Sermon Tone Analysis

Brokenness Can Become Our Strength

Last week I was traveling with the grandkids, and we had a conversation about what type of pet we would like to have.

One boy wanted to have a wolf, another wanted a turtle, my daughter wanted a horse (and reminded me that she had asked for one every year), and I wanted an eagle which made me pay attention to an article I read that appeared in the New York Times quite a while ago.

It was about the taming of eagles.

The capture, taming, training, and keeping of hunting eagles in Asia is highly ritualized.

Most of the birds, which have a life span of about forty years, are caught when very young—either snatched from a nest or trapped in a baited net.

Once captured, the eagle is hooded and placed in a cage with a perch that sways constantly so it cannot rest or sleep.

For two or three days the eaglet is also deprived of food.

During this time, the berkutchi, or eagle hunter, talks, sings, and chants to the bird for hours on end.

Finally, the man begins to feed and stroke the bird.

Slowly the weakened creature comes to rely on its master.

When the berkutchi decides that their relationship has become strong enough, the training begins.

Not all eagles will become hunters, but those who take to life with a master display intense loyalty.

The training and breaking of the eagle may seem harsh, but it is a picture of how over time God breaks our independent spirit to draw us close to him.

Stephen Kinzer, “A Hunter Whose Weapon Is Also His Friend,” The New York Times(November 4, 1999).[1]

We tend to view brokenness as a negative but we probably shouldn’t.

In fact, our brokenness may be the very thing that God wants to use to bring His power into our lives.

Consider what David wrote:

Mephibosheth, A Broken Man

There is a story of a man who is broken.

In fact, his life was really just hanging on by a thread.

He lived every day very likely in great fear of what the new king would do when he found out that he was still alive.

He was the grandson of King Saul and Saul and his sons had been killed.

He could very well have been next.

Let’s flashback to when Mephibosheth was 5 years old.

Mephibosheth was a man who was broken.

Physically maimed at 5 years old.

Influentially isolated from a privileged life as the grandson to King Saul.

Orphaned.

Living in Lo Debar.

30 years ago, when our church began, Pastor Akers was working both the church and working for Klein Funeral Homes in Tomball.

Teddy Klein became a good friend and offered help from time to time – both advice and financial support.

I guess during a season that was difficult, Teddy Klein turned to Pastor Akers, and said “Nolan, you know that you are in Lo Debar.”

That’s when we learned what Lo Debar meant.

The term debar can mean “thing” or “word” but the prefix is a negator.

In other words, Lo Debar means “nowhere” or “nothing”.

Mephibosheth was broken and he was nowhere: he was nothing.

Pastor Akers didn’t get discouraged when Teddy Klein said those words.

He knew that God takes the “Lo-Debar’s” and brings them to the table.

But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

Fortunes Changed

Just 5 chapters after the story of Mephibosheth’s tragedy, his story begins to change.

It all begins because of a decision by King David to show kindness anyone he can find who is linked to the family of Saul.

This is really a simple story but there are quite a few things going on inside of the action.

First, this is all initiated because of the kindness of David.

Secondly, as we suggested earlier, Mephibosheth leaves a place of nothingness (Lo-Debar) and joins the house of the king.

Thirdly, he also has the properties of his family restored.

And, last, he dines with the King.

The Kindness of David

To say that David is a kind and soft-hearted man would be to go way too far.

In chapter 21 David will have seven of Saul’s descendants killed.

But it seems that in this case there is an emphasis on the kindness of David.

It is mentioned 3 times in just 7 verses:

The English word kindness is a good translation, but the original Hebrew word used here goes a bit further.

It suggests because of the kindness that there is a commitment of a covenant between Mephibosheth and David.

I think this is true because when David’s son rebels against his father, Mephibosheth will remain loyal to the King.

Brokenness is Left Behind

We already know that Lo-Debar was a place of nothingness.

Le Debar was on the border.

At best it was a pastureland.

Mephibosheth had gone from the glamour of King’s Saul reign to the forgotten wastelands of Lo Debar.

Austin did a great job last week reminding us of the grace of God.

It is the grace of God that rescues us from the brokenness of this world.

With the possible exception of Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s family was really a disgrace.

That is what he would have inherited.

Have you ever heard the expression, “But by the grace of God, there go I”?

It came from the Pilgrim, John Bradford.

He said it as he watched a group of prisoners being led to an execution.

King David’s kindness brought Mephibosheth from Lo Debar.

God’s kindness brought us.

Restoration is Realized

I hope that you realize that what is going on here is remarkable!

It is not normal for the new king to show kindness to the family of the old king.

In fact, the Bible tells stories of how captured kings were mutilated, decapitated, and their entire families erased.

Not only did King David bring Mephibosheth back from Lo Debar and place him in the place, but he also arranged for the restoration of the all the lands and property of Saul be given back.

He could have simply given him a few acres nearby and that would have sufficed, but he gave him much more.

God has given us much more!

Dining with the King

Let’s look at one more detail before we begin to wrap this up.

Mephibosheth goes from Lo Debar to eating at the king’s table with his own sons!

It is at this point that Mephibosheth lives up to his name, “Casting off shame”.

I’ve heard pastors point out many times that at the table of King David the tablecloth would have covered his broken legs.

I think it is a beautiful thought.

Throughout the Bible we learn that

It was a mark of great favor to “eat at the king’s table.. To dine at the king’s table is an honor; it is to enjoy the favor, protection, prosperity and power of the king (2Sa 9:7–13; 19:28; 1 Kings 2:7).

Refusing the king’s invitation insults him (1Sa 20:29; Esther 1:12).

To be disinvited from sitting at the king’s table and reduced to “eating the crumbs” from underneath it instead is a picture of humiliation and defeat (Jdg 1:7; used figuratively in Ezek 39:20 and Mt 15:21-28).[3]

Before Mephibosheth made it to the table of the King, he asked King David, “Why?”.

He saw himself as a ‘dead dog’.

This was the Hebrew expression for an embarrassing piece of garbage.

David didn’t see him that way.

David had made a promise to Mephibosheth’s father and David’s best friend, Jonathan, that he would watch over his family.

And now he was sitting at the table with him.

I hope that as we’ve been talking about this passage you’ve been making some powerful connections.

You and I are modern day Mephibosheth’s…

Modern Day Mephibosheth’s

We had every reason to be afraid.

Because of sin, we were covered in shame.

Shame wants to keep us in Lo Debar.

In the book, The Gifts of Imperfection, shame is described as: