Twelve Unlikely Heroes: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You by John MacArthur

Author:John MacArthur [MacArthur, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2012-09-03T17:00:00+00:00

You shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die; but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the LORD require it at the hand of David’s enemies. (1 Samuel 20:14–16)

David, true to his promise, continued to honor that covenant with his friend.

The most wonderful example of David’s covenant loyalty was his response to Jonathan’s only son, Mephibosheth. He was only five when his father was killed. His nanny, hearing the horrible news, was afraid that those who killed Saul and his sons would come after the child to take his life, so she picked him up to flee, but in her frightened mad dash, she dropped the young boy and his legs were broken (2 Samuel 4:4). Mephibosheth was permanently crippled as a result of the accident.

Years later, David sought out Mephibosheth—as Jonathan’s sole descendant—and invited him to the palace where he was welcomed like one of his own sons, regularly dining at the royal table. David further gave Mephibosheth the land that had previously belonged to his grandfather, Saul, and instructed Saul’s former servants to continue working the land for their master’s grandson (2 Samuel 9:1–13).

David’s kindness toward Mephibosheth was motivated by nothing more than gracious love and covenant faithfulness; as such, his actions give us a wonderful analogy of God’s unmerited love for sinners. David took all the initiative. He sought out Mephibosheth and welcomed him to the palace. He did so even though Mephibosheth was the grandson of Saul—Israel’s cursed king and David’s greatest persecutor. Mephibosheth could do nothing to repay David or offer him any significant service. Nevertheless, David brought him into his family, invited him to his table, and even granted him an inheritance of land to which he was not legally entitled. In grateful response, Mephibosheth became a lifelong, loyal servant to David (cf. 2 Samuel 19:24–30).

Though the lives of most of Saul’s descendants were taken, David was careful to protect Mephibosheth “because of the LORD’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul” (2 Samuel 21:7). Mephibosheth’s son, Micah, would sustain the lineage of Jonathan’s house—so that his heirs persisted for many generations and produced noble warriors (1 Chronicles 8:34–40). As the prince, Jonathan had been faithful to protect David. Now, as the king, David was faithful to honor his covenant promises to Jonathan by graciously embracing Mephibosheth as a member of his own family.

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