Not every story in the Bible. Is it true allegory?
Now, they're an allegory is just a simple story or a simple
statement that has a much deeper a much more profound symbolical
meaning and there are allegories in the Bible.
In fact, Paul talks about one in particular in Galatians 4 and
verse 24. But while not, every story is an
actual allegory. There are a lot of stories that
do illustrate spiritual principles, or spiritual truth.
Paul said, for example, in Romans, 15 and verse 4 for
whatsoever. Things were written aforetime
were written for our learning that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope First Corinthians 10
and verse 11, he adds after having talked about some of the
events in the life of Moses, he said now, all these things
happened unto them for in samples and they are written for
our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Well, there's a story like that that I want to study with you
tonight for a little while. It's a story about a king who
raises And incapable and an undeserving man from param
position and places him at a bountiful table.
And really this story is a compelling portrait of how the
grace of God works in the world today to allow Sinners to be
saved from their sin. There's a lot of great people
who are mentioned in the bible, both men and women great in
their achievements, great in their character but you wouldn't
really read them as Great Personalities.
In fact, in my judgment, there's very few that you'd rate is
really great Personalities in the New Testament.
You obviously have the Apostle, Peter, you'd have the Apostle
Paul in the Old Testament. I think you'd have to include
Joseph. And David, David was one of the
greatest men who ever lived David was a.
He was a great poet. You know.
You think about the great Poets of history and could very well
be that you have your favorite poet.
Did you know that? It's very Possible.
That David was the greatest poet who ever lived, he was a great
musician. He was the sweet singer of
Israel and I think about these singers and these musicians
today that are heartthrobs for millions of fans all over the
world. That could very well be that
David was the greatest musician of his time.
He was a great warrior. He was a man really of
unparalleled military genius. He was a great king.
NG. In fact, the greatest King
really that Israel ever knew he was a great administrator.
He was a great planner. He was a great prophet.
But, you know, I think in back of all of that was his
fascinating personality, dated had sort of a charismatic
personality that seemed to just compel those who knew him to
admire him all of Israel. Loved David King Saul loved him
when he wasn't insane with jealousy.
We'll see. So some Jonathan loved him,
David's own men, loved him, but most importantly, the Lord loved
him. He had this, as I said, this, a
personality that just seemed to compel those who knew him to
admire him. We know more about David really
than any other character. In the Bible, with the exception
of Our Lord, his biography is by far, the longest by comparison,
the story of Abraham is told in fourteen chapters.
The story of Jacob Bob is told in 11 chapters but there are 62
chapters that tell us the story of David and we know about him,
not only from these narratives but also from his writings in
the Psalms, well, obviously the turning point in David's, career
came with the killing of the great Giant Goliath.
You know, it wasn't long after he killed Goliath that he was
appointed to a post and King Saul standing Force.
He was sent out from time to time on raids against the enemy.
And David's courage and David's Brilliance for military
engagement with something that caused him to grow in favor.
In the eyes of King, Saul every day.
He was well on his way to Fame and Fortune.
Well, it was at this point that David befriended, King Saul's
son. Jonathan, and we know about
great friendships and history, you know, you you think about
some of the friendships and history here, one name he just
automatically associate the other Her name.
I doubt very seriously. If there's ever been a greater
friendship than the friendship between David and Jonathan, what
made this such a great friendship is that it was
founded really upon the proper basis and that basis of that
Foundation, was the fact that both of these men were men of
great piety, by that, I mean, both of these men truly love.
God, they truly wanted to be pleasing to God.
They had a great reverence. For a God and that common bond,
that common quality between these two men became the
foundation for this great friendship.
You know, the Bible tells us that well, I think that we can
can infer from the story of day that you know, what undoubtedly
that Jonathan was there on that occasion, when David slew, the
great Philistine Giant Goliath, but later when he was, so when
David was introduced into King Saul's Court began to be
introduced around everybody, there was not a Trace trace of
jealousy in the heart of Jonathan.
In fact, Jonathan was just as in all of what David had done and
he was just as in a bird with his personality as was all of
Israel. In fact, the Bible tells us that
Jonathan took off his own War cloak and placed it around the
shoulders of David. He gave David his own bow.
Now, Jonathan was a great Archer and he gave David his own bow.
Gave him his own. Let's his own sword.
I took off his expensive belt and place that around.
David's waste. Now this was unheard of Jonathan
was the Crown Prince. He was next in line to be the
king of Israel succeeding. His own father King Saul and yet
he put his attire, the attire of the Crown Prince on David as
though, he felt David was more deserving to succeed.
His own father later, they entered into a covenant of
friendship, according to 1st Samuel, the 20th chapter Are you
know what I think about when I think about this bond that they
made, when I was kid, I used to watch a program on television
called broken era. It was about the great Apache,
chief Cochise, and I'll never get on one episode.
He and the fella down at the Trading Post, Tom Poston, that
might have been his real name. Anyhow, the got out the Trading
Post, they became Blood Brothers and what they did.
He know, we shudder to think about this today.
Well, what they did was they, Cut themselves on their wrists
respectively, then they reached out and clasp each other by the
forearm with their hand and they rub their bloody wrists together
and it is said that they became Blood Brothers.
They entered into a covenant of Brotherhood sealed by their own
blood and that Blood Brother Covenant.
You know, they pledged loyalty each other as though they were
brothers for the rest of their lives.
Well, really in essence, that's what David and Jonathan did.
Did they pledge this loyalty to each other?
In fact, in 1st Samuel, 20, beginning of verse 14.
Jonathan said today that he said, I pray the Lord will bless
you as he used to brag. Bless my father, King Saul.
He said now, one day the Lord is going to wipe out all of your
enemies he said if I'm still alive then I just ask that you
be as kind to me as the Lord has been, but it said, if I'm dead I
ask that you be kind to my family.
What day did agree with that, they pledged that to each other
and it wasn't long after that, that David got Jonathan rather
got an opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty today
that you know, in first Samuel, 18 verses 7 through 9.
The scripture says that David had returned back home from a
very successful battle and upon entering into the kingdom, some
of the young girls in the Kingdom began to serenade him
with the song that they had composed.
About him. And they sang Saul has slain his
thousands but David his ten thousands saw heard it and it
angered him and he thought to himself.
Now this boys popularity is getting out of hand.
I'll be there. They're writing songs about him
now and singing that I've seen my a thousands but that he has
slain his ten thousands and waste got everything but the
kingdom and you know, the Bible says this all began to look at
him at that point with a jealous suspicion that jealousy soon
turned into hatred. So tried to kill David on
numerous occasions he chased him out of the country.
He To them into the Wilderness. He gave his wife to another man
and falsely accused him of treachery and treason and all
the while David refused to strike back.
In fact, on one occasion saw lay upon the ground to sleep, his
massive spear sticking in the ground beside him.
All David had to do was walk up there and and the pullout to
spear out of the ground and thrust it, through Sol's heart
and he would have been rid of his arch enemy, but he wouldn't
do it. Even if the urging of his men,
he wouldn't do it. He said I'm not going to slay
the anointed of God. He said God will take care of
King Saul when it was at this point that Jonathan really
demonstrated his loyalty today that even over his own father,
King Saul David was on the Run, he was hiding out in the
wilderness. He knew that Saul and his men
were trying to locate him so they could kill him and somehow
Jonathan found him. And he told him about a plot
that his father had That very well, could have been a plot to
have David killed in on that occasion.
They, they re pledge their loyalty and their love for each
other and then Jonathan departed.
When it wasn't long after that until David received word that
King Saul. Jonathan and Jonathan's brothers
were all killed in battle, but instead of rejoicing that he was
rid of his arch enemy and that he now would be the king of
Israel. The Bible says that David
grieved over the news of the death of King Saul and he is
specially grieved over the news of the death of his beloved
friend. Jonathan in 2nd Samuel 1 verses
25 and 26, David Expresses in a Psalm, the great love that he
and Jonathan had for each other. Well David became the king then
he succeeded King Saul. This took a little time you
know, a few years but nevertheless he ascended to the
throne and it was pretty much the custom back in that time
when a king had been toppled and the new king replaced him, they
would round up the surviving family members of the former
King and execute them so that they couldn't rise up at a later
date and challenge for the throne.
Sure enough. One day, David called in a
former servant of King Saul's and asking his King.
Saul have any surviving family members, but it wasn't for the
purpose of executing them. It was for the purpose of
extending them, a kindness and notice them.
Second Samuel 9 verse 1. And David said, is there yet any
that is left in the house of Saul that?
I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake.
It's not uncommon, really for one person to show kindness to
another person, for the sake of somebody else.
I've got a hunch that all of us here tonight of any age, and all
any maturity at all, probably have been extended, kindness.
We've maybe been given an opportunity, not because of what
we've done, but maybe because they knew our folks and they
respected our folks and had a fondness for them or maybe an
older brother or an older sister and because they knew Them and
have such a high regard for them, they were willing to give
us a break, extend to us in opportunity.
Could you imagine will say youngster about 12 years old
coming to your house and ringing?
The doorbell will say about 6:30, 7:00 some night and you go
to the front door to open the door there stands.
This strange young man, and he looks up at you with big eyes
and says, can I come in and spend the night tonight?
How would you reply to that? You probably think, well, well
who are you anyway? And what are you doing over here
at my house, asking to spend the night?
Do your folks can do what you're doing and you'd be reluctant to
let him hear. But suppose that saying young
man came home with your son. And your son came in and said,
hey Dad, would it be okay if Johnny spends the night with us?
Tonight, at tonight's try tonight and his folks had be
okay with them? Well sure.
Hey, come on in, have dinner with us.
Make yourself to home and and you extend this kindness to him,
not because of what he's done, but you do it for your son's
sake. And that's exactly the case with
Jonathan and David. David was looking for an
opportunity to extend the kindness to the Of King Saul and
Jonathan for Jonathan's sake and that's exactly how it works in
the world today in are obtaining forgiveness of God.
Listen in Ephesians 4 and verse 32.
Paul said and be a kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving
one another even as God for Christ's sake.
Hath forgiven you in first John 2 and verse 12, John adds, I
write unto you little children because your sins is are
forgiven you for his name's sake.
We studied earlier in the week that in Hebrews and at chapter
were told that Jesus became the mediator of a New Covenant.
Now the conditions of entering into that Covenant agreement are
made very clear. We are to hear the word of God
talk Romans 10, verse 14, we're to believe it.
Romans 1 and verse 16. We're to repent of our sins acts
17 verse 30 where it confess the name of Jesus before others,
according to Matthew 10 verse 32 and then we're to be baptized in
water for the remission of sins, Acts 2 and verse 38.
Now premiums, when we comply genuinely with these conditions,
we enter into a covenant agreement with God in Jesus
Christ and God for Christ's sake.
Forgives us of our sins. He adopts us into the family and
we become the recipient of all spiritual blessings.
Now, the notice with me in verses 2 through 6 of our text,
the need of every sinner. And there was of the House of
Saul a servant, whose name was I.
But, and when they had called him on today, to the king said,
unto him, art thou cyber, and he said, thy servant is he?
And the King said, is there not yet any of the House of Saul
that I may show the kindness of God unto him in cyber said unto
the king Jonathan hath. Yet a son, which is laying on
his feet and the King said unto him, where is he?
And cyber said unto the king behold.
He is in the house of maker. The son of a mule in Lodi bar,
then King David's an Get him out of the house of maker.
The son of a mule from Lodi bar. Now, when mephibosheth the son
of Jonathan, the son of Saul was coming today.
That he fell on his face and did reverence and David said,
mephibosheth and he answered Behold thy servant.
Now David asks this former servant of King Saul.
He says does King. Saul have any surviving family
members? And the servant said, yes he
does. He has a grandson said in fact.
It's Jonathan, son. and he said, you know, he's laying on both
his feet and he lives over in Lodi bar.
And his name is mephibosheth. I had to work on that.
That's hard for me to say. I'd like to hear you say it four
times, real fast. Just kind of like trying to say
rubber baby buggy. Bumpers four times real fast.
You know, I get to I love these names from the Bible.
Especially those old testament names because every one of them
have a has significance. The fact is that God changed
Abrams. Name to Abraham the name,
Abraham, his father of many nations, very appropriate name
for the patriarchal. Father, you remember that when
God told Abraham age, hit Abraham and Barren, Sarah, that
they were going to have a child Sarah laughed.
And later when the child was born, they named him Isaac,
which means laughter, I mentioned, Jacob and Rachel.
They had a little Boy and Rachel died in childbirth, and they
named the little boy been only, which means, son of my sorrow
and I always thought that was so unfortunate to have a name that
would remind you every time you heard it that it was your birth
that was responsible for the death of your mother.
Fortunately, Jacob later changed, the name to Benjamin,
which means son of my right hand.
Jesus added the name Peter to the to sign it.
The name Peter, which means a rock.
So, all of these names have significance.
And I just really, honestly, never cease to be amazed at some
of the names that people tag their children will did.
You know that there was a governor?
I'm not making this up. There was a governor of the
state of Texas. He was governor around 1900, the
honorable James a hog H. OG G had a bunch of boys and
that he and his wife had a little girl, and they named her.
I'm a, I'm a ho Ugh. You know, anybody who would do
that to a child ought to be horsewhipped at least and it
makes me thankful that my family is stuck with the old basic
traditional American names, like referred and Hootie.
This may mephibosheth is really interesting to me though,
because it literally means the dispeller of Shame, the
dispeller of shame. But what is ironic is that he
was not one who is going to be dispelling.
Shame, he was the object of shame.
I mean he was living in Exile. In constant fear, he knew that
it was the custom for the succeeding peeing to round up
the family members of the former King and kill them all and he
was in Exile. He was terrified that they're
going to find him and execute him.
And can you imagine what he thought when King David's men
rode up before the house where he was hiding and said King
David wants to see you boy. You suppose he thought.
All right, I got an invitation to the king's Palace know, he
was thinking, I'm a dead man. They took him back over to the
Palace of King David. He went in before him terrified
prostrated himself on the floor face down and said I am your
servant. You know what?
Baby's first words were to him, don't be afraid.
That illustrates though, the watching The Heart Of The
Sinner, the one, who knows? He's separated from God, he's
afraid. And he doesn't want to confront
the king. He's like, Adam and Eve in,
Genesis 3, and verse 8. He wants to hide from God.
That's a perfect portrait of the alien sinner, who separated from
God. He's terrified.
Furthermore, he was destitute, he lived in Lo debar, the name,
Lo debar means of barren land and that again illustrates the
condition of the rebellious in Psalm 68 and verse 6.
David says that the rebellious dwell in a dry land away from
God, the sinner is lodging in the house of poverty, Isaiah 44,
verse 20, Luke 15 and verse 16, and furthermore he was helpless.
He was blame on both his feet. Now, the way this happened a few
years before he was, just a very small child when word got back
to the Palace that his grandfather King Saul and that
his father. Jonathan and his uncle's had
been killed in paddle. They knew that the very probably
the men of the succeeding king would be swooping down upon them
at any moment looking for surviving family members.
And so with that in mind, a nurse ran in scooped him up in
her arms and she began to flee with him from the palace and as
she do, she dropped him and It damaged both his feet.
And he was crippled for the rest of his life.
Most families have similar physical characteristics.
You know, you can look at a lot of families.
You kind of tell that their kinfolks always thought that
Kennedy Brothers looked a lot of like and I think the Bush family
have, I think members and that family have similar physical
characteristics, I have a brother that's just two years
older than I and there. A lot of people think we look
alike. In fact, we had a friend in
college Years Ago, thought we were the same person.
For one semester until he saw us in the Student Union together.
One day and that explained a lot.
You know, sometimes he'd say something to one of us that was
reference to what he had said to the other one.
He thought he's talking to the same person for a whole
semester. I don't really see that.
We look all that much alike, but everybody says we do, but
anyhow, you know, you would expect that, that was the case
in Bible times as well, and I'll tell you, King Saul was an
impressive. Physical specimen, I mentioned
the other evening that the Bible talks, Talks about for men.
That were built well and handsome and one of them was
King, Saul King Saul was tall and he was powerful and he cut
up an impressive figure. As far as people were concerned
and you know, Samuel the prophet warned of the people of Israel.
Really that that's what they were looking at when they
decided to select him as their King.
But he said that the Lord looks upon the heart.
So he was an impressive, man. His son, Jonathan was a great
athlete. He was a great Archer, probably
the greatest Archer of his time, and he would expect the same of
Jonathan son, mephibosheth, but to learn that.
That was not only not the case, but that he was that he was
crippled. You know, you could just hear
King David saying, you mean, this boy can't even walk.
I mean, what service can you provide?
He has no wealth, no education though.
No training and who knows what he looks like.
And where is he living? Loading bar.
They didn't say to such thing. For Jonathan's sake.
Now, he didn't say well, where is his?
Crippled boy. Where is this?
Lame? Kid.
No, for Jonathan's sake. He just simply says.
Where is he? Another translation says, where
is this son? And that's significant.
Because up to this point in the narrative, that's the first time
that mephibosheth name has been mentioned and not immediately
followed by his affliction. A lot of people know what it's
like to have a stigma. And you know, everywhere you go,
every time his name is mentioned, your stigma,
immediately follows. Olaf's all soldiers over the
other day you know, you know, he's divorced.
Or got a letter from old, watch his face.
You know, he's an alcoholic. All right, saw so-and-so
downtown. Yeah, you know it's just seems
like she can't keep a job. It's like a pesky little
brother, pesky little sister. Everywhere, you go, your past
seems to follow because I want you to know tonight that when
you enter into a covenant relationship with God, this
Covenant that was sealed and ratified by the shed blood of
Christ. Beginning at that point, God
does not throw up your past to you.
He's not going to remind you of your moral frailties or your
spiritual failings. But from that point, you simply
become his child. First John 3 and verse 1 John
said beloved now, are we the sons of the children of God?
Well, David told mephibosheth, he said, he said, I don't be
afraid, he said, I'm going to restore to you all of your
grandfather, King, Saul's lands. I'm going to give you back all
his crops. I'm going to give you all of his
servants and he said, I want you to sit at my table as though
you're my own son for the rest of your life.
Mephibosheth was absolutely overwhelmed and according to
verse 8 he said to David but I am but a dead dog.
Now, that is obviously a derisive description, but it may
be more derogatory than you think.
You know, in our culture today, dogs are family pets.
They become like members of the family but that's not the way it
was. And Israel.
Dogs were scavengers and they roamed in packs and they ate
dead carcasses in the streets and therefore they run clean.
They were despised, they were repulsive.
They were disgusting for him to have called himself.
A dog would have been bad but Said a dead dog touching.
Anything dead was unclean under the law of Moses so that would
be like a you know it'd be like are saying look man.
You know I don't have any intrinsic value.
Why are you doing this? I'm like a I'm like a roadkill
skunk or I'm like a crushed cockroach.
I don't have any value. Why are you doing this?
And David was very quick to point out that he was doing this
for his father Jonathan's sake. Now, the fact that he was
brought from where he was in exile over to the king's Palace
and went in there, and and humble himself before, King
David that didn't put Dave in his debt.
David didn't owe him anything. But it was for Jonathan's sake
and Friends by the same token. When we respond to the
invitation and we comply with these conditions, we don't put
God in our debt. God doesn't owe us anything.
But for Christ's sake, he forgives us.
He adopts us into the family and we become the recipient of all
spiritual blessings in Swift succession.
David returned to me, Felicia, Paul of his grandfather's lands
and crops and servants, and four times.
He tells mephibosheth, I want you to sit at my table.
Now I'll tell you just have King Saul's land his servants, his
crops and all that. That would be prestigious, but
all of that together doesn't even begin to compare with The
Prestige of sitting at the Kings Table.
I hope you can picture this in your mind as tonight.
Could you imagine the dinner bell sounding in the Palace of
King David? David comes in takes his seat at
the head of the table. Now, we're not talking about
just anybody We're talking about the greatest poet who ever lived
the sweet singer of Israel. We're talking about the most
brilliant military strategist who ever engaged in Conflict.
The greatest, King that Israel ever nood a great Builder, a
great planner, the most charismatic personality in the
world. Takes his seat at the head of
the table. This posed, his son, amnon
cunning crafty, and then comes down sits down at his father's
lived. And then Tamar Charming.
Strikingly beautiful comes in and sits down by her brother,
and then get this door opens over here and out of the study
steps Solomon. Brilliant.
Precocious a little distracted comes out of the study. and
finds his seat at the table and then Absalom Absalom has one of
the four that the Bible says was built well and handsome.
He had hair as black as a raven's Wing.
He had his father's charismatic personality, he could win people
over. He came in and took his seat at
the table. That's posed on this occasion.
That David invited, joab. Now, joab was his right-hand,
man. He was a Fearless Warrior.
He was the commander of his troops and the suppose he came
in. And Brahms and muscular he set
down near the king. Now you talk about a gathering
of Royal personalities and they sit there and wait patiently and
pretty soon. They began to hear the shuffling
of feet and they hear the clumping of crutches echoing
down the hall as mephibosheth. Awkwardly and slowly makes his
way into the dining room. Involves in his seat.
And when he looks up and surveys this Gathering of Royal
personalities, I ask you tonight.
Do you think he understood what it meant to have a kindness?
Done him for the sake of somebody else?
And can you see ourselves in that picture?
Can you see that? We were crippled by sin?
That we were living in spiritual Exile in that Barren land of
Lodi bar. But thanks to the covenant made
possible by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
God for Christ's sake, forgives us.
Adopts us into the family and allows us to sit at the Kings
Table. I want to read you just a
partial list of what is found at the Kings Table, Romans 8, and
verse 1. If you are in Christ, there is
now. No condemnation, Romans 7 and
verse 6. You are delivered from the law
of Moses in, Ephesians, 2, and verse 13.
You are near God, Colossians 1 in verse 13.
Your delivered from the power of evil and the member of his
kingdom. Romans 5, you're Justified.
Hebrews 10 and verse 14, you are Perfect.
In Christ. Romans 8, verse 15.
You've been adopted, Ephesians 2 and verse 18.
You have access to God at any moment.
First Peter 2 and verse 5. You're a part of his priesthood,
Hebrews 13 and verse 5. You'll never be abandoned in
First, Peter 1 and verse 4. You have an imperishable
inheritance further, you are a partner with Christ in life,
Colossians 3, and verse 4 in privilege, Ephesians, 2, and
verse 6 in suffering. Second.
Timothy 2 and verse 12 and in-service.
First Corinthians 1 verse 9. You are a member of his body.
First Corinthians 12 and verse 13, a branch in the vine.
John 15 verse 5, a stone in the building.
Ephesians 2 beginning at verse 1 of Bride for the groom Ephesians
5:25 through 27 and a priest. In the new generation first
Peter 2 and verse 9 and get this in Christ, you become the
recipient of every spiritual Oil blessing in the Heavenly World
Ephesians 1 and verse 3. What do you suppose would have
been the result if after David made this this incredible?
Charitable gesture to mephibosheth if he hadn't even
thought about it for a minute and told King David, you know,
sir, sir your honor, your lordship.
This just, this just unbelievable.
Now, I was brought here thinking that I was going to be executed
and here you are. You're treating me as though I'm
your own son. And believe me I'm grateful and
thank you, but no thanks. I believe in just going to go
back over there. Lo debar and live in Exile and
scratch out as mirror and existence, as I possibly can.
Well, you'd think he'd be insane.
Prince had his no more outrageous than the multitudes
of people today who knowingly and deliberately reject God's
over tours of kindness that he extends us for Christ's sake.
Could it be tonight that you're here?
And you have been extended the invitation To become a child of
God and to sit at the Kings table.
But until now you've rejected it, if that's the case, we urge
you to seize the opportunity while it is yours if you're not
a Christian become one tonight believe in Jesus as the Son of
God. Repent of your sins confess, his
name and be baptized in water for the remission of sins.
Frames of you'll do that, then by virtue of the blood of Christ
you enter into a covenant relationship with God.
God and God for Christ's sake. Will forgive you?
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
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