How Great To Be A Child Of The Eternal King

Friday, May 15

2 Samuel 9:1 (NIV) 

“David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

Devotion

A simple enough question, but given the context, if we lived back in David’s day when he was asking this of his people, it probably would have been more of a shocking question.

Saul was the first king of Israel, chosen before David. He showed great promise but over time became unstable and disobedient toward God, and because of his disobedience, God eventually rejected Saul as king and chose David instead. Seeing how successful David was in battle and how much the people loved him, Saul saw the writing on the wall—that David would eventually replace him as king. As such, he became exceedingly jealous and spent years trying to kill David.

Living as a fugitive for a long time—fleeing through the wilderness, hiding in caves, and surviving while on the run from Saul and his men—David had every human reason to hate Saul’s family. Which is what makes his relationship with Jonathan so interesting.

Jonathan was Saul’s son and natural heir to the throne, yet he and David became extraordinarily close friends, eventually forming a deep covenant relationship. Jonathan recognized that David, not himself, was chosen by God to become king, and instead of competing with David, he protected him from Saul and supported him as the rightful king.

At one point, Jonathan even warned David about Saul’s plan to murder him and helped him escape. They made a covenant together, a solemn binding promise before God, and one of the key covenant statements comes in 1 Samuel 20:14–17, where Jonathan asks David to show steadfast kindness to his family even after Jonathan dies.

Both Jonathan and Saul eventually die in battle. After Saul’s death, Israel enters a period of civil conflict. David becomes king over all Israel, but Saul still has political supporters. In the ancient world, when a new king took power, they usually eliminated the previous king’s descendants to prevent rival claims to the throne. When Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, is introduced as someone in the house of Saul to whom David might show kindness, we recognize this expectation. David even has to tell him not to be afraid. The question David asks in 2 Samuel 9:1—“Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”—is quite countercultural, as David isn’t acting like a traditional king, but more like a covenant-keeping friend and king.

David is not Jesus, as he later commits grievous sins like adultery, deception, abuse of power, and murder by proxy. However, David functions as a flawed shadow and forward-pointing figure of a much greater King. The parallels between David’s relationship with Jonathan and Mephibosheth, and that of Jesus to us, are very real.

Mephibosheth isn’t searching for David; David is searching for him, much like the way Christ pursues us as the Shepherd who goes after His lost sheep. 

Mephibosheth is helpless, crippled in both feet, yet receives grace. He expects judgment and death but is greeted with the words, “Do not be afraid,” and has Saul’s land and inheritance restored to him. Ephesians 2:8 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

In 2 Samuel 9:7, David says to Mephibosheth, “…and you will always eat at my table.” Acceptance, fellowship, intimacy, and son-like status—a man from the enemy king’s household being treated like family at the royal table. And not only that, Mephibosheth’s crippled feet are hidden beneath the table of the king, as if they were not crippled at all.

All of this is expressed through a temporary, sin-fallen king, David. How much greater, then, is it to be a child of the perfect, eternal King.

Today's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your enduring mercy toward me. For I was once an enemy of the cross until I received Christ into my heart. Through Your eyes of love, You saw my sin yet still chose to give the ultimate sacrifice of Your Son, so I could live and be with You. Such love is beyond words. Help me to show mercy to those around me, especially when it is not convenient. Remind me of the love You first showed me. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Apply It Today

Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). His words contain the very power to transform lives. So let the Word of God dwell in you richly, so that whatever you say or do, you will do all in the name of the Lord, to bring glory to His name.

Resources
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