Sermon for Sunday Evening, May 3rd, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC)
Sermon Text:
[2 Samuel 9:1-13 ESV] 1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” 9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
Introduction
David called the for servant who had worked for the house of Saul to ask him if there is anyone of “the house of Saul.” That is, David is asking for a blood relative. This is all for “Jonathan’s sake;” that son of Saul who was best friends with David. So for his sake, David wants to bless the household.
Our modern sensibilities might be surprised how quickly David passes by the servant. He is a “servant of the house of Saul,” but yet not a member of the “house of Saul.” So we might think when David asks him “Is there no still someone of the house of Saul” that the servant might say “Here I am!.” “I’ve been living in that house for many years.” Well, of course, “the house of Saul” is not about “a house” but about a bloodline, so the servant is not considered.
But this servant, Ziba, has knowledge of the house of Saul and says to David, “THERE IS STILL a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” He live in the house of Machine the son of Ammiel at Lo-debar. They didn’t have addresses in the ancient world! I suppose when you arrived to a town you’d have to ask around for the house you are looking for. Just once in the New Testament is a specific street name mentioned, when it is said that Paul was staying in a house on “Straight Street” in Damascus. That helps narrow down the location, especially in a city as large as Damascus.
So David then “sends for the man.” This man of the house of Saul is Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, son of Saul. It is interesting that David says he is looking for someone “of the house of Saul” when it is Jonathan he really had a connection with; and this Mephibosheth is a son of Jonathan! So that is good news. But David must be saying “the house of Saul” because that was the former King of Israel.
Now Mephibosheth might be a be scared about coming before King David, especially when Saul was David’s enemy. So he “fell on his face and paid homage.” And said “Behold, I am your servant.”
But David says “Do not fear.” He’s not out for blood, but for blessings. He says “I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” That is good news to Mephibosheth.
But it is also a surprise to him. He says “What is your servant (what am I?) that you should show regard for a dead dog as I?” Why is he calling himself a “dead dog.” Well, his “house of Saul” has lost power, and he is crippled. What could David gain from him?
But Mephibosheth (and presumably his son Mica) ate at David’s table. This is a sign of being welcomed, almost in to the family. Surely the King would have great food, but even greater is the connection with him; and to be welcomed in; blessed for nothing Mephibosheth had done.
Blessed for nothing he had done. He is a “dead dog.” He expected execution and got the honor of eating at the palace table and receives land as well.
David is doing all of this to honor his covenant with Jonathan.
So this is the text and meaning of it as it was written in the Old Testament.
But now, since we have the New Testament and know Christ personally and know the grace of God through Jesus Christ, we can see much of parallel in this account of 2nd Samuel.
So a good way to reflect on this text is to look for the parallels; to answer the question: How is the grace of God exemplified in this account?
Let’s look at 5 ways.
1. A man undeserving, received grace.
First, we have a man undeserving who receives grace.
This is a man not just unlikely to be in the grace of David; Mephibosheth was of the enemy House of Saul, was crippled and of NO VALUE to David, Remember Mephibosheth was lame because he had been dropped at age 5 when they were fleeing after a lost battle. Mephibosheth is not only crippled, he might actually be UGLY. That’s what his name means. But yet David has grace on him.
Are we not ugly in our ways and in our sins, and yet God gives us grace? Unmerited grace.
And though we were enemies, Christ died for us. There is nothing in us that deserves grace, and yet we have received it.
And it is even worse in this chapter. Perhaps one of the best metaphors for our condition as sinners. We sometimes speak of “being dead in sin and unable to save ourselves.” Now, we have Mephibosheth with his self-acknowledgement that he is like a “dead dog.”
Now Dogs in ancient Israel are especially unclean. The scavenge, they roam, they pick up diseases. These aren’t our friendly pets of today.
And if a dog is unclean, a dead dogs is even worse! He says:
And that’s what Mephibosheth is likened unto. He says: “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”And that is what we are as well. Dead dogs. Undeserving of grace. And yet how grace is our God to give us grace regardless. That is the point of it all; for the GLORY of God, to show his love, HE SAVES US. Salvation is not by us in any way; it is solely of the Lord. Grace unmerited.
Now, how else is the grace of God exemplified in this account?
2. God FINDS the sinner.
We see that GOD FINDS the sinner.
Mephibosheth is living his life, nothing too extraordinary. It probably isn’t going all that well; he is lame in both feet after all. And this likely would lead to poverty as he is less able to get around and to get work done.
And then, out of nowhere, David (through Ziba) is reaching out to him. David finds Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth doesn’t seek our David, or look for any hand-outs or rewards for being Jonathan’s son. But one day David find him, and brings grace.
Similarly, it is always and everywhere the case that God FINDS sinners. No one seeks the Lord; no, not one. No one works their way to God or to heaven. Our mediator, our savior is Jesus Christ alone. We are helpless without him.
We are crippled, we are lame, we are dead in sin. And God FINDS US.
Again we see the grace of God. Undeserving love. And we don’t even ask for it, or seek it. He gives us grace AND gives us the grace of finding us! That is an integral and instrumental part of our Salvation; the Lord finds us. Praise the Lord for His grace.
3. The Covenant is Remembered.
Then, the grace of God is exemplified in our passage in the idea of a “covenant remembered.”
In the passage, David says to Mephibosheth, “for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.”
He remembers his friendship with Jonathan. What we might even call a covenant friendship; a strong bond of promise.
And so that promises then blesses Mephibosheth, the descendant of Jonathan.
Now, If David honors his covenant and blesses Mephibosheth, how much more will our God honor his covenant and bless his people?
In Christ, all of God’s promises are yes and amen. EVERYTHING He has promised, it makes good on; he comes through. David does this in a small measure. God does it many times more and in greater measure.
That promise of the covenant through the Scriptures that God would bless his people. That comes true for us. It is not just for Adam, Noah, Abraham, and David, it is for us. For you and for me.
God remembers his covenant. He never forgets anything. And he always follows through. His promises are as good as done. So we can trust in those promises. Indeed, as Jesus said on the cross “It is finished.”
4. Dinning at the Table
Then, we see the grace of God exemplified in this idea of “dinning at the table.”
It is not just forgiveness. Not just a clean slate. In God’s grace you are actually brought to the table.
As David says to Mephibosheth: “and you shall eat at my table always.”
So also we see the “heavenly feast” portrayed in the Scriptures. The marriage supper of the lamb.
And, WE are invited.
Not only do we avoid getting the death that we deserve, but in God’s grace we are brought even to His table, the place where closer friends and family come together.
Such is the grace of God.
5. Grace is costly to the giver.
Then, fifth, we find the parallel that “grace is costly to the giver.”
Oh, how great is the grace of God. Marvelous grace, that Christ would undergo suffering for our sake. Grace was very costly, in that it cost the life of Jesus.
David’s costs were less, but still considerable. He had to pay for this extra food. He would have confused many people, who would have asked, “why are you being gracious to someone of the house of Saul, your enemy?”
Ultimately, we should consider how absurd this would be to all other cultures. This idea of sacrifice.
But it is the idea of the Lord. He is gracious, giving though we do not deserve it, forgiving though we have sinned against him, and willing to go to great lengths for the salvation of His people. Oh, what wondrous love is this, o my soul.
Praise the Lord for His grace, which surpasses even David.