OVERVIEW:
David’s kindness to Mephibosheth; the defeat of the Ammonites and Syrians; David’s sin with Bathsheba; Nathan’s parable and David’s repentance; the death of David and Bathsheba’s baby; the birth of Solomon.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
In chapter 9, God gives us an incredible picture of salvation through the account of David’s blessing upon Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son. Mephibosheth beautifully portrays all of us in our lost condition. Note the similarities:
1) Just as Mephibosheth was born into a rejected family due to sin (Saul’s – 1st Samuel 15:23, 26), we, too, were born into a rejected family due to sin. (Adam’s – Romans 5:12) (Note that Mephibosheth’s location, when David sought him, was Machir, which means “sold”. When God sought us, Romans 7:14 says we were “sold under sin.”)
2) Just as Mephibosheth was unable to walk due to a fall, (2nd Samuel 4:4) we, too, were unable to walk due to “the fall” that crippled us spiritually. Because of it, we were unable to walk and to please God.
3) Just as Mephibosheth lived in a land called Lodebar, meaning “no pasture” (2nd Samuel 9:4–5), in our lost condition, we, too, lived in a land of famine and barrenness (i.e. the world), which provided “no pasture.” (i.e. Nothing to satisfy the hunger of our souls.)
Note next, that David beautifully portrays the Lord Jesus Christ in providing our salvation:
1) David made the first move. (2nd Samuel 9:1) Just as Mephibosheth was unable to make the first “step” toward David because of his lameness, we, too, were unable to make the first step in seeking the Lord. (Romans 3:10–12)
2) David extended this grace to Mephibosheth because of a covenant he had made with Jonathan. (1st Samuel 20:14–17) We, too, have been extended the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ because of what Hebrews 13:20–21 calls “the everlasting covenant.”
3) It was an act of David’s kindness. (1st Samuel 20:15) In fact, in 2nd Samuel 9:3, David calls it “the kindness of God”. Titus 3:4-6 says, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;”
4) David made him a part of his own family. Like all of us, when we came to the Lord for salvation, Mephibosheth simply sought to be David’s servant, but he made him a son! Hallelujah! “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…”! (1st John 3:1)
5) David provided for Mephibosheth’s every need and exceeded his needs. (9:9–10) David took Mephibosheth from the place of “no pasture”, to feeding him at the table of the very king himself! Likewise, the Lord Jesus Christ took us out of the barrenness of our life, to meeting our every need (Philippians 4:19), and exceeding our every need (2nd Corinthians 9:8, 11).
As we move into chapter 11, we move into the darkest chapter of David’s life. God’s epitaph of David is found in 1st Kings 15:5: “David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” Chapter 11 of 2nd Samuel is all about that “matter”. The “matter of Uriah the Hittite” was simply this: David first took his WIFE; then, David took his LIFE!
There is something extremely interesting to note about how “the man after God’s own heart” got himself in this unbelievably sinful mess. David said in Psalm 27:4: “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”
Note, that “ONE THING” David was seeking after was expressed “THREE” ways:
- “That I may DWELL in the HOUSE of the LORD.”
- “To BEHOLD the BEAUTY of the LORD”
- “To ENQUIRE in his TEMPLE.”
Notice in 2nd Samuel 11:1–4, that when David commits this terrible atrocity against the Lord and Uriah:
- He was DWELLING in his OWN HOUSE…not the Lord’s house! (11:1–2)
- He was BEHOLDING the BEAUTY of BATHSHEBA…not the Lord’s beauty! (11:3)
- He ENQUIRED after the WOMAN…not enquiring after the Lord! (11:4)
It’s a great lesson about the priority of WORSHIP. Jesus taught us in Luke 10:42, as David confirms here in 2nd Samuel 27:4, that worship is in the “one thing” that is “needful”. Maybe we could say that is the “main thing”! As the old adage says, “The main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing!” We must constantly be aware of the depths the flesh can take us when we lose worship as the “one thing” or the “main thing” in our lives.
Sadly, it takes “the man after God’s own heart” over a year to take ownership of his sin, and then, only when confronted by the prophet Nathan. Nathan assures David that his sin would be forgiven, but that the consequences of it would follow him the remainder of his life. (12:10–14) God help us to count the incredible cost of sin, and the terrible atrocity of “giving great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme”. (12:14)
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
In the prophet, Nathan, giving SOLOMON the name JEDIDIAH – 2nd Samuel 12:24–25. (Note: The name “Jedidiah” means “Beloved of the Lord” — See John 17:24; Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Ephesians 1:6. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the “Beloved of the Lord,” or the “Beloved of the Father.”)