God has NOT forgotten you
April 1 Bible
Reading: 2 Samuel Chapters 7-9
God has NOT forgotten you
Now David said, "Is there
still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for
Jonathan's sake?" (2 Sam 9:1) "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may
show the kindness of God?" (2
Sam 9:3)
After David
had settled down and established his throne of Israel, “for the Lord preserved David wherever he went” (2 Sam 8:6b, 14b), David
remembered the covenant that he had made with his beloved friend Jonathan many
years ago, and what Jonathan had specifically told him: "And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I
still live, that I may not die; but you
shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord
has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Let the Lord
require it at the hand of David's enemies." Now Jonathan again caused
David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
(1 Sam 20:14-17)
David made
some specific inquiries and found out that Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, who
was lame in both his feet still survived. According to 2 Sam 4:4, he was five
years old at his father's death and David had never seen him as he was hidden
in Lo-debar, which in Hebrew means, “a place of no pasture”. Being of the
house of Saul, the enemy of David, he was possibly concealed by his friends to
prevent David from killing him as was the general custom of monarchy in those
days. "Then King David sent and
brought him out..." (2 Sam. 9:5). Mephibosheth had done nothing to
merit this kindness, but was indeed lame and not able to act on his own accord.
David brought Mephibosheth out of obscurity to a place of prominence. This is
what David said to him, "Do not
fear, for I will surely show you
kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually."
(2 Sam 9:7) Mephibosheth was invited to stay continually at David’s royal
palace and was bestowed a permanent seat at David’s royal table. Saul's family
estate, which had fallen to David in right of his wife (Num. 27:8) and forfeited
to the crown by Ishbosheth's rebellion (2Sam 12:8), was also provided to Mephibosheth
to enable him to maintain an establishment suitable to his rank (2Sam 9:11;
19:28). This is how this incident is described later on: “But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul,
because of the Lord's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan
the son of Saul” (2 Sam 21:7).
This incident speaks to us a very important message – God has not forgotten us! Just like King David who brought Mephibosheth from “a place of no pasture” to a secure place of care and providence, God has "...brought us up out of a horrible pit and out of the miry clay and set our feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth-- praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord“(Psalms 40:2-3). This act speaks volumes about the grace of God, the unmerited favor that He has bestowed upon us. God is always looking out for us. Let us always rest on His wonderful promise that God will NEVER forget us. "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:15-16)
