Look, Ma -- I'm in the Bible!

The Word for today: 
2 Samuel 8:1 -- 9 :13

mark this: 2 Samuel 9:3-7

Mephibosheth.

The Bible is the Story of Jesus Christ, from front to finish. But every once in a while, you appear in its pages.

Say what??!

Mephibosheth is you. Mephibosheth is me. Mephibosheth is the sinner, spared for the sake of another, with all the riches of the kingdom restored to him because of the sheer grace of the king. That's you, me, and any person who has ever received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Mephibosheth is the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. When Saul and Jonathan had been killed in the same battle, a little son of Jonathan’s was hidden lest David's forces find him and kill him:
Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame 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 it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth (1).

According to the code of that day, David's men would have been justified in putting to death any of the offspring of Saul, for anyone in the previous line of succession was a potential threat to David's position as king. So when Mephibosheth is brought before David, he falls on his face before him, expecting to be executed. Instead, David speaks kindly to him , calling him by name. Then David restores his inheritance to him and gives him a permanent place at the king’s table—honoring him as one of his own sons!

The parallels between Mephibosheth and those who are saved through Christ are helpful to remember:

1. A child of God recognizes that he is a cripple in God's sight.
The feet and the condition of our souls are closely aligned in scripture. Our feet go astray (2), our feet slip (3), our "walk" wanders from the path (4).

2. David extended kindness to Mephibosheth for the sake of another--for the sake of Jonathan.
In the very same way, we are forgiven and restored for Jesus' sake--through his blood shed at the cross for us, and through the power of his resurrection.

Sometimes we do "appear" in the Bible. But be very careful about "reading yourself into scripture." Many see themselves in David; they are going to do great things for God.

Rather, we should see ourselves in Mephibosheth...
because we don't do great things for the King. The King does great things for us.

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(1) 2 Samuel 4:4; (2) see Isaiah 53:6; (3) Psalm 73:2; Psalm 116:8; (4) see Proverbs 16:25