2 Samuel 9
Notes
Transcript
1-8 9-13
1-8 9-13
Foreword by John MacArthur: 2 Samuel 9:1 - 20:26 These chapters begin with “the house of Saul” and end with “Sheba… a Benjamite” As with Saul, David is shown to be a failed king, albeit a repentant failure. It was only the grace and mercy of the Lord and His irrevocable covenant that kept David from being removed from the kingship, as Saul had been. The emphasis in this section is upon the troubles of David, troubles brought on by his own sin.
1-8
1-8
2 Samuel Chapter 16: Table of Mercy (2 Samuel 9:1–13)
In all of David’s achievements, he is more than an example for our faith: he is, more significantly, a forerunner and type of Jesus. This means that David, as the anointed of the Lord, anticipates and prefigures the saving ministry of Christ. With this in mind, just as 2 Samuel 8 depicted Christ’s victory to secure salvation, so David’s blessing of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 shows God’s covenant mercy to sinners for Jesus’ sake.
Verse 1
Verse 1
King David ask his ministers or his court if there are any living descendants of Saul. He asks this not so that all of Saul’s heirs could be put to death so there could be no more question of his reign as David has sworn to Saul that he would not cut off his heirs. He is inquiring about any living heirs of Saul so that he could show kindness and thankfulness, but not or Saul’s sake and his promise, but for his close friend and brother Johnathan whom David swore a covenant with to not cut off his love from the house of Johnathan. 1 Samuel 20:14 “If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die;”
Verse 2
Verse 2
One of David’s ministers knew that one of his servants was a man who was also a servant for the house of Saul named Siba. Jewish writings commonly say that Ziba was a Canaanite servant, and who upon the death of his master was not made free, but became the inheritance and possession of his children after him, Lev. 25:46 “You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.” So they called for Ziba.
Verse 3
Verse 3
David inquires of Ziba if there is any left living of the house of Saul so that he could share some of the kindness that God has poured unto David with them. Ziba informed David that there was still a son of Johnathan still living and he was lame in both of his legs or feet. 2 Samuel 4:4 “Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”
Verse 4
Verse 4
David then inquired further on the location of Johnathan’s son Mephibosheth, originally his name was Meribbaal but was changed in these text to remove any reference to Baal as we have seen before. Ziba tells David that he is living with a descendant of Machir, a son on Manasseh, to whom the land of Gilead was given which was on the other side of the river Jordan in a city called Lodebar. This may have been where his mothers relations lived so he was taken here to live in obscurity and concealed from the knowledge of David, whom the nurse that carried him may have feared because of the strife between Saul and David and not knowing of David and Johnathan’s covenant of everlasting kindness and friendship.
Verse 5
Verse 5
Upon learning of the existence of Mephibosheth David sent for him to be brought from Lodebar to Jerusalem and to David. Perhaps he sent Ziba as he knew Mephibosheth and exactly where he was.
Verse 6
Verse 6
When Mephibosheth, the son of Johnathan and the grandson of Saul, was brought before David in his court at Jerusalem he fell in reverence to the king as best he could being lame in the feet or legs. David asked him if he was Mephibosheth having never seen him before or not at least seen him as a grown man and Mephibosheth answers him that he is and is ready to give him homage and serve him in any way he could. He was probably very afraid at being called before David, fearing that David was going to kill him because he was from the line of Saul, not knowing about his fathers covenant with David. Even if Ziba or whomever went and brought him to David had told him that David was going to bless him and share kindness with him. He could have thought this was a lie to get him to come quietly to David.
Verse 7
Verse 7
David see the fear in Mephibosheth, as he may have seen him shaking or seen the fear in his face, he tells him to not fear because he loved his father Johnathan and he is going to show his kindness to him because of this. David tells Mephibosheth that he will restore all of the land of Saul that David had taken, either being crown-lands from Saul, or from inheritance from his wife, Saul’s daughter Michal, or lands confiscated from Ishbosheth to Mephibosheth. Also he will have a place at David’s table, bringing him into the royal palace and providing for his every need forever. This shows what an unshaken bond David had for his father Johnathan and that it continues with Mephibosheth that flowed from the kindness that God has showed to him.
Verse 8
Verse 8
Mephibosheth having gotten up from bowing down earlier when he was brought in front of David bows down again in humility and gratitude for what David is doing for him. He asks him why he is doing all of this to such a lowly and worthless person as he. He being lame and not fit for service, and he being from the line of Saul whom God has rejected and had been such an enemy to David. Mephibosheth shows his humility, and the sense he had of his being undeserving of any favour from the king, and says this with admiration and astonishment.
Verses 9-13
Verses 9-13
Verse 9
Verse 9
David calls Ziba back or calls him forward if he was already there and tells him all of what he is doing for Mephibosheth. He is giving all that was Saul’s to Mephibosheth, all the lands that had belonged to Saul that was in David’s possession.
Verse 10
Verse 10
David commands Ziba, his 15 sons, and 20 servants, this shows the power and influence of Ziba and that the land he was giving Mephibosheth was very substantial, that they would be stewards of these lands to sow and reap the lands harvest for Mephibosheth so that he and his house would always have food to eat and Ziba and his sons and servants would share in this harvest.
Verse 11
Verse 11
Ziba said that all that David had commanded he would do. He, his sons and his servants would be stewards and caretakers of these lands and bring the fruits of it to Mephibosheth and his family. David then tells Ziba that Mephibosheth will always have a place at his table and will be treated just like one of his sons.
Verse 12
Verse 12
At this time Mephibosheth was married and had a young son named Micha, 1 Chron. 8:34-40 “and the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal was the father of Micah. The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri fathered Moza. Moza fathered Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. Azel had six sons, and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel. The sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third. The sons of Ulam were men who were mighty warriors, bowmen, having many sons and grandsons, 150. All these were Benjaminites.”
All of Ziba’s household, his sons and his servants, became servants to Mephibosheth.
Verse 13
Verse 13
Mephibosheth took up David’s invitation and lived in Jerusalem, either in some apartments in the king’s palace or in a house in the city provided for him, not returning to Lodebar or dwelling in any of Saul’s lands that was given to him by David. He also ate at David’s table, his condition of being lame in both feet or legs is mentioned again but this was no problem from David as he Loved him notwithstanding his infirmity.