2 Samuel 8-9
And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly with David, as though he were one of his own sons. – 2 Samuel 9:11 NLT
We have in these two chapters of 2 Samuel, a dramatic contrast. On the one hand, you see David, the conquering king experiencing victory after victory – all because God is with him. "So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went" (2 Samuel 8:6b NLT). On the other hand, you see David the gracious king, extending kindness to the grandson of his old nemesis, Saul. In these two contrasts we see a picture of God and His relationship with mankind. God is the conquering King, the warrior-God, before whom no king or nation can stand. He is all-powerful and nations fall before His might. Yet, He is also the gracious King who extends mercy and favor to those who do not deserve it and could never earn it. David had the hand of God upon him. He was unstoppable. He was winning battle after battle against anybody and everybody. And while he could have justified a desire to search out and destroy any descendants of Saul, thus eliminating any claim they might have to the throne, he instead seeks out Saul's descendants in order that he might show them grace – unmerited favor.
Mephibosheth is a picture of you and me. We are crippled by sin, weak and defenseless before the mighty King. We deserve His wrath and judgment. We have inherited the legacy of our "grandfather" Adam. We are sinners just like he was. We stand before God as guilty. We are usurpers to the throne of God. And while we deserve His wrath, He instead extends to us His grace. He seeks us out. He invites us into His throne room. He gives us what we do not deserve – which is grace. And He does not give us what we do deserve – which is mercy. No, like Mephibosheth, we find ourselves standing before God as guests in His home, eating at His table, enjoying the benefits of His grace.
Those of us who are in Christ have been extended the same grace as Mephibosheth. We stand before God as His children. We enjoy the benefits of His mercy and grace each and every day. Crippled by sin and powerless to provide for ourselves, we eat at the King's table and take advantage of His remarkable kindness. What an honor. What a privilege. What a God we serve.
Father, may I never lose sight of the magnitude of the kindness You have extended to me. May I never stop marveling that I am Your child and that I enjoy the benefits of Your grace, instead of Your wrath – all because of what Your Son did for me on the cross. Amen