Mephibosheth (2)

[My brother recently experienced a debilitating stroke that totally, as he said, “shrank” his world. Unable to drive, unable to walk, unable to manage the most basic of human functions, he was forced to depend on assistance for nearly everything. He has since recovered almost all his functioning, but while he was experiencing his debilitation, he asked me who in Scripture had experienced such a thing, such a radical shift in his life experience. I thought of Mephibosheth.]

Mephibosheth, when summoned by king David, had said to him, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:8). This was a typical form of self-deprecation (David used it in 1 Samuel 24:14). It did not necessarily reflect Mephibosheth’s view of himself. We don’t really know from Scripture just how Mephibosheth thought of himself. But in later years, after David’s son, Absalom, tries to overthrow David and wages war against him, only to be defeated and killed, Mephibosheth appears before David to defend himself for not going with David when David was forced to leave Jerusalem. He comes to him with his feet uncared for, his mustache untrimmed, and his clothes unwashed (2 Samuel 19:24). What has led to this?

When David fled Jerusalem, those loyal to him fled with him. Included in that group was Ziba and his sons, those David had given charge to serve Mephibosheth.

¹ Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a team of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. ² And the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is weary in the wilderness to drink.” ³ Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’” ⁴ So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; may I find favor in your sight, my lord, the king!” (2 Samuel 16:1-4)

Ziba, whom the king had given to Mephibosheth as his servant, claimed that Mephibosheth saw in Absalom’s attack on David a chance to see the kingdom restored to Saul’s family, of whom he is the lone survivor. Was there really a chance for this to happen? After all, Absalom was David’s son, of the tribe of Judah. Wouldn’t Israel recognize Absalom as king of all the tribes? Would they really restore Mephibosheth to the throne? But David doesn’t question this and bequeaths all of Mephibosheth’s property to Ziba.

When David is victorious over Absalom and returns to Jerusalem, he is escorted by Judah, his kinsmen, and by a thousand Benjamites (Saul’s kin), along with Ziba, also a Benjamite and Saul’s former household steward (2 Samuel 19:14-18). When he approaches the city, Mephibosheth meets him in a posture of obvious mourning.

²⁵ When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” ²⁶ He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba my servant betrayed me. ²⁷ And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever you wish. ²⁸ All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?” (2 Samuel 19:25-28)

David is faced with a dilemma, a judgment a wise king must make when there is conflicting testimony between two of his subjects. Ziba claimed that Mephibosheth was disloyal to David and would not come with David when he fled Jerusalem. But Mephibosheth claims he was ready to go with David but Ziba betrayed him and left him in Jerusalem, incapable of transporting himself to attend David his king. He claims he is loyal to David. How can David know the truth?

He knows he can’t. He is not an angel of God. He cannot tell who is lying. So he makes a decision that affords to each side a modicum of belief.

²⁹ The king said to him, “Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the land.” ³⁰ Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has returned home safely.” (2 Samuel 19:29,30)

Mephibosheth’s offer, to let Ziba take all the land is either a genuine offer, or a strategic reply to indicate his truthfulness about the claim that Ziba betrayed him. But David’s judgment stands, and Mephibosheth is granted back half his lands. Ziba did help David, a move of potentially great risk, so he is rewarded. But David knows that handicapped persons are often taken advantage of by the non-handicapped. He affords Mephibosheth the benefit of the doubt. Mephibosheth lives out the rest of his life in the care of the king.

God has taken care of Mephibosheth, not without some desperate moments of fear and danger. God’s care for us does not always eliminate challenges, even challenges that we must respond to with wisdom and courage. Mephibosheth had to play a part in his own rescue. We may also. But all this is part of God’s bigger plan and purpose, bigger even than taking care of us, the plan to make us like Christ.

 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29)