A Picture Of The Grace Of God
1 Samuel 18:1-4, - "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that [was] upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."
(See Also I Samuel 20:41-42 , II Samuel 4:4 etc.)
In this simple yet profound story of the love and grace of Israel’s first great king, we find an incomparable preview of the story of God’s infinite love for us. Here we see portrayed in a beautiful figure the grace that brought His love down to man. We see in David’s action a clear metaphor of the loving act of God’s Son Who died on the cross for our sins.
The Biblical story is quite clear. David and Jonathan had a very special relationship. This relationship is expressed in their beautiful covenant. It seems God brought all this to pass. It would not be natural in any ordinary sense for Jonathan to love and befriend David. Jonathan was the son of Saul, the King. Saul clearly despised the sweet psalmist of Israel. He destained the shepherd boy who was a man after God’s own heart. We can see all the evil emotions of jealousy, envy and hatred at work in Saul’s life. He set out to hunt, harass, harm and hurt the one who would become his successor. His ultimate goal was to kill and destroy him.
Jonathan had every personal and selfish reason to join his father’s deadly campaign against David. He knew that David had been anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next King of Israel. He would have known this meant, if David survived Saul’s vendetta, he nor his descendents would never sit upon the throne of Israel. It would be reasonable to assume that Jonathan at least sensed that David’s survival meant that he would probably be removed from the line of succession in a violent and tragic way.
Yet Jonathan chose to love man His father had chosen to view as an enemy. Such love could not be defined in ordinary terms. The sort of love that knit the souls of these two great men together is clearly a love that must be shed abroad in the hearts of man by an infinite loving God. Only God could constrain sinful man to love in such way. Such love is unconditional. No strings are attached. No reward is expected. Reciprocation is not required. It is clearly beyond man’s capacity to understand such love, much less love in this manner. We see here a wonderful illustration of God’s kind of love. The kind of love that drew our Savior to the cross. The cords of this kind of love bound Him there as He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me..." This kind of love held Him there to the bitter end when He cried out, "It is finished..."
Let us look at this timeless story that so clearly portrays the love and grace of God for man and draw some obvious parallels:
Mephibosheth was a helpless cripple. He was crippled by a fall that came about in an attempt to flee from the expected judgment of the new king, David. The crippled youngster was an enemy of David by virtue of his birth. I was the custom of the time to slay all the royal family when a new dynasty came into power. This custom can be seen throughout all of the history of Western and Eastern civilizations and continues even until today. In a practical way common sense dictated it. Descendents of a previous lineage automatically became enemies of the new ruler. Their very existence could always be viewed as a threat to the throne.
In II Kings Chapter Eleven we have a terrible and tragic illustration of this. When king Ahaziah was slain by Jehu, his mother, Athaliah, wanted to be queen. She immediately had all his children, her own grandchildren, slaughtered. Or so she thought. But a nurse hid one child. His name was Joash. Some six years later, through some real palace intrigue, her grandson was placed on the throne and she was executed. This story demonstrates why the custom of destroying ones perceived future enemies seemed a practical necessity to new rulers. It also shows the depths human depravity can reach. When people are motivated by the desire for power, the greatest corrupting influence of all, there is not limit to their evil deeds. It has been truly said, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.."
Mephiposheth was in a helpless and hopeless condition and position. Our spiritual condition and position is also helpless and hopeless. We also are enemies of God by birth, ancestry and descendence. Just as Mephibosheth was crippled at an early age by a fall, so was man spiritually crippled by Adam’s fall. He fell at an early age as he was fleeing from the will of God. Every man since has been a helpless spiritual cripple. Every man since has tried to flee and hide from His Creator. Paul would describe this inherent depravity of man in these words, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Ro. 5:12)
There can be no doubt about this. God inspired David as well to make this statement about our natural position, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder [that] stoppeth her ear;. ." (Psalm 58:2-3) Our natural position is soon affirmed when we each chose to assert our sinful will against the holy will of God, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one." (Ro. 3:10-12) Our willing and open rebellion against God and His law and will places us in the camp of God’s enemies, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4)
Man’s only hope of salvation is to come to an understanding of his position before God. He must be convicted that he is a sinner by nature, choice and action. He must understand that salvation is of the Lord. He must see himself as Paul saw himself - the greatest of all sinners. He must see himself as spiritually crippled and absolutely helpless before God.
An elderly Scottish preacher was once asked just how much he had to do with his own salvation. He responded, "It took two to save me. God and myself. I was doing my utmost to run away from God. He was doing His utmost to seek and save me. Praise the Lord, He saved me by His grace!"
Many examples in the scriptures remind us of this great truth. Israel standing hopelessly on the shore of the Red Sea. A man struggling in the quick sand like mud of the miry pit. (Psalm 40:1-3) The thief hanging helplessly on the cross. Lazarus lying dead in the grave for four days. The Philippian Jailer crying out to Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?" In all these and many more cases, we can see that God’s grace saves those who cannot save themselves. His grace can only come into play when spiritually crippled and helpless man lays his deadly doing down.
Mephiposheth was in the land of Lodebar. I understand the term meant, "Place of no bread.." He was an alien in an alien land. A weary, worn and wayfaring pilgrim in dry and dreary land. There is nothing there to satisfy. His is the classical story of the prodigal needing restoration. Hungry and thirsty, he is in no position to seek the table of the King. Even though he is the son of a prince who was the son of a powerful king, he has no right to seek special favor. If salvation is to come to him, the move must be initiated by the king.
The spiritual parallel is obvious. Man is a weary traveler in a dry and arid land. In the desert of this world, he chases from one spiritual mirage to another. He seeks an oasis to assuage his spiritual hunger and thirst for righteousness. But he finds nothing that will satisfy. He is in no position to seek the table of the King of this universe. He has no standing in His presence. His natural lineage is certainly not of the royal class.
Mephibosheth recognizes his dire and desperate circumstance and humbles himself before the King. (Verses 6-8) He certainly was frightened at the prospect of the judgment the king could pronounce upon him. David stood before him with the power of life and death in his hand. A flick of his wrist, a covert motion of his hand, a snap of his fingers or a glance in the direction of his servant Joab and a nod and the throat of his natural enemy could be cut. In fact, what was seen by all the world in that day as justice in such a situation, demanded such an action by David. Mephibosheth needed mercy and grace, not justice. So he sees his hopeless and helpless condition and humbles himself before the King.
One of the greatest needs of our time is for a gospel to be preached that will open up the very jaws of hell to the eyes of lost and condemned sinners. Perhaps such great messages Jonathan Edward’s, "Sinners In The Hand of an Angry God," need to be revisited today. R. G. Lee’s, "Pay Day Some Day," might be a message for our hour as well. Sinners need to see their precarious position before the King of this universe and have the fear of God possess their souls. Perhaps God’s people first need to catch a glimpse of the hell that yawns for the souls of men and then cry out as Paul, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men . . ." (II Cor. 5:10-11)
In the response of Mephebosheth we see a demonstration of one of God’s divine paradoxes. When he humbles himself before David, it is made clear that the way up for him is down. This principle is portrayed again and again in the scriptures. Zaccheaus came down and found salvation. (Luke 19) A leper kneeled down and received cleansing (Luke 5) A palsied man was let down and received forgiveness and healing. (Luke 5) The publican bowed down and received justification. (Luke 18) Someone has said, "The lowly place is the holy place." This principle was central in my message last Sunday, "How Children Come To Christ."
There is evidence to suggest that when Jesus spoke of the narrow gate that man must enter in order to have eternal life, He was speaking of gate leading into a city through which one must crawl face down; after laying weapons and possessions aside. Jesus said it was more difficult for a rich man to enter heaven than a camel to go through a needle’s eye. There is indication that there was a needle’s eye gate that required a camel to be off-loaded and led through the gate on its knees into the city. In any case, it is clear that the grace of God will only come to those who humble themselves before the King. Our Savior said, "Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5:6) Peter, who found the truth of the matter through the dear school of experience said, ". . . God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" (I Pet. 5:6)
Mephebosheth was loved, forgiven and accepted for Jonathan’s sake. David’s great love for Jonathan moved him to show great grace for Jonathan’s son. It would seem reasonable to assume that when David saw this helpless crawling cripple of a man groveling humbly before him, he looked beyond the outward appearance and saw his friend Jonathan. He saw a blessed and priceless opportunity to show once more his great love for his spiritual brother, Jonathan.
God is seeking opportunities to show His love to a lost and dying world for His Son’s sake. As deep and beautiful as the love between David and Jonathan might have been, God’s limitless love for His Son far surpasses any love mere mortal man might have for one another.
What a wonderful concept when we consider the Son saying, "Father forgive them..." What a tremendous thought when we hear the words of Paul, "Lay that upon my account..." What a overwhelming blessing when we think of Jesus as our Mediator and Intercessor. Jesus said Himself, "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:3-24) This is why we pray in Jesus Name. The Father wants to bless us for His Son’s sake.
During a blizzard on a cold and windy night many years ago, a rich man heard a knock up on the door of his mansion. Going to the door, he saw a ragged tramp standing shivering in the blowing snow. As the man started to speak, the rich man held up his hand as if to say no. Then he turned to close the door in the poor man’s face. At that moment, the homeless man reached into his tattered and torn coat and pulled out a photo. He handed it to the rich man. It was a photo of the man’s son who had been killed in action in the war. Written upon the back of the photo in the unmistakable handwriting of his own son were these words, "Dad, this is my best friend. He is with me as I am dying. For my sake, please treat him as you would treat me." You can imagine the rest of the story!
Mephebosheth found joy and plenty at the King’s table. Just imagine this poor, crippled, destitute and hopeless man eating daily of the King’s sumptuous food. He had no claim to fame or fortune. When his father had fallen on the field of battle he had lost all his royal heritage. It was only by the grace and mercy of a great king that he could enjoy the blessings of a royal house and a royal banqueting table for the rest of his life. In the end he received more than he had lost at the beginning. In effect, he became the adopted child of the king.
So have we who have been saved by the grace of God. We are been adopted as children of the King of this universe. We have become joint-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ. (Ro. 8:15-17) Can you imagine poor, lost, spiritually crippled and destitute sinners, dwelling eternally in the mansions He has prepared for us? (John 14:1-3) Can you conceive feasting forever on heavenly manna at His banqueting table? (Rev. 22:1-2)
This is the grace of God. It is free for all who will come to the gracious King. He has promised that those who will humble themselves before Him in true repentance and real faith will never hunger and thirst again and will eat at His table continually throughout all ages. Does your father’s house have many mansions? Have you yet tasted the eternal Bread of Life? Have you slaked your spiritual thirst at the fountain of the Water of Life?
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17)
