Sermon Tone Analysis

“David said, ‘Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David.

And the king said to him, ‘Are you Ziba?’

And he said, ‘I am your servant.’

And the king said, ‘Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?’

Ziba said to the king, ‘There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.’

The king said to him, ‘Where is he?’

And Ziba said to the king, ‘He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.’

Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.

And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage.

And David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’

And he answered, ‘Behold, I am your servant.’

And David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.’

And he paid homage and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?’

“Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, ‘All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.

And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat.

But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.’

Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Then Ziba said to the king, ‘According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.’

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons.

And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica.

And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants.

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table.

Now he was lame in both his feet.”[1]

Lynda was nearly in tears.

Our middle daughter was serving as a volunteer coach for Special Olympics, and the community in which we lived was hosting a track and field meet for the Special Olympians.

Lynda and I encouraged our daughter in this labour of love.

Accordingly, when opportunity was presented, we went to cheer on her eager athletes.

Reflecting on what it meant to live in a nation that demonstrated compassion for those who were not able in areas that we often take for granted left Lynda in a reflective mood.

As we talked about the uniqueness of our Canadian experience contrasted to the sweep of human history, we swelled with pride for our nation and found ourselves giving thanks to God who had shown this nation such mercy.

The evidence of divine mercy is the heritage of compassion demonstrated by national consensus.

However, that kindness was not accidental.

If you doubt that assertion, ask yourself how many charities exist worldwide that were not initiated by Christians.

In lands dominated by secularism, or dominated by any of a number of other religions, the least within society are seldom treated with compassion—they are cast aside or shunned.

However, wherever the Christian Faith has prevailed, inevitably various charitable institutions are found, often preceding even the establishment of congregations for worship.

Hospitals, hospices, orphanages, rescue missions and a multitude of other, specialised ministries of compassion give evidence of the presence of the followers of Christ.

This charitable heritage for our nation is neither impulsive nor merely a lucky break; rather it is part of the cultural DNA that is woven into the warp and woof of the fabric of the Faith.

It is natural that those who have discovered the love of God will themselves reveal that love.

Take it as a given that when you do not see grace and mercy in an individual’s life, it is likely because that individual has never known the love of God.

One instance of kindness that stands out, among the many that are presented in the Word of God, is that which is recorded of David who sought out the last living descendant of his friend Jonathan.

That man, whom David sought out, and David’s kindness toward him, serve as the focus of our study for this day.

*The Story Begins With a Memory of Kindness*.

The text indicates that the immediate genesis of the story was an act of kindness that was shown to David before he ascended to the throne.

However, undergirding the kindness David sought to demonstrate was the prompting of the True and Living God.

Let’s go back into the historical record to refresh our memories.

David had been chosen by God while he was tending sheep as a young lad.

The divine choice had no immediate impact so far as anyone could tell.

David continued to tend sheep; as the youngest son, he was assigned to this task.

His brothers, in the meantime, were conscripted into the army to wage war against the Philistines.

So far as the world could tell, it was one of those cases of mere happenstance, serendipity that David just happened to be in camp delivering food to his brothers and a gift for their commanders at the precise moment when a giant, the champion of the opposing forces shouted out his challenge to the Israelites.

Incensed, the young man began to ask why no one would respond to the insults hurled at their lines.

Word of this brash youngster reached the ears of Saul, King of Israel, who called for David to appear before him.

The conversation turned to Goliath, the Philistine champion, with David stating that he would slay him if no one else was willing to face him.

Of course, you remember the story.

David did kill Goliath, God guiding the stone he threw from his sling.

To ensure that the task of dispatching the bully was complete, David beheaded Goliath with his own sword.

Of course, the young sheepherder instantly became the hero of the nation, and was shortly thereafter promoted to a position of oversight for the army.

In order to provide background for the message today, it is important to note that David was immediately befriended by Jonathan, the King’s son.

Listen to the account.

“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.

Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armour, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war.

And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants” [*1 Samuel 18:1-5*].

Jonathan made a covenant with David because of his deep admiration of this young warrior.

The friendship would only intensify with the passage of time.

David was a young man, perhaps a teenager at the time of this account.

Jonathan was likely approaching middle age.

I see them as men separated in age by twenty years of so.

Jonathan, the experienced warrior and commander, saw in David the qualities that would make him a great leader.

Faced with the obvious capabilities of the younger man, Jonathan could have felt threatened and sought to hinder David’s advance.

However, he opted to invest his life in David to bless him with friendship and to enable the younger man to achieve greatness.

In this way, Jonathan would honour God and prove that his influence would extend beyond his own time.

Soon after conscripting David to lead his forces, Saul was seized by jealousy of David.

The occasion of this jealousy was because of some common doggerel that someone composed and that the people sang.

“Saul has struck down his thousands,

and David his ten thousands.”

[*1 Samuel 18:7*]

Saul focused on the fact that David was ascribed with killing more enemy than had he himself.

The knowledge that he had to share the glory of Israel’s victories drove him into depression, and ultimately into rage.

The more embittered Saul became, the more gracious Jonathan became toward the younger man.

Saul’s rage led him to seek to enlist others to assist him to kill David, but Jonathan became aware of the plan and warned David.

He also intervened to plead with his father to reconsider his rash plan.

But the respite for David was only temporary.

Soon enough, Saul again became intent on killing David, whom he saw as a pretender to the throne.

David fled to Samuel, where he was protected by the intervention of the Lord.

When Saul ratcheted up the pressure, David turned once again to Jonathan for counsel.

Listen as I read the account from the Word of God.

“Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, ‘What have I done?

What is my guilt?

And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?’

And he said to him, ‘Far from it!

You shall not die.

Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me.

And why should my father hide this from me?

It is not so.’

But David vowed again, saying, ‘Your father knows well that I have found favour in your eyes, and he thinks, “Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.”

But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.’

Then Jonathan said to David, ‘Whatever you say, I will do for you.’

David said to Jonathan, ‘Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king.