David had sworn an oath on separate occasions to Saul and to Saul’s son Jonathan, his best friend. He gave his word to both men that he would show kindness to future generations of their family, even though their heirs potentially could one day try to take back the kingdom from God’s anointed leader.
Sometime later, as recorded in 2 Samuel 9, the time came to show this pledged favor. David sought out any heirs of the former royal family. There was one such man named Mephibosheth, one of the grandsons of Saul and a son of Jonathan. At age five Mephibosheth had been dropped by his nurse after she panicked upon hearing that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle (2 Samuel 4:4). He would live out his days as a cripple.
Mephibosheth, now a father of his own, received a message from the king that was the opposite of what he must have expected, being the eldest remaining male heir of the royal family. Instead of getting a death sentence as the result of his grandfather’s past behavior, Mephibosheth heard that he was actually welcome at the king’s table in Jerusalem. And he took that place at the table going forward. He had been redeemed through no action of his own.
Many years ago I heard a message about Mephibosheth at a youth conference and I never forgot it. Simply put, you and I are Mephibosheth. We are crippled and have no real hope for the future. We are crippled, unworthy of a seat at the King’s table. And yet, through an act of mercy, we have been given that very place of honor. We have been redeemed though no action of our own. All we have to do—and this is a life-changing step—is to accept a place at the table by embracing salvation.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:14–17 that if we are believers, we are led by the Holy Spirit, and that makes us children of God. We don’t have to live in fear of what our Father the King will do. God is not going to punish us for our sins or for those of our families before us.
We have been adopted as God’s sons and daughters. The word Paul used in this passage for “sonship” is the one used in the Roman culture of the day that meant full legal standing as an adopted heir. We serve as co-heirs right alongside Christ!
Think about this profound promise. Our place at the table and in eternity has been secured. In gratitude for what God has offered us, we should, in turn, pledge allegiance to His Lordship. We should give Him our very lives.
