Have you ever been in a situation where you just feel out of place? Like you don’t belong?
I’ve spent a good portion of the last year or so feeling that way. Beginning my career as a young professional, I was thrust into this office space, surrounded by people who at a minimum, have 5 years more experience than I do, and as I sit across the table from these people and hear their experiences and their knowledge, I just can’t help but feel like I’m a little out of place.
I imagine that this is probably how Mephibosheth felt in 2 Samuel 9 when he was invited by King David to eat at the King’s table not once, but always.
In my imagination I see Mephibosheth walking into the dining room taking deep breaths with butterflies fluttering in his stomach and as he sits down to eat the sound of his fork clinking of off his plate from his shaking hand echoes throughout the room. We even see in Mephibosheth’s response to David in 2 Samuel 9:8 that this gesture from David was so hard for him to believe:
“What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
Mephibosheth couldn’t comprehend what could have possibly inspired David to make this gesture. The real beauty in this story is found in Mephibosheth’s own acknowledgement that he had absolutely no business being at the King’s table.
It was common practice in this day that an incoming king would kill any and every relative of the former king to squelch any threat to his newfound throne. Mephibosheth knew this, and being the former King Saul’s nephew, this is the consequence that he expected.
But, expecting a sword he found a seat, a seat at the most prestigious table in the land. Why? Because David made a promise to Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan, that he would take care of Jonathan’s family as long as he lived. In 1 Samuel 20, we read:
“… do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever…”
Jonathan asked David to make this promise and we’re told that David swore to uphold this promise just a few verses later in 1 Samuel 20:17. David’s faithfulness alone to this promise was the reason that Mephibosheth had a seat at the table - nothing that Mephibosheth did earned him this spot.
As I read this story lately, it hit me in a much more tender place than it ever had before. Like David keeping his promise to Jonathan, we have a God who has kept and continues to keep promises throughout every generation. The Bible is a legacy of God’s faithfulness, of His promise keeping.
He made a promise to Abraham, that He would make him a great nation and that through him the whole entire world would be blessed.
He made a promise to David himself that a King would rise from the tribe of Judah that the scepter would never depart from, one that would reign forever.
He made a promise to Mary and Joseph that the son that Mary bore would “save His people from their sins”. Through these accounts and many more, the conclusion that is a bright, flashing, neon sign is: What God says, God does.
So friends, I hope to encourage you today with another promise found in Romans 10:9:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Salvation has been handed to us on a silver platter because Jesus took on the most painful beatings and the most painful death. The promise has been made, and the promise will be kept – you can be sure of that.
Just as the promise keeping attributes of David led to Mephibosheth sitting at the King’s table, there is a chair at the King of King’s table with your name written on it.
Taking the seat takes humility. We see this even with Mephibosheth when he asks “what is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” Mephibosheth knew he wasn’t worthy, but it’s not humble to refuse a gift like this, it’s prideful. So instead of sulking in his unworthiness, he trusted the one who called him worthy and took the seat.
We are but dead dogs (Isa 64:6, Ps 14:3, Eph 2:1) but the One who gets the final word has called us worthy (2 Cor 5:21). Take the seat, my friends. Dwell in His presence, marvel at His mercy, and drown in the riches of His love. We serve an incredible God and He has said, “welcome to the table”.
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