God’s Tablecloth

Yesterday at church, my husband taught on the correlation between David's loved towards Mephibosheth and God's love for us.

  David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“Your servant,” he replied.

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”  —2 Samuel 9:7-8

Mephibosheth had been crippled since he was 5 years old. (2 Samuel 4:4)  Because of this, he was looked down on by society and was considered to be worthless; hopeless.  Mephibosheth felt like an outcast, but King David saw something more.

God sees something more when He looks at us.  He takes us, in our broken condition, and welcomes us in.

Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” — 2 Samuel 9:9-10

Up to this point, Mephibosheth has been living in someone's home, not his own. (2 Sam. 9:4)  No wife, children or servants are mentioned; it appears that he had nothing to call his own.  Mephibosheth is the only one left from his family and his inheritance is gone.  But David restores that inheritance and  welcomes Mephibosheth in as his own. 

Because of God's great love, we are welcomed in and called children of God.  

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. 

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.  2 Samuel 9:11-12

When Mephibosheth came in and sat at the king's table, the linens on the table would drape and cover his legs.  To anyone looking at the guests seated at the table, Mephibosheth would appear no different than anyone else. His conditions was hidden.

The blood of Jesus covers us.  Our sinful condition is not only hidden, but it's washed away and we are made clean.

David showed amazing love to Mephibosheth, but it pales in comparison to God's amazing love for us!

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