June 30, 2008

• Covenant Faithfulness by Vicki Gabler

  I am going to try and catch up on Friday Bible studies, this one happened on May 23, and was an awesome study. First Vicki spoke, then her husband taught. The studies fit together beautifully.

  2 Samuel 9:1  Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

  Vicki asked, why does David want to show kindness to Saul’s household?

  1 Samuel 20:14-16 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die; but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the LORD require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

  Jonathan (Saul’s son) and David made a covenant, a covenant of faithfulness. They were good friends. There were no qualifications, not riches or favors, just an agreement.

  God wants to keep covenant with us. He wants to do something good for us, for Adam’s family for Jesus’ sake.

  2 Samuel 9:2-3 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”  He said, “At your service!” Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”

  This would be Jonathan’s son, Saul’s grandson.

  2 Samuel 4:4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

  Why was the nurse running? When Saul and Jonathan died in battle, according to custom, the new king often executed all the family members of that dynasty. That would prevent those family members from trying to retake the throne. When the nurse fell, Mephibosheth became crippled, but the nurse preserved his life.

  2 Samuel 9:4 So the king (David) said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

  Lo Debar is a barren place, no pasture land, a wasteland. And Mephibosheth hid in that place, not wanting the king to find him.

  We were once like that, when we were sinners, and had no idea that God could show kindness to us, that He would change our lives for good. God wanted to lavish us with his blessings and love, to put us on a higher plane with Jesus, to never go back to the world and to that barrenness of Lo Debar.

  2 Samuel 9:6 Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!”

  Mephibosheth was afraid of King David.

  2 Samuel 9:7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

  Do not fear. God tells us that in regard to Jesus, that we do not have to fear. Jesus spoke that often, FEAR NOT. He wants to release people from fear. And Mephibosheth will eat bread at David’s table continually. This was to honor Mephibosheth and his inheritance.

  God has extends a similar invitation to us.

  Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

  Come just as you are, even crippled with sin.

  Isaiah 1:18  “ Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

  God will make us clean and pure and good enough to eat at His table.

  2 Samuel 9:8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

  Dogs were considered worthless in that time – and a dead dog even more worthless. Dogs were not always popular, and to be called a dog at that time was a terrible insult.

  It reminded Vicki of the song “Who am I that a King would bleed and die for me.” We were dead dogs before Jesus. God made us accepted in the Beloved, sons and daughters of God. Members of the Royal Household of God.

  2 Samuel 9:9-10 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

  David provided for Mephibosheth, but Mephibosheth had to maintain his family and servants, so with Ziba, the sons and servants it was 36 people that he had to provide for.

  2 Samuel 9:11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”

  He would be treated as royalty – eating at the King’s table.

  Luke 1:53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.

  God has filled us with good things, come and dine, come to the table. (Vicki held up her Bible and said here is the table.) And we can eat all we want, a banquet of the Word of God. We can stuff ourselves and not feel too full or suffer consequences.

  Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

  Dine with Jesus, eat the Word of God – the ultimate in SOUL FOOD. We want an overly fed Spirit that is fat and flourishing.  God wants to make us fat and healthy like Christ, and we do not want to go back and eat out of the World’s Garbage cans.

  Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

  2 Samuel 9:11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”

  In obedience to King David, Mephibosheth is to eat at His table. God wants us in obedience to eat at His table as one of His children. We are adopted by God through Jesus.

  2 Corinthians 6:16-18 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore ”Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”

  God is our father, and we are His sons and daughters.

  Ephesians 1:3-6  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

  God has predestined us to be adopted.

  Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

  Abba means “Daddy.”

  Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

  2 Samuel 9:12-13 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

  Mephibosheth came out of Lo Debar, and ended up in Jerusalem, from the pits to beautiful places.

  We will eat continually at the King’s table We are saints– not dogs, forever, throughout all eternity, continually. We are in the New Jerusalem, not a dark world.

  Then Dr. Ed, Vicki’s husband shared a word. I will share that tomorrow.

  Praying your night is blessed.

  Heather
  

  • 6:55 pm
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