We recently attended a graveside service for a family member who was severely handicapped from birth. My brother in law felt led to speak about the Bible character Mephibosheth, who was crippled due to an accident when he was a young child. Although I was familiar with the story, I had never seen the amazing parallels between his story and our stories as believers in Christ.
The story of Mephibosheth starts in 2 Samuel 9. David had become king, and he wanted to make good on his promise to his friend, Jonathan, who had been killed in battle. David and Jonathan had made a vow of friendship many years before. After inquiring, David found that Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, was alive. He was crippled in both feet and living with someone who could help care for him in a place called Lo-debar.
Lo-debar means “No pasture.” It must have been a desolate and barren place. I think it speaks of a place of hopelessness. Mephibosheth lived there, and it is probable that he felt desolate and hopeless, too. Yet one day, he was called by the king to come to the palace. There is some indication that he may have feared for his life. It was common for a new king to wipe out all descendants of the prior king, and Mephibosheth’s grandfather, Saul, had spent a great deal of time trying to kill David. The first words to Mephibosheth, though, are words of comfort: “Do not fear.” David told him that he planned to restore all of the land that his grandfather had owned to him, and he appointed a servant to manage the tilling and harvest to ensure Mephibosheth’s ongoing income.
These news would have brought Mephibosheth from a place of no hope to a place of security. Although he was helpless because he was crippled, he and his family would now be provided for. David went a step further, though. He told Mephibosheth, “You shall eat at my table always.” Mephibosheth moved to Jerusalem, eating with the king and his sons every day. He not only had security and provision, but a close relationship with the king himself.
Like Mephibosheth, we all come from a place of hopelessness and fear. We are helpless to do anything about our situation. Romans 5:6 tells us, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Ephesians 2:12-13 says, “You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Because Jesus died and rose again, we are given new life and new hope. We are invited to be a part of the King’s family and live in His presence.
Later on, it appears that Mephibosheth’s servant tried to cheat him out of his inheritance. It was at a time when David’s kingdom was threatened by his own son. When things were settled and David came back home, he tried to set the matter straight for Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth told him, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home” (2 Sam. 19:30). The inheritance was no longer important to him, but the king was.
Whatever we have on this earth, it can never compare with our King. As we grow in our relationship with Him, we realize that the only inheritance we need is found in our God. Psalm 16:5 (NLT) says, “Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.”
The last mention of Mephibosheth is in 2 Samuel 21. David was called on to seek justice for a group of people that had been greatly wronged by King Saul. Saul had killed many of them despite Israel’s covenant that promised them safety. In retribution, some of Saul’s descendants were hanged. Scripture tells us, though, that Mephibosheth was not one of them. Because of David’s promise, Mephibosheth was spared from destruction.
We, too, are saved from destruction because of God’s promise. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” We know that through faith in Christ we have eternal hope.
Mephibosheth was a real person, with real struggles, who was shown mercy by King David. Yet, like so many other Bible stories, his story teaches us about the mercy of God to us. God redeems us from a hopeless, barren life. He ensures that we are provided for. He brings us into His own presence and shows kindness to us. He protects us from destruction. It is a great encouragement to see God’s love displayed, even in a little-known Old Testament story.