Who Was Mephibosheth in The Bible?
When we think about the Bible, we often think about people like David, Solomon, or Paul. But there’s one person whose story is often overlooked – a man by the name of Mephibosheth. Who was Mephibosheth in the Bible? Well, he was the son of Jonathan, David’s best friend. He was crippled in both feet when he was only five years old, and he lived in obscurity for many years. But when David became king, he remembered his promise to his friend Jonathan.
David searched for any surviving members of Jonathan’s family, and he found Mephibosheth. At first, Mephibosheth was afraid of David. He thought that the king was going to kill him. But David showed him kindness and mercy. He invited Mephibosheth to live in his palace and eat at his table. Mephibosheth was given a place of honor as a part of the king’s family. The story of Mephibosheth is a great reminder that God can use anyone, no matter their past or their present circumstances.
Was David a Friend or an Enemy of Mephibosheth?
Background Between the Families –
Mephibosheth’s Father Jonathan
Who was Mephibosheth in the Bible? first we need to learn about who his father was. Jonathan was one of the most important figures in the Bible. He was the son of Saul, the first king of Israel. Jonathan was a brave and loyal soldier who was always willing to fight for his country. He was also a great friend to David, the future king of Israel. Jonathan was born into a time of great conflict. His father, Saul, was the first king of Israel. Saul was a brave and courageous leader, but he was also very jealous. He was always afraid that someone would try to take his throne. This made him very paranoid and sometimes violent. Jonathan was Saul’s oldest son and heir to the throne. He was a brave and loyal soldier. He was always willing to fight for his country. Jonathan was also a great friend to David.
David and Saul
Who is Mephibosheth in the Bible? Well first we need to look at the story of Saul and David. It is one of the most well-known in the Bible. Saul, the first king of Israel, was a man who was chosen by God to lead the Israelites. However, Saul did not always obey God and eventually God rejected him. David, on the other hand, was a man who was anointed by God to be the next king of Israel. He was a man who was obedient to God and followed His will.
The story of Saul and David begins in the book of 1 Samuel. Saul was the son of Kish, a Benjaminite. He was a tall and handsome man and was chosen to be the first king of Israel. However, even though Saul’s kingship was accepted by God, he did not always obey Him. For example, Saul was supposed to destroy all the Amalekites, but he spared the life of their king, Agag (1 Samuel 15:9). Eventually, God became fed up with Saul’s disobedience and He rejected him as king. God then told Samuel, the prophet, to anoint David as the next king (1 Samuel 16:1-13). David was the son of Jesse and was a shepherd boy when he was first anointed.
However, God had big plans for David. Even though David was not the king, Saul became jealous of him because people were praising David more than they were praising Saul. For example, after David killed Goliath, the Philistine giant, and had other victories in battle, the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). This made Saul very angry, and he tried to kill David on multiple occasions.
However, David always remained loyal to Saul, and he even refused to kill Saul when he had the opportunity to do so (1 Samuel 24:1-22). Eventually, Saul died in battle and David became the king. The story of Saul and David teaches us a lot about obedience and loyalty. Saul was a man who was chosen by God, but he did not obey Him. As a result, God rejected him. David, on the other hand, was a man who was obedient to God. Even though Saul tried to kill him, David remained loyal to him. In the end, David became the king because he was obedient to God.
Bible Verses That Tell the Incredible Story of Mephibosheth:
2 Samuel 4:4:
“Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled 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 as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”
2 Samuel 9:1-13:
“One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. 6 His name was Mephibosheth[a]; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”
Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”
Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”
8 Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household.[b] But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.” (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Ziba replied, “Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table,[c] like one of the king’s own sons.
Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants.13 And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.” – 2 Samuel 9:1-13
Lessons We Learn from Mephibosheth
Mephibosheth serves as a reminder that God doesn’t forget anyone. Mephibosheth’s story teaches us several important lessons:
We see that God is a God of second chances. Mephibosheth had a difficult start in life, but God didn’t forget about him. When David became king, he searched for Mephibosheth and gave him a new lease on life, even though he was related to Saul, David’s enemy.
God can use anyone. Mephibosheth had little to offer, but God used him in a great way. No matter their past or their present circumstances and no matter the family they came from God will use anyone to accomplish His purposes.
God’s grace is sufficient for us. Mephibosheth didn’t deserve the kindness and mercy that David showed him, but that’s the nature of God’s grace. God’s grace is sufficient for us, even though we don’t deserve it. The story of Mephibosheth is a great reminder of the power of God’s grace. No matter our past or our present circumstances, God can is more than willing to show us mercy. And His grace is always sufficient for us.
Mephibosheth teaches us that God redeems us from personal and family shame. God does this through the blood of Jesus. He redeems us. Brings us into his family and gives us an inheritance.
The Gospel in the story of Mephibosheth:
Without Christ the King we are hiding, weak, lame, fearful, and separated from the King who came and is coming. For now, King Jesus is searching to save the lost to show mercy. Later, He will come and judge.
People stay separated from the King because we don’t know Him or His love for us.
Receiving the King’s kindness in humility is just like receiving the free gift of salvation that is available through faith in Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection and repentance from our sin.
The King returns to us more than what we lost when we hid from Him. Eating at the King’s table is just like the access we have to God through our Lord Jesus. We have access to a relationship with Him!
When we follow Jesus, he takes us from being in hiding and full of shame and brings us into friendship with the very King of Kings.
No matter who we are, what we have done, the King still loves us, has offered mercy to us, and wants to show us years and years of His kindness. This is why David said, “Surely mercy and goodness will follow me all the days of my life.”
Mephibosheth was brought to live in the palace of King David because of the promise David had made to Jonathan. Here, David is an example of God’s promises to us, and we can have confidence that whatever the Lord had spoken, it will come to pass. We can learn from the story of Mephibosheth that even when we are crippled by our sin, God can still pour out his grace and mercy on us. He does just that when we turn from our sin and follow Jesus.
Who is Mephibosheth in the Bible? A recap:
Who was Mephibosheth in the Bible? He was the son of Jonathan, the grandson of Saul, and the last of the line of Saul. He was dropped by his nurse or she fell while carrying him, which caused him to be lame. His father and grandfather were killed in battle. However, he was later rescued from his obscure life in hiding by King David and brought to live in the royal palace. All his inheritance was restored by David. Mephibosheth was a loyal servant of David. Mephibosheth was given a place at the king’s table and given land to support himself and his family.
Likewise, people find themselves lost, hiding, living a purposeless life. Jesus, like King David, searches for the lost to bring them to His table in His Kingdom. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10.
