Covenant Love – 10th Sermon in Series: The Life of David – Commitment

2 Samuel 9:1-13

David and Mephibosheth

¹ David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”² Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“Your servant,” he replied.

³ The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”

⁴ “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

⁵ So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

⁶ When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“Your servant,” he replied.

⁷ “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.”

⁸ Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.

My Notes:

How is Christianity different from other religions in their teachings/beliefs?  They all teach about loving one another, etc.  In Christianity, we are taught to LOVE YOUR ENEMIES (Matthew 5).

In groups, people sacrifice in order to commit to something (flourishing of the group, committing to activities, etc).  It takes this sacrifice in order to gain.  We want a God who can have control over our lives but it takes complete submission.  This is the only way to perfect freedom.

`Tis not that I did choose thee, For, Lord that could not be;
This heart would still refuse thee, Hadst thou not chosen me.
Thou from the sin that stained me hast cleansed and set me free;
Of old thou hast ordained me, that I should live to thee.`Twas sov’reign mercy called me and taught my op’ning mind;
The world had else enthralled me, to heav’nly glories blind.
My heart owns none before thee, for thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love thee, Thou must have loved me first.”

–Josiah Conder

How do we give up our freedom?

Saul was to annoint David as successor king, not his son Jonathan.  David and Jonathan had a covenant of friendship.  Jonathan gave his life and lost his throne for David out of friendship.

We have a friend who lost his heavenly throne and lost his life for us.

Christian commonality in love for Jesus.

Henry’s notes:

C.S. Lewis = “Abolition of Man”

- All religions of the world the same ETHICALLY (How we live) -> don’t lie, steal, murder, honor family, etc… They differ subterraneanly (How we’re SAVED)

EXCEPTION

“Love Your Enemy”! – unique ethic to Christianity. No other religion.

BUT -> Don’t make it easy for enemies to sin against you.  Do not confront, humiliate, condescend.  Must be loving.

King David

- Didn’t “purge’ old enemies from regime (who could kill him)

- “Adopted” his enemy, generously gave and reached out, made enemy his son.

Christian Ethic to do this? Based on how we’re saved.

How can we do such a thing? Commit or Consume? Commit! Must sacrifice freedom to experience covenant love of peers.

Covenant love -> King Saul’s son Jonathan (rightful heir) -> relinquished trhone to David while “loving” him, protecting David from his father Saul. Eventually laid down his life.

What did Jesus lose and sacrifice for us?

“Christianity is a band of enemies, living with each other through Christ.”