Today's Scripture
Justice and Grace – 2 Samuel 9
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: 2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18 (CEB)
David asked, “Is there anyone from Saul’s family still alive that I could show faithful love for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 There was a servant from Saul’s household named Ziba, and he was summoned before David.
“Are you Ziba?” the king asked him.
“At your service!” he answered.
3 The king asked, “Is there anyone left from Saul’s family that I could show God’s kindness to?”
“Yes,” Ziba said to the king, “one of Jonathan’s sons, whose feet are crippled.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
“He is at the house of Ammiel’s son Machir at Lo-debar,” Ziba told the king.
5 So King David had him brought from the house of Ammiel’s son Machir at Lo-debar.6 Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, came to David, and he fell to the ground, bowing low out of respect.
“Mephibosheth?” David said.
“Yes,” he replied. “I am at your service!”
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David told him, “because I will certainly show you faithful love for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the fields of your grandfather Saul, and you will eat at my table always.”
8 Mephibosheth bowed low out of respect and said, “Who am I, your servant, that you should care about a dead dog like me?”
9 Then David summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything belonging to Saul and his family. 10 You will work the land for him—you, your sons, and your servants—and you will bring food into your master’s house for them to eat.[j] But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always be at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my master the king commands.”
So Mephibosheth ate at David’s[k] table, like one of the king’s own sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. All who lived in Ziba’s household became Mephibosheth’s servants.13 Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. He was crippled in both feet.
What does this passage mean to me/us
Some people do not like reading the cruelty of the Old Testament. I agree, it is a story from a different context and it is difficult to understand.
In today’s passage, we read both the justice and grace of David. He made sure there was justice paid for the Philistines, which solidified his throne. At the same time, he remembered the family of Saul.
According to the culture, it was unnecessary to recognize your predecessor’s family. The worldly way was to get rid of remains of their predecessor. It is purely a worldly way.
However, God’s ways work differently.
David remembered Mephibosheth to a point Mephibosheth says, “Who am I, your servant, that you should care about a dead dog like me?”
David exemplified God’s grace to a person he had no reason to show that grace.
The meaning of this grace stands out more because of what we read in the previous chapter and because it makes us re-think about God’s grace.
“Who am I?”
Prayer
Lord, your grace is more than we can ever comprehend. Help us to see that grace and share it with others today. In Christ name, AMEN.
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