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From Rags To Riches
At The King's Command

Mephibosheth is an interesting rags-to-riches historical story because he represents us so well. Let’s see what we can learn from him and apply it to our own lives.

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 and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” 2 Sam 9: 7-8, ESV

Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son and King Saul's grandson. He was born into royalty. His future looked bright. Then King Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle, and a new dynasty came to the throne. Now he is in danger. New kings had a vicious habit of killing everyone they saw as a potential rival for the throne - especially the previous king’s male relatives. Mephibosheth’s one advantage was that he was crippled. He had never viewed it as an advantage before, but now it could save his life. He could not lead a rebellion. He was not a threat to anyone. So he lived quietly in the shadows, hoping to go unnoticed in David’s rise to power.

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Then one day there was a knock on the door. King David wanted to see him. The day he had feared was upon him. He was being taken to the capital to be executed as an enemy of the state. Can you imagine the terror he felt on the journey? His only hope was to throw himself on the mercy of David and show, with his crippled feet, that he was no threat, just like a dead dog, not worth the time and effort of a sword thrust. Then maybe he would be allowed to slink back into the shadows and disappear.

He was ushered into King David’s presence, and he fell on his face before him, fearing the worst and hoping for the best. Then, to his utter astonishment, King David spoke kindly to him, promised to return all the land his grandfather Saul had owned and to eat at the king’s table like one of his sons. He could hardly believe his ears. Not only would he not be executed, but he was made wealthy and treated like royalty. In his wildest dreams, he could never have imagined this. Why did it happen?

It wasn’t because of anything Misphibosheth had done. It was because of his father, Jonathan. Jonathan and David had entered a blood covenant, which meant each person was responsible for looking after the other's family if needed. David didn’t even have to like Mephibosheth; he was honour-bound to look after him. The blood covenant was unbreakable.

How Does Misphibosheth's History Apply To Us?

Jesus and Christian at banqueting table with the Father

Through Adam and Eve, we were born into royalty, destined to have dominion over the entire world. Then Adam, like King Saul, rebelled against God's will, bringing all his descendants to ruin. Like Mephibosheth, we were dead dogs waiting for the just judgment of God to fall on us. Our father had rebelled, and our eternal destiny was destroyed. No longer kings of creation, we were poverty-stricken under a new master. Our bright destiny had been turned black. We were helpless to change it. There was only a fearful waiting for the inevitable.

Then suddenly we are lifted from our poverty, cleaned, clothed and invited to eat at the King’s table permanently. What did we do to deserve this? Absolutely nothing. It is not about us. The Lord Jesus Christ, as the representative of both God and man, cut an unbreakable blood covenant. [We study this in detail in The Love Covenants.] We are now blood covenant brothers and sisters with the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been placed into the family of God with all the rights and privileges of a natural-born child of God. In fact, going beyond Mephibosheth, we have actually been born again as children of God. This is through no work or reason found in us whatsoever. It is because of the blood covenant of Jesus Christ. And because it is based entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ, it is impossible for us to mess it up!

As we go through life's daily struggles and trials, it is easy to become discouraged. It is easy to view ourselves as failures, as disappointments to God, as worthless, as dead dogs. That is a lie of the enemy. Our placement at the King’s table to enjoy all the benefits of a child of God is not based on our works, on our successes, or on our winning personality. Like Mephibosheth, we have been lifted from our fear and poverty to sit at the King’s table because of a blood covenant. If we refuse to think like it and live like it, we are insulting the Lord who saved us and the King who invited us. Let us fasten our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ and grasp the vision of who we are in Christ, and start living like it. We can do this in genuine humility because we know our great privilege is not because of us but because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be forever grateful and show it by our thoughts and actions.

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Glenn Davis is a Christian author and Bible teacher whose work draws on more than 40 years of study, writing, and local church teaching. He has written 700+ articles, created five Bible courses, published three books, and shared 100+ Bible videos on YouTube. Readers can find his books on Amazon, follow his teaching on YouTube or visit Glenn Davis Books. Away from the keyboard, he enjoys time with family, reading, walking, and board or card games.

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