Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. The traumatic fall from grace. The dramatic summons to Grace III. The amazing surprise of grace. Has God ever surprised you with His grace?
David. is gonna surprise Mephibisheth with his grace. Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. When someone hurts us, it's human nature to want revenge. But today on the verdict, we're taking a closer look at when King David met with the grandson of the man who tried to kill him.
The man expected for David to take his revenge, so what does David do? We'll find out as we continue our study on the life of David. Here's Pastor John Monroe to introduce today's lesson. Amazing Grace is one of the best known and best loved hymns in all of the world. It's one of my favourite hymns and we sing it often at Calvary Church.
But what is grace? And why is Grace so amazing? To help us understand this concept of grace, we turn today. to an episode in the life of David which is not the best known. This doesn't compare to David killing Goliath in terms of being a popular story.
but it does give us a very personal glimpse into David's life. And This story will help us to understand grace. And why David? Is a man after God's own heart. Let's learn about the story of David.
and this man called Mephibosheth. First. We'll discuss the background. And then think of how David extended grace. From what some people might regard as a very obscure passage of scripture.
We have an outstanding illustration of grace. King David A man after God's own heart displays grace, abounding grace. He displays the grace of God. to a very surprising person. That's the nature of grace, isn't it?
It is undeserving. David is going to display grace to the grandson. of the man who for years tried to kill him.
So if you have your Bibles, turn with me to 2 Samuel. Chapter 9 is page 260 in the Pew Bible. And I'm going to read it. And it's 13 verses. This beautiful Story in the life of David.
King. David, Israel's Greatest king. Second Samuel Nine, verse one, and David said. Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul? that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake.
Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Zeba. And they called him to David, and the king said to him, Are you Zeba? And he said, I am your servant. And the king said. Is there not still someone of the house of Saul?
That I may show the kindness of God to him. Zebus said to the king, There is still a son of Jonathan. He is crippled. and his feet. The king said to him, Where is he?
And Zebah said to the king, He's in the house of Machir the son of Amiel at Lodibar. Then King David sent and brought him. from the house of Machir the son of Amiel at Lodabar. And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage And David said, My fibosheth And he answered, Behold, I am your servant. And David said to him, Do not fear.
For I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. And I will restore to you All the land of Saul your father. And you shall eat at my table always. And he paid homage to him and said, What is your servant? that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I.
Then the king called Zeba, Saul's servant, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house, I've given to your master's grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him. And shall bring in the produce that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, shall be shall always eat at my table.
Now Zebah had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.
So Mephibosheth 8. at David's table. like one of the king's sons. And Mephibbeth Shith had a young son. whose name was Micah.
And all who lived in Zebah's house became Ephibosheth's servants.
So Mephibosheth lived. In Jerusalem. For he ate always at the king's table.
Now he was lame. And both his feet. Isn't that beautifully constructed? Story, thirteen verses. A master storyteller, a master writer.
Here, as we have this fascinating story, this little story. and the life of David. As it's found in 2 Samuel chapter 9. And I think a story like this helps us to understand. Why David is called a man after God's own heart.
That's always intrigued me, as I've said before. Why is it that David Was called a man after God's own heart. In fact, we know that David. Failed and David sinned, and David messed up. We could have understood a little better, perhaps Joseph.
For Daniel, there's very little sin recorded by such great heroes of our faith in the Old Testament, but David. But a story like this may help us to understand. Why David? And only of David it said that this was a man after God's power. One of our things.
That we would display and proclaim the Lord Jesus. with grace and truth. That's a great goal, isn't it? to display the grace of God. All of us here have received grace.
Above all, we've received the grace of God. As I look back on my life, I'm very, very thankful for parents who were very gracious to me, for friends, for family, for colleagues. For a wife. who has been gracious. And the question is.
And the challenge for us is we who have received grace must display grace to others. And this is exactly what David is doing. First of all, We want to think of a dramatic fall from grace. Turn back to 2 Samuel chapter 4. We're in chapter nine, just a few chapters back.
2 Samuel chapter 4, and we'll read about the fall. of Mephibosheth. 2 Samuel 4, verse 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 My favourite. Who is Mephibosheth?
Well, he is the son of Jonathan. Who is Jonathan? Jonathan was the son of Saul. This man, Mephibosheth, that we meet, is the grandson of Israel's first king, King Saul. And when Mephibosheth is five years old, He fell.
His nurse dropped him as she was fleeing. And in that fall, That dramatic fall. He was crippled for the rest of his life. Jezreel, as is mentioned, is a valley north of Jerusalem. And on the southwest, there are the high slopes of Mount Carmel and Mount Gilboa.
And the ones on Mount Delbo you remem may remember. Where the Philistines, last chapter of First Samuel describes it, where the Philistines Had their decisive victory. Over King Saul. and the Israelites. And on that terrible day, that lamentable day, Saul and his three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, And Malkaishua, as described in 1 Samuel 31.
All of them were killed. In battle. And when Saul knew That he was going to be defeated in battle. You remember, he asked his armor-bearer to kill him, and his armor-bearer refused to do so. And so, Saul.
Israel's first king. commits suicide and takes his own Life. And now on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. Saul and his three sons lie dead, humiliated in battle, defeated. By the armies, Of the Philistines, the very enemies.
of God. And when that terrible news reaches This family This nurse Who had the responsibility. Given by Jonathan, I'm sure, as he's away at war. And she takes the little boy. and in her arms and she runs and she drops him.
And this Mefibi Shiv. the grandson of King Saul, potentially an heir to his throne. is dropped. And as we read twice over in Second Samuel. Chapter 9.
Where's For we read he is crippled in his feet. And the last thing that is said. In chapter 9, did you notice it? He was lame in both his Feet. Growing up, Mephibosheth must have learned the history of his father, Jonathan, and then his grandfather.
He would have known that his grandfather, King Saul, for years had hunted down David. trying to kill him. Looking for him in the caves and Crevices of the wilderness, but it failed. And now His father and his grandfather are both dead. And King David is on the throne.
The mighty King David, the great warrior who had defeated the Philistines, David who had stood alone. as a young man against GliF.
Now the mighty David It's king. King of Israel, king of Judah. And the Fibosheth lives I think in fear that perhaps one day King David's men are going to come and kill him and so eliminate any threat to the throne. He's living not in Jerusalem, the capital. But in a very isolated town, did you notice that in verse 5?
He's living at Lodibar. A rather remote Place. His fall was a very Traumatic one. With an impact which lasted all of his life, he is permanently lame. Not just in one foot, but in both feet.
And from being a potential heir to the throne, he is now disinherited. He is totally dependent on others as a cripple. He's living a lonely, fearful life. with a permanent Disability. What a fall.
For my fabric. But the traumatic fall of Mephibosheth is an illustration, isn't it, of a much more Traumatic fall. of all that is impacted and still impacts each one of us. Of course, I'm referring to the fall. Of Adam and Eve described in Genesis 3.
Made in the image of God. made to reflect. And to glorify God, our first parents. Willfully disobeyed the Lord. And so sinned.
And the consequences of that fall are far-reaching, right down to today. The Lord God said, Genesis 2, 17, Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. The word of God is clear. The soul that sinned shall die. The wages of sin is death.
And so all of us without exception Have had a traumatic fall. Not only are we born sinners, we are. Because Of Adam's fall. All of us are born sinners. But all of us Willfully Choose To sin.
Every single person here, without exception, has rebelled against God. All of us have personal sin and failure in our lives. We don't all commit the same sins, but we all sin. Paul writes, Romans five twelve, just as sin came into the world through one man, Adam and death through sin. And so death spread to all men because all have Sent.
And you think of my fibership this little boy. Lame in both feet through no fault of his own, in a sense. As a five-year-old Trying probably in the early years of his life, trying to get rid. of his lame feet. are trying to repair himself Perhaps consulting a doctor, I don't know.
but Help. to repair the permanent disability because of that fall. But to no avail. He's lame in both his feet. And try as you might, and as try as I might, all of our good intentions.
all of your New Year resolutions. All of our religion, all of your counseling. All of your therapy. Cannot put us together again, can it? This Traumatic fall from grace.
has left all of us bruised. Broken. The Bible says, spiritually dead, dead in her trespasses and sins. and under the judgment of God. And because of that, We are totally unable to save ourselves.
were totally unable to establish a true relationship. with God. A traumatic fall from grace. But secondly, A dramatic summons to grace. And here the writer in 2 Samuel 9 is referring to David's covenant with Jonathan.
David and Mesphibish's father, Jonathan, had enjoyed a beautiful friendship. When Jonathan dies, Uh David. Greatly mourns in the opening chapters of 2 Samuel. Remember, he says of Jonathan, your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of woman. It was extraordinary, the relationship between David and Jonathan.
And even when Saul was trying to kill David, it was Jonathan. Who encouraged David and helped David in many ways? Even although Many people, lesser men than Jonathan, would have resented David because, after all, he might have said, My father is king, and one day when my father is. Dies, I will be king. But instead of that, he graciously helps David because he knows.
David is the Lord's. Anointed And you may recall. Back in 1 Samuel 20, David... and Jonathan enter into a beautiful covenant. That David would not, quote, cut off your steadfast love from my house forever.
And so David and Jonathan make this covenant. And Jonathan is saying to David, David, when you become king, I want you to promise, I want you to covenant with me that you will not cut off The steadfast love for From my house. And David. A man after God's own heart keeps his promise.
Now, many years later, many years after the covenant is made. And Jonathan and Saul is dead, and the terrible years of being persecuted by an angry and bitter and even hateful man like Saul. David now is at the pinnacle of his career. He's established not only king of Judah, but king of Israel. He's left.
Hebron in the south and he has Uh taken The city of Jerusalem, Mount Zion captive. And there he is, the mighty, powerful king David. He's defeated the Philistines, and he's secure in his position as king. But he does a wonderful thing. He remembers.
His love for Jonathan. and he remembers the covenant he made. Verse 1 of 2 Samuel now, and David said, Is there still anyone left of the house of David that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? He remembers the covenant he made with Jonathan. David is a man of grace.
He's a man of kindness. And he wants to show kindness to anyone that's left. of the house of Saul for the sake of of Jonathan.
Sometimes people who are very successful. People who do well in life.
Sometimes forget. their backgrounds. I've known men who have become so successful. They almost feel ashamed of their parents who perhaps were poor or brought up very humbly. That's tragic, isn't it?
It's tragic, isn't it? When the Lord blesses someone. And people forget where they came from. And they forget their own old friends and their own family. David is not like that.
He understands. That Saul had been David's deadly enemy, seeking to kill David. Hunting him down like an animal. But God And he knew it was God. God had protected David.
And no David, not Saul. And now the descendants of David are going to be on the throne forever. the Davidic covenant that we call, we'll look at this In a few weeks ahead, is given in 2 Samuel 7. David knows that. That his descendants are now going to reign forever, and not the descendants of Saul.
He understands that. But he wants to show kindness. He wants to show grace. to someone from the house, of Sol. And so it happens.
Do you notice verse 3 that Zeba the servant explains that Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, is verse 3 Crippled in his Feet. Why do you think he said that? Was that relevant? I mean surely the relevant factor was Is this individual of the house of Saul or not? Why does Zebra say, Ah, but David.
I have to tell you, this This character is He he's he's certainly of the house of David, but he's crippled. in his feet. Was there the implication? What's there? Do you think?
That the mighty King David All of his power, all of his military and administrative brilliance. And such a magnificent warrior, such a great leader, and such a powerful king. Was there the implication? that such a great person wouldn't want to bother with a person with such a disability? Did Ziba think it might be rather embarrassing?
to have someone who who couldn't walk. in the king's kingdom around? What's he saying?
Well, yes, he's there, but... I have to tell you this. Ah, but David, the man of grace, Makes this dramatic summons of grace and commands that Mephibosheth. The man who is lame in both his feet. This man who lives in fearful isolation in Lodibar, which may mean no pasture, not a nice place to live, he is brought to David.
And notice. It is David, of course, who takes the initiative. It's not that Mephibosheth comes to David, he can't do that, he's lame in his feet. It is King David. In this dramatic summons of grace, he says, Now bring him.
to me. He can't walk. to Jerusalem. And so he's going to be carried from Lodibar. the place of no pasture.
to the capital. Jerusalem. to meet. King David. Isn't that magnificent?
Isn't it true there's a dramatic summons of grace? to you and to me. Dramatic although this one was. to the court Of King David, it's insignificant compared to the dramatic summons of grace that God extends to you and me. Just as Mephibosheth It's difficult to keep saying the fibership.
Say it ten times and I feel like saying Mr. M. Um I I'm I'm working up quite a bit of saliva here, good night, saying my fibbisheth. Uh Why did I say that? Um Just as Mephubisheth Could never have gone himself to the king, being lame on his feet, so we never could by ourselves.
Which King Jesus? I hope you understand that. We're in a much, much worse position than Mefebishat ever was. Yes, we are spiritually disabled. We're alienated from God.
We're spiritually lost. Spiritually bankrupt, but here is the dramatic summons. to grace from heaven itself to us. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. and the beginning of a message titled, David Displays Grace.
As we continue in our study on the life of David, We want to make sure you don't miss out on the valuable study guide that goes along with each of these lessons. To help you experience a more interactive Bible study during this series, John has created a special listening guide full of insightful notes, engaging questions, and inspiring prompts, so that you can follow along and apply what you've learned each day going forward. Just go to our website to download your free copy of the Life of David Listening Guide. You'll find it at theverdict.org. And while you're on our website, you'll have the opportunity to play a part in what God is doing through the verdict with a simple one-time donation of any amount.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with his closing remarks.
Well, what's your verdict? Life sometimes seems unfair, doesn't it? Perhaps you have a disability like Mephibish. Spiritually speaking, as we've learned, all of us have had a fall. A very traumatic fall.
A fall into sin. And before You can receive the grace of God, you must understand that you'll never be able to eradicate this problem by yourself. This is why we need grace. This is why the Lord Jesus came to save sinners like you and me. Receive his forgiveness.
Receive His grace and live a life of grace. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mm.
