2nd Sam.9:1-13- David is Kind to Mephibosheth
RECAP:
David is Made King of Israel 2 Samuel 5:1-4
The Ark is Brought to Jerusalem 2 Samuel 6:1-19
God’s Covenant with David 2 Samuel 7:1-17
TODAY: LESSON TIME!
We will learn in our story today about a boy named Mephibosheth who was lame in both of his feet. Some people suffer from different ailments which may limit the use of their hands. There are many children who have different kinds of physical limitations
Do you make promises?
Do you keep your word?
What is a promise?
David had been exalted to be king over all of Israel.
He remembered his promise (covenant) with Jonathan, the son of Saul, who had died in battle along with his father.
David was a man of his word, and he was determined to show compassion and kindness to the house of Saul for Jonathan’s sake.
If we go back to 1Sam. 20:14-17 tells us of the promise made and it says,
14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die; 15 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.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the LORD require it at the hand of David’s enemies.” 17 Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
God desires to show kindness and compassion toward us who do not and cannot deserve his love.
WHY DO WE NOT DESERVE GOD’S LOVE AND KINDNESS AND COMPASSION?
2nd Sam.9:1-13- David is Kind to Mephibosheth
1 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?”
JONATHAN DIED IN BATTLE WITH HIS BROTHER AND FATHER.
2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
He said, “At your service!”
Ziba is mentioned in three places in the bible.
In 2 Samuel 9, David speaks to him and tells him how Mephibosheth will be his master.
In 2 Samuel 16, when David flees Jerusalem after Absalom's conspiracy, Ziba comes to David with provisions and claims that Mephibosheth has broken faith with David. David responds by giving all that belonged to Mephibosheth to Ziba instead.
Finally, in 2 Samuel 19, when David returns to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth tells David that Ziba had been lying, David, responds by saying "You and Ziba shall divide the land."
3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?”
And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?”
And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
Descendent of Manasseh in Genesis and Numbers
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”
And he answered, “Here is your servant!”
7 So 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.”-
8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”
Humility
9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.
10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat.
But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.”
Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.”
“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”
12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth.
13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.
Just as David gave grace to Mephibosheth, God gave us salvation by grace.
Grace is undeserved kindness to a helpless person.
MEMORY VERSE
PSALM 119:77
“Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my delight.”
SNACK TIME & PRAYER
Deputy Sheriff of Kindness County craft
David made a promise to his friend Jonathan that he would always show kindness to his family. David kept his promise by showing kindness towards Mephibosheth. In this craft/activity, we will make some Deputy Sheriff badges with a promise of how we will show kindness during the upcoming week. Next week we can check back
to see if we kept our promise.
Refer to the template “Deputy Sheriff of Kindness County” enclosed with your curriculum. You will need one copy for each child in your class (you may want to use yellow or gray card stock paper so that it looks like a badge), scissors, and tape. Give each child a copy of the template. Allow them to cut out their badges.
Ask the children to think of a way they can show kindness this next week.
Have them write down how they will show kindness next week on the badge (assist the children who are learning to write). Allow the children to write their names on their badges. You can either hold onto the badge until the following week and ask the children how they did, awarding the badges to those children who followed
through, or you can give them the badge to take home as a reminder of their promise.
Reinforce the lesson and today’s theme as you do this activity.
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