the grace He offers us because of His faithful Son, His plan is for us to become His faithful disciples. What does this mean? Let’s look back at the story one last time.

PowerPoint:

2 Samuel 9:11 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.

Say This: As God’s faithful disciples, we are called to eat at the table as His sons and daughters. This means we stay close to him, learn from Him, and above all LISTEN TO HIM.

And this is how the story ends…

PowerPoint:

2 Samuel 9:12 … and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet.

Say This: Notice that Mephibosheth’s feet remained crippled.



PowerPoint:

Say This: What does this mean for us? Once we accept the grace of God, He no longer sees us as crippled. He has forgiven our sins, and given us new life. Yet as we live each day, we still choose to sin. But the longer we sit at the table with God, and the more we listen to Him, the more we learn what a blessing it is to trust and obey Him. When we trust Him more, we sin less. However, there are parts of us that will always be crippled. That is until we meet God face to face, and sit with him at the table in heaven and enjoy a fabulous feast together. Then we will be completely healed.

But until that day, isn’t it a blessing to be like Mephibosheth? To be crippled in both feet, yet to be loved and accepted by a King, because of His faithful Son. What a privilege to eat daily at our king’s table, crippled feet and all!



http://www.khm.de/~opal/virtualcor/images3/lotus.jpg

david helps mephibosheth - biblelessons4kidzbiblelessons4kidz.com/bl4k database/old...

Documents