Sermon Tone Analysis

C.S. Lewis in his biography tells of the suffering he endured because he kept a promise he had made to a buddy during World War I.

This friend was worried about the care of his wife and small daughter if he should be killed in battle, so Lewis assured him that if that were to happen he would look after them.

As the war dragged on, the man was killed.

True to his word, Lewis took care of his friend’s family.

Yet no matter how helpful he tried to be, the woman was ungrateful, rude, arrogant, and domineering.

Through it all, Lewis kept forgiving her.

He refused to let her actions become an excuse to break his promise.

When promises are made what are the circumstances that would cause us to break them?

Would you keep your promise if it was to help someone who was your enemy or treated you badly.

Lewis made a promise to a brother to take care of his family.

Yet even though they were difficult, he still kept the promise.

The problem we have today… we believe that there are times when promises can be broken.

For many of us today, promises really do not mean a whole lot today.

They are always easily made and easily broken.

But the Bible illuminates something very very different.

David made a promise to Jonathan to care for his family.

He kept his promise even though his family was part of the household of Saul…Yes even though it was difficult...for Jonathan’s son was his natural born enemy.

This what we will look at today.

David was King.

We actually see the fulfillment of all that God had promised to give to David as he established his kingdom.

David dedicated all of his fame, his victories and the rewards to the Lord.

The Lord fulfilled His promise to David, now David fulfills his promise.

Rewind… The palace in Israel was in utter chaos… people were running and screaming, panicking, packing, looting.

Word just came from Jezreel (Saul and Jonathan’s final battle), that Saul and Jonathon are dead.

Jonathon has a young son, a future heir of the throne of Israel, who was just sitting and playing with his toys with a cute little smile on his face when all of a sudden, his nurse picked him up in haste and ran with him fleeing for their lives… But in all the madness, the boy happened to fall out of her hands and fell, badly injuring his feet.

He became lame.

He became a cripple.

Fast forward…Now, a grown up Mephibosheth was sitting on his wheelchair at the table at Makir’s home in Lo-debar… far far from Jerusalem…as far as he could be from King David.

Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, was summoned to the household of David.

One can only wonder why he was going to the king’s palace.

Maybe it was to finally exterminate the household of Saul by killing his enemy’s last descendant.

He bowed in fear before David, giving him deep respect.

But, the King told him that he should not be afraid and that it is his intention to show him Hesed, he would show an indescribable kindness to him because of the promise that He gave to his father Jonathan.

He will give Mephibosheth all of the property that once belonged to Saul and he would eat with David at the table of the king always.

“Why would you reward me, I am just a dead dog?” David told Saul’s servant Ziba to have people till the land for Mephibosheth that he may have bread to eat.

But, he will always have food at the table of the king.

So Ziba and his son’s did all that David asked.

All in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants and he moved to Jerusalem and ate at the table of the king just like one of David’s sons.

He did all of this, all because of a promise?

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

The Covenant made with Jonathan

Comfort for the Crippled

The Promise of Christ

Today we will see three main promises from our text that will illustrate that we can trust the promises of Christ: first, we will see David’s Covenant of protection, provision, and position.

Second we will see how this is Comfort for the Crippled.

Finally, we will see that we too have these wonderful promises from Christ today.

Thesis: Yes, though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to cower in weakness when we feel crippled in life.

We will see that it is the promise of Christ that will, like David, bring us protection, provision, and position as we are welcomed into the throne room of God and will eat at His table now and forever, not as enemies, but as Children of the most high.

I.

The Covenant Made with Jonathan

- God is not a man, so he does not lie.

- God is not a man, so he does not lie.

A. David made a covenant, a promise, with Jonathan; agreeing to Jonathan’s request when David becomes king.

Jonathan asked:

B. You see, the Lord was destroying all of David’s enemies in the last chapter, we see a summary of the Lord keeping His promise to David.

And now David desires to keep his promise to his friend and brother Jonathan.

Mephibosheth was Jonathan’s son and this chapter shows us how David will fulfill his promise.

And as we go, we should look and see the covenant that Christ had made with us His people and see how amazing it is.

C. First of all, he would give him protection.

2 Samuel 9:7

Christ promises protection to us

D. Second, David promised him provision.

2 Samuel 9:7

Jesus promises to provide anything taken or withheld.

E. Lastly, David promises him position.

This is a privilege that brings the blessings of a son.

Mephibosheth will be treated like a son of David.

And does Christ promise us sonship?

F. Just like the king gave promises to Mephibosheth all because of a covenant, so does the King of kings promise us because of a covenant.

The scriptures are so full of this precious thing called a covenant.

Understanding these covenants will continue to bring you hope and increase your faith in the faithfulness of the promises of God.

This is the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus.

G. Are we confident in the promises of God?

The difficulty today is the incessant breaking of promises by many and unfortunately those who we are closest to and love.

We are surrounded by them.

Wives that sit at the dinner table waiting for her husband’s return, a child on the baseball field looking at the stands for dad.

Promises of promotions that don’t come.

The promises made in political campaigns that never materialize in the office.

Promises made to help that never come.

New Year resolutions.

Till death do us part.

We are discouraged because of broken promises made to us, but what about broken promises that we made to others?

I can go on and on.

H.

But because these happen, it does not mean that God does.

The Bible is full of fulfillments of God’s promises and they are all being fulfilled.

Then, should we think for any moment that God will actually break his promise to us? Would we actually be arrogant enough to think that you or I would be the person to actually break God’s streak of truth telling?

That you or I are the ones to make Him out to be a liar?

Tell the whole world for all time the truth, but lie to you or me?

We need to think about that the next time we feel like God is not fulfilling his promise.

J.

This is not an actual question.

It is a rhetorical question because you already know the answer.

Do not forget it this day.

God does not lie… all of His promises are yes and ***Amen.

II.

Comfort for the Crippled

- We are not David.

We are Mephibosheth.

A. Now before we go to the particulars.