1. To me the most exciting part of the Bible is the period covering the reigns of King Saul and King David.
2. Joab was David’s general, a very crafty and devious man. He killed Abner, who was Saul’s general, but had recently deserted to David.
3. The Bible says that when Saul’s son Ishbosheth heard that Abner was dead, "his hands were feeble" (II Sam.4:1). In other words, he got scared.
4. He lost heart. He panicked, and the Bible says, "and all the Israelites were troubled" (4:1).
5. The house of Saul was rapidly collapsing. Saul and Jonathan were slain by the Philistines. Then a long civil war broke out between the house of Saul and the house of David. Then one day as Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was lying on his bed at noon, two men came in killed him (II Sam.4:5-7).
6. In the midst of this narrative, we are told that Jonathan had a son who was crippled in both feet. When he was five years old, his nurse dropped him and he "became lame" (II Sam.4:4).
7. Mephibosheth is one of the many fascinating Bible characters from this period of Israel’s history. As we look at his life today I would like for us to look at him as a picture and type of a helpless sinner.

1. MEPHIBOSHETH WAS CRIPPLED AND HELPLESS
2. MEPHIBOSHETH WAS GIVEN A GRACIOUS INVITATION
3. MEPHIBOSHETH WAS MADE AS THE KING’S SON

1. Let us note that Mephibosheth was "lame on his feet" (II Sam.9:3). In this respect he is a perfect picture of a helpless sinner. The Bible says in Isaiah 1:6, "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores…"
2. Before we were saved we were not only crippled, we were blind – spiritually blind.
3. And what is worse, we were not only lame and blind, we "were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph.2:1).
4. Furthermore, remember that Mephibosheth was of the family of Saul, David’s bitter enemy. Saul had tried to kill David on several occasions. And even after Saul’s death, the hostilities continued. The Bible says, "Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David" (II Sam.3:1).
5. But David had forgotten all of this. He asked, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?" (9:3).
6. Clara Barton was the founder of the American Red Cross. Someone once reminded her of an especially unkind act that had been done to her years before. But Miss Barton did not seem to recall it. So her friend persisted and asked, "Don’t you remember it?" Clara Barton said: "I distinctly remember forgetting that incident."
7. King David distinctly remembered to forget all the unkind acts of Saul. He wanted to "show the kindness of God" to someone from the house of Saul.
8. Likewise, those without Christ are at war with God. They are God’s enemies (cf. Rom.5:10; 8:7,8). But when a sinner repents and receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, God remembers to forget all his sins (cf. Ps.103:10-17).
9. Whenever you hear someone say, "I will forgive but never forget," remember that this is not a Scriptural philosophy – God forgives and He forgets.

II. MEPHIBOSHETH WAS GIVEN A GRACIOUS INVITATION

1. The serious student of God’s Word sees the grace of God on every page (cf. II Sam.9:1). Keep in mind that the house of Saul was waging war with King David. And yet David graciously was looking to show kindness to "any" one "left of the house of Saul."
2. This is a picture of God’s grace. This sin-loving world is at war with God. And yet God looks down from heaven and asks, "Is there yet any that is left that I may shew him kindness?" Beloved, the kindness and love of God have been manifest in your life and in my life. That is why we are here this Lord’s Day (cf. Titus 3:3,4).
3. God is asking, "Is there any lost sinner I can save?" Perhaps there are some lost souls in need of God’s grace. There are certain conditions that must be met.

• First, you must realize that you cannot save yourself. In the eyes of God you are as crippled and lame as poor Mephibosheth. God is not impressed with your good works, your education, your church membership, your religion, your occupation, your status, etc. In His eyes, you are as helpless and crippled as Mephibosheth.
• Secondly, if you are to be saved, you have to respond to God’s gracious invitation, just as Mephibosheth responded to David’s gracious invitation (9:2-6).
• Mephibosheth humbled himself before King David (II Sam. 9:6-8). And for a lost sinner to be saved he must humble himself before the King of kings and Lord of lords.
• The reason many people do not get saved is that they are too proud. They refuse to repent. They will not humble themselves before a holy God. Mephibosheth called himself a dead dog (9:8), not even a live dog. Sinners today do not even recognize themselves as lost sinners.

4. God’s gracious invitations are more wonderful than King David’s (cf. Isa.1:18; Matt.11:28-30; Rom.10:9-13; Rev.22:17).

III. MEPHIBOSHETH WAS MADE AS THE KING’S SON (9:9-13).

1. This was not just for one meal or for one day. The Bible says "he did eat continually at the king’s table" (9:13; cf. 9:7,10).
2. It was King David himself who wrote: "And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever" (Ps.23:6b).
3. It was the king himself who declared that Mephibosheth was to be treated "as one of the king’s sons" (9:11b). The Bible says, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). You can become a child of the king by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour (cf. Col.1:13,14).
4. Mephibosheth received his father’s inheritance plus the honor and privilege of sitting at the king’s table as one of his own sons (9:7-10). Likewise, when we received Christ as our Saviour He gave us more than we deserved and much more than we could ever imagine (I Cor.2:9; Eph.2:6; I Peter 1:3,4; Rev.5:9,10).

CONCLUSION:

1. According to the Oriental custom of King David’s day, a new king would put to death all contenders to the throne of a former dynasty.
2. Any claimant would be removed by execution and this would protect the new king from any threat.
3. According to the code of that day, David would have been justified in putting all of Saul’s offspring to death. But David did not do that. He did just the opposite. He invited Mephibosheth into his home and received him as his own son.
4. The Bible says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezek.18:4). And "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom.6:23). God has every right to take each and every one of us and cast us into hell. But He has graciously invited us to come to Him for pardon of sin, full salvation, and eternity in heaven.
5. Have you accepted His gracious invitation?