Reaching Out
What Does “Reigning” Look Like?
February 21, 2005

“Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan (their deaths) came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.” 2 Samuel 4:4
Mephibosheth – dispeller of shame; probably from two root words: paah – to puff, i.e. blow away – scatter to the four corners; and, bosheth – shame (the feeling and condition as well as the cause); by implication, an idol – ashamed, confusion, greatly put to shame, shameful thing.

Meditate with me today on the life of Mephibosheth and particularly his relationship with David. The richness here is staggering. I believe you will be inspired and energized as we pause here together.

We are introduced to Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 4:4, the verse noted above. The next time we hear about him is in 2 Samuel 9, when David, who is now reigning over all of Israel, asks the question, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” In response, Ziba, a servant of Saul’s household, comes forth and identifies Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth himself then comes before David and “fell on his face and prostrated himself.” David calls his name and Mephibosheth answers, “Here is your servant!”

David then assures Mephibosheth that he has nothing to fear and says something to him that is repeated a total of four times in this chapter. David declares, “You shall eat bread at my table continually (9:7).” This is repeated in verse 10, “But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Again, in verse 11, “‘As for Mephibosheth,’ said the king, ‘he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.’” And, finally, in verse 13, “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem for he ate continually at the king’s table.” Clearly, a point is being made. Mephibosheth, a descendent of Saul who is “lame in both feet (9:3,13),” is going to be eating continually at the king’s table.

As I considered this emphasis, I began to ask, What does “reigning” looks like? Here, in 2 Samuel 9, we see that one of David’s first acts as he began to reign over all of Israel was to invite a cripple to eat at his table. David, of whom God says, is “ a man after My own heart, who will do all My will (Acts 13:22),” declares that he will eat every meal with a man who is disabled. This stuns me. The king who could have the most “beautiful” persons of the kingdom surrounding him at all times makes a permanent guest of someone lame. This challenges me.

In the past, I have spiritualized this story seeing Mephibosheth before David as a type of us all before God. We could not get to God ourselves but had to be carried. We belonged to the camp of the enemy (as Mephibosheth belonged to Saul’s house) but God called out our name. He forgave our sin and brought us forth to eat continually at His table. Today, however, as I read this story, I can’t get past the natural picture. David’s reign has expanded. So what does he do? He chooses to dwell with the unlovely.

This has a remarkable effect on Mephibosheth. A few chapters later, in 2 Samuel 16, we see that David is now fleeing from Jerusalem where his son Absalom has incited an insurrection. Ziba, the servant who originally brought Mephibosheth to David comes to David and tells him that Mephibosheth has chosen to remain in Jerusalem in hope that Saul’s house will be restored and he will be made king (16:1-4). This is a false story but David believes it and gives Ziba all the assets of Saul’s house previously awarded to Mephibosheth. Later, when David returns to Jerusalem to resume his reign, Mephiboseth, meets him and explains the truth - that he, being lame and unable to saddle his own donkey was, in fact, purposely left behind by Ziba (19:25-30). Mephibosheth who had “not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes” had clearly been in a state of grief since David had left Jerusalem. David responds to this by declaring that Mephibosheth and Ziba can now split the assets of Saul. But Mephibosheth doesn’t care about the assets. He doesn’t even want them. “Then Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house (2 Sam 19:30).’” All he wants is the king.

Again, this prompts me to ask, What does “reigning” look like? Though Mephibosheth’s family was never restored to power, it seems to me that he did in fact “reign.” Certainly, there was no earthly thing that ruled over him. David’s words in Psalm 84 could surely have been his. “My soul longs, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God… one day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness; for the Lord is a sun and a shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will be withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Today, God would say to us: “Reign with Me. If you have bread to share, invite the lowly. If you are poor and hungry, come eat at My table. Feast continually in My presence that you might plunge deeper into the superior joy of knowing Me. For indeed, I have called you to be “kings (Rev 1:6)” on this earth with no earthly thing ruling over you.”