Favored for sake of another

To have is our guest preacher this morning, Pastor Rob Stovall. Rob is pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Suffolk, Virginia, and I know that he will take us deeply into the word of God today. And I know, Rob, I can say with assurance that we always gladly hear the word of God and we hear you gladly now. Good morning. I always count it a privilege to be before God's people and to open God's word and attempt to learn along with you these great, precious, timeless truths that God has deposited by inspiration within his book. And I especially enjoy preaching from this pulpit. I've had occasion in the past to be with you. The memories I carry from those times of fellowship are precious to me and I greatly esteem this congregation and I esteem your pastor, Jeff Riddle, a beloved brother in the Lord. So I count it an honor to attempt to fill his shoes this morning in proclaiming God's word to you. I invite you to turn with me to 2 Samuel chapter 9. We'll find our sermon text there this morning. We're going to consider the entirety of this short chapter together. Reading it and then asking the Lord's further blessing on our delightful time of traversing back and forth to and fro in it this morning. Second, Samuel Chapter nine. Beginning our reading of God's word together. At first one. And David said, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there was of the house of Saul, a servant whose name was Ziva. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan, hath he had a son which is lame on his feet? And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziva said unto the king, behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Amiel in Lodivar. Then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Amiel from Lodivar. Now, when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth, and he answered, Behold, my servant. And David said unto him, Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan, thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table. continually. And he bowed himself and said, What is my servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertain to Saul and to all his house. Thou, therefore, and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him. And thou shalt bring in the fruits that thy master's son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread all way at my table. Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, according to all that my lord, the king, hath commanded his servant. So shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons. And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem. For he did eat continually at the king's table and was lame on both his feet. Let's seek the Lord's further blessing on the study of his word this morning. Join with me in prayer. Gracious God, what a precious passage of scripture is before us. We thank you for giving it to us. We thank you for giving it to us as a portion of your inspired. All sufficient, all authoritative word to us. And father, we do pray that this morning, as we as we approach this text in humility and reverence. We might receive it not simply as an intriguing tale from times gone by, Not as simply a fascinating example of human storytelling. But father, may we, like those Thessalonian believers so long ago, receive it not as the word of men. But as it is truly the word of God, your word to us as relevant to us today. As it was the day you inspired it. Father, may we approach your book this morning, not as judges, not as arbiters, not as experts. But Father, may we approach it as students with teachable hearts, ready to learn, ready to yield. Grant to us, we pray, for Christ's sake, not only the intellectual capacity to read with understanding the words on the pages before us, that grant to us the wisdom of heart. To find ourselves here. To hear your voice, the voice of the shepherd. And father, to apply these truths to our lives today. All this we ask in Jesus name, Amen. As I contemplate the task before us this morning, It seems to me that we must we must be aware of at least two things if we are to fully appreciate the passage that is before us this morning. First of all, we need to have an awareness of the larger context of the book of Second Samuel if we are to appreciate the preciousness of the truths that God has deposited in these verses. This is a remarkable passage for a number of reasons, particularly considering where it falls within the biography of King David as laid out for us in the book of Second Samuel. Only two chapters ago in Second Samuel, chapter seven, David is the recipient of a glorious promise from God. God vows to do David good, to do his house good by establishing on the throne one of David's descendants into perpetuity. In Second Samuel, chapter seven. And beginning about halfway through verse eight, we read the words of this promise, thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheep coat from following the sheep. To be ruler over my people, over Israel. And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and I have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people, Israel, and will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more. Neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore as before time. And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people, Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies, also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seat after thee. which shall proceed out of my bowels and I will establish his kingdom and he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he shall be my son, if he committed iniquity, I will chase him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men, but my mercy shall not depart away from him. As I took it from Saul, whom I put away before the. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee. Thy throne shall be established forever. And then in the following chapter, we have confirmation, immediate, tangible confirmation of God's faithfulness to his promise to David here. As David, the great military monarch, the great king commander, leads his armies to vanquish the Philistines, the Moabites and the Syrians. And in chapter eight and verse 15, after accomplishing these great military heroics by the aid of the spirit and the providence of God. In verse 15, we read this summary statement and David reigned over all Israel. And David executed judgment and justice among all his people. Now, with this context in mind, we look at the opening words of our passage this morning and we see David behaving in a manner that is very uncharacteristic of ancient Near Eastern monarchs. In the ancient Near East, when one house replaced another, When one king ascended to the throne in the place of the previous monarch, one of the first tasks at hand was to make sure that his throne would not be threatened by members of the former house, family members of the previous king who might rise up and claim to have a right to the throne instead of the monarch that was presently reigning. So typically there would be A great bloodshed following the establishment of a new royal house in the ancient world. But as we see from David's words here in 2 Samuel chapter 9 and verse 1, that's not at all his concern. And once again, David demonstrates himself to be a man of faith. He's received a promise from God that God's going to establish his house. And David, as a man after God's own heart, does not feel the need to then take the sword in hand and accomplish God's work for him. Instead, he does something quite remarkable. He asks, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? We must see this morning that not only is David's behavior uncharacteristic, but it is gracious. Because the house of Saul was a disgraced house. The house of Saul was a blight and a blemish upon the history of the young nation of Israel. Bible students know that Saul was the first king of the United Kingdom of Israel. the children of Israel looking round about them and seeing enemies on their left and on their right. Ask of Samuel, then the spiritual leader of God's people, to anoint for them, to appoint for them a king like the kings of the nations round about them, to lead them forth in battle so that they might be as successful in military conquest as their pagan neighbors. Of course, this grieves the prophet judge, and God tells him, don't take this personally. It's not you they're rejecting. They're rejecting me. And God gives them their request. He gives them a king, like the kings of the nations round about them. Saul, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite, handsome to look upon, formidable of stature. Were Saul to enter our auditorium this morning, he would have indeed a keenly bearing. He'd have all the qualities of leadership stamped upon him. But although Saul had great outward promise, inwardly, he had a wayward heart. Inwardly, he was a man of unbelief. And because of his disobedience, God grieved, regretted making him king and vowed to take the kingdom from him and give him to one who was better than him. That one, of course, was David. And the careers of Saul and David run parallel, one in declension, one in ascendancy. Until finally, at the At the end of Saul's sad career, estranged from God, he seeks counsel from the witch of Endor. He turns to pagan soothsaying to get a word of comfort, a word of guidance. So estranged is he from God. If we turn to the end of 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel chapter 31, we read there of Saul's disgraceful demise. In First Samuel 31, we see laid out before us there the scene of the armies of Israel locked in combat with their perennial enemies, the Philistines. And we read in First Samuel 31 in verse one, Now the Philistines fought against Israel and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons, and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abinadab and Melchishua, Saul's sons. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was sore wounded at the archers. Then said Saul unto his armor bearer, Draw thy sword and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his armor bearer would not, for he was so afraid. Therefore, Saul took a sword and fell upon it. And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him. So Saul died and his three sons and his armor bearer and all his men that same day together. And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley And they that were on the other side Jordan saw the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled. And the Philistines came and dwelt in them, and it came to pass on the morrow when the Philistines came to strip the slain that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in Mount Gilboa. And they stripped and they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent into the land of the Philistines roundabout to publish it in the house of their idols and among the people. And they put his armor in the house of Ashtoreth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. What a disgraceful end for one whose career began with such promise. So when we turn back to Second Samuel, chapter nine, and we read there in verse one of the remarkable kindness that David aspires to show to one of the house of Saul, if there be yet one living. David is unsure. We see that his desire to bless is based certainly not upon any worth or any merit. In the house of Saul. The memory of that house was a plague upon Israel. But as we look further into this first verse, we see that not only is David's initiative to bless uncharacteristic and gracious, it's also motivated by love. And love for one in particular. Within the fallen disgraced. House of Saul. Again, David's words from Second Samuel nine in verse one, is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? Now, those of you who have studied the books of Samuel, remember that Jonathan, we read of his demise at the end of first Samuel just a moment ago. Jonathan, the son of Saul, was especially close to young David. In First Samuel, chapter 18. After the defeat of the Philistine giant Goliath. At the hands of young David. Saul, eager to inquire as to the identity of this one who had accomplished such a remarkable feat. Asks David in first Samuel 17 and verse 58, the last verse of the chapter. Saul said to him, whose son art thou now, young man? And David answered, I am the son of my servant, Jesse, the Bethlehemite. And notice the words of chapter 18 in verse one, and it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking Under Saul, 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, him being David, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. And 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. Jonathan and David, because of the love that they share for one another. This this godly, brotherly love. That unites them heart to heart, soul to soul. They enter into a covenant with one another, and we read again of this covenant in the 20th chapter. A second, excuse me, a first Samuel. Thereafter. Jonathan recommits himself. To David's good, to David's welfare, he tells David, I'll talk to my father about you, and if his feelings towards you are negative, I'll warn you, I'll let you know. So that you might not suffer his wrath if he is graciously bestowed towards you. I'll let you know that that you might benefit from his kindly disposition towards you. But in whatever case. I'm committed to doing you good and in verse 14. Of first Samuel 20. We read further the words of Jonathan and thou shalt not only while yet I live, show me the kindness of the Lord that I die not. But also, thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house forever. No, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David, every one from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it. at the hand of David's enemies. So once again, Jonathan and David commit themselves to this covenant relationship. It's a love that transcends mere emotion, mere sentimentality. It's a love that manifests itself in a covenant arrangement, a covenant agreement between these two men. And, you know, I suspect that Jonathan Given his his godly character as exemplified in the pages of Scripture. That Jonathan loves David not simply because their personalities match. Not simply because their soul mates. Not for the modeling sentimental reasons that we often feel kinship one to another. But I suspect that Jonathan loves David, because Jonathan, first of all, loves God and Jonathan recognizes that God loves David and favors David in a way that God does not favor his father. And in a remarkable demonstration of allegiance to God above all other allegiances. Jonathan pledges himself to this one that is a man after God's own heart. Reminds us of the words of our Lord in the Gospels. Where he lays down the baseline requirement for discipleship. To paraphrase our Lord, if any would come after me. Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. And if one would be a follower of Christ, our Lord goes on to tell us. He must hate father. He must hate mother. He must hate brother and sister. He must hate children, even his own life. Or else he's not worthy of me, our Lord says. Our commitment to Christ must be of such a caliber that all other affections, all other loyalties appear to be hatred. By comparison, such was Jonathan's esteem for David. It trumped his relationship with his father. So they enter into covenant one with another, so David's desire to bestow blessing here in Second Samuel, chapter nine and verse one is not only uncharacteristic, it's not only gracious. But it's a reflection of covenant love between himself and the now deceased Jonathan. If we're to fully appreciate the passage that is before us, not only must we have an awareness of the larger context and we just barely scratched the surface here this morning, but we must also recognize how this passage is A unique illustration. I'm going to I'm going to hesitate from calling it a type. I'll tell you why in a moment. We must recognize that it is a unique illustration. Of the blessing that we receive, the redemptive blessings that we receive from God, the father. For the sake of another. His son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I don't believe we have typology in this passage because nowhere in Scripture is this chapter alluded to and described as a type. But certainly, I think we could all agree that there are tremendous parallels between what transpires here in this relationship between David and Mephibosheth. And what those of us who enjoy a genuine relationship with God, have experienced and continue to experience through and because of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we're going to pursue this passage for the time that is left to us this morning with that consideration foremost in our mind. How does 2 Samuel chapter 9 foster a deeper appreciation within us for the gracious blessings of redemption that are ours for the sake of another? Not because of anything in us. And here we'll see that Mephibosheth certainly is an apt candidate for the fallen everyman. He certainly is an apt stand in. For all of us dead in our father, Adam, dead in trespasses and sins, estranged from God, estranged from the blessings of redemption. And David here in taking the initiative to bless, to favor, to show to show kindness and goodness, is an apt. Representative of God. He is acting like God and and. Can we use the language in verse three when speaking of his blessing that he desires to bestow upon one of the house of Saul? You'll describe that as the kindness of God. Now, some would say, well, that's simply hyperbole. Well, It may be to a certain extent. But David certainly knowing the grace of God, knowing the kindness of God, remember God's glorious promise to him back in chapter seven. And perhaps. God's demonstration of kindness toward David motivates him to go and do likewise. David knows he's undeserving of the great privilege that God is bestowing upon him to establish his house forever. We know the immediate fulfillment of that promise is in the person of his son Solomon. The ultimate fulfillment of that promise is in the greater Solomon, the Lord Jesus Christ. So David here is acting like God in taking the initiative To bless, so he is looking for one. Of this. Fallen disgraced House of Saul. That he might show kindness to for Jonathan's sake. And in verse two, we read that his quest was successful and there was one of the House of Saul, a servant whose name was Zeebot. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, I serve it is him. Now, this is more than simply an exchange of pleasantries on the part of Ziba. There's been a shift of power in the kingdom, Saul's no longer on the throne. David has now taken his place and all that belonged to Saul previously. Now, according to the rules and rights of royal ascendancy belong to David. So when Ziva says, I'm your servant. He knows the reality of that. That's more than simply a pleasantry on his part. Some of our translations render that something to the effect of at your service. I think that's unfortunate because we lose, you know, we lose the effect here. We lose Ziba's admission that I once belong to Saul and now I belong to you, David, because you're now king. In verse three, David inquires, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. Now we know since we've read this chapter together this morning that Jonathan's son is named Mephibosheth. I think it's remarkable in the way that this inspired account develops that Mephibosheth is not named until verse 6. He's simply described as this lame son of Jonathan. And if we turn back a few chapters to 2 Samuel 4. We'll read there of the of the cause of his disability. The cause of his handicap. Second, Samuel four and verse one, and when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble and all the Israelites were troubled. And Saul's son had two men that were captains of the bands, the name of the one was Ba'anah and the name of the other was Rechab, the sons of Reman, a Berethite of the children of Benjamin, for Beroth also was reckoned to Benjamin. And the Berethites fled to Gethaim and were sojourners there until this day. And here in verse four, we come to the pertinent section of this passage. And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame in his feet when he was five years old, when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel and his nurse took him up and fled. It came to pass as she made haste to flee that he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. So Ziba relates to David in Second Samuel nine, that indeed, there is one yet living of the house of Saul. He is indeed Jonathan's son. And he's lame in both of his feet, and we see from Second Samuel four that he's lame because of a fall. Again, Mephibosheth here is such an apt representative. of every one of us in Adam ourselves spiritually lame because of a fall spiritually lame because we fell in him when he sinned, we sinned. And each one of us by nature emerged from the womb and enter into the light of this world. As Apostle Paul will tell us in Ephesians chapter two, dead in trespasses and in sins, children of wrath, even as the rest. David desires to know where this lame son of Jonathan is to be found in verse four, we read in the king said unto him, where is he? And Ziba said of the king, behold, he is in the house of Makir. The son of Amiel in Lodivar. So here we have a son of a disgraced house, lame because of fall, living in a place called Lodivar. Now, Debar in Hebrew is a common word, it means a thing, a matter, sometimes oftentimes translated simply as word. And Lo is the negative particle in Hebrew, it means not or no. So Lodibar literally translates no thing. I get the picture here. We have a descendant of a disgraced house, lame because of a fall, living in a place of nothing. Living in a place of nothingness. Now, again, approaching 2 Samuel 9 as an illustration of the of the gracious transaction whereby we were translated from death to life in Christ. We're taught elsewhere in Scripture that outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, outside of the life that comes only through his crosswork. We are men and women of nothing. And although while enslaved to our sin, while while living in the lusts and pleasures of the flesh, we may believe ourselves to be riding high on top of the world in reality, from the perspective of heaven, from the perspective of eternity. We are vile. We are spiritually and morally bankrupt. We are helpless, we are feeble, we're in worse shape than Bathsheba. He's simply lame in his feet. We're lame entirely, spiritually speaking, from from the top of our heads to the soles of our feet. Reminds me of the words of. That we find in the book of Job, one of the shortest chapters in the Bible, Job, chapter twenty five. And there, one of Job's friends, Bildad the Shuhite, reflects upon the native moral and spiritual condition of man. In Job 25 and verse 1, we read, Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said, Dominion and fear are with him, and he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies and upon whom does not his light arise? How then can man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of woman behold, even to the moon? And it shineth not, yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man that is a worm. and the son of man, which is a worm." Now, Job's friends were often wrong, but in this instance, Bill Nye the Shuhite is absolutely correct. Man in his fallenness, man in his sinfulness, as compared to the righteousness and holiness of God, is a worm, is a maggot, And friends, that's that's not simply a case of excessive self-loathing. Build at the shoe heights, estimation of of humankind is not simply the product of. Clinically low self-esteem. When we know ourselves as we truly are compared to the God who created us. We can reach no other conclusion. Than the one reached by building. And rather than it being a pathology, rather than it being something that needs to be cured through intensive psychological analysis or medication. The man or the woman who recognizes his or her true state outside of Christ. has begun the path, has begun traveling the path to true spiritual freedom, to true spiritual liberation. Back to 2 Samuel 9. So David hears of this one, this son of Jonathan, lame in both his feet, living in loaded bar, this place of nothing, this place of deprivation. And so, according to verse five, then King David knows his status is emphasized here again, emphasizing the graciousness of this act. The uncharacteristic nature of this act, King David. Sent and fetched him out of the house of Makir, the son of Amiel from Lodibar, I like this older English word fetched. You still hear it used occasionally. In colloquial speech, you know, fetch me this, fetch me that conjures up conjures up the image of a child playing fetch with the family dog. And typically, a child is using a stick and throwing the stick, and the dog eagerly runs and grabs the stick and brings the stick back. What part in that game? Did did the stick play? What what contribution did the stick make to that game? Well, of course, nothing at all. It's entirely passive in the process. Mephibosheth as a representative of the fallen, every man. is is entirely passive in this process of being of being brought from a place of nothing into the presence of the king. He's lame in both his feet. He can't make the trip himself. Someone must go and get him and bring him. And so it is with us when we're brought to faith in Christ, we are fetched, so to speak, by the spirit of God. We are arrested like the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. And we are irresistibly drawn. We are we are lovingly wooed. Into the gracious presence of a redeeming heavenly father. So if a chef is is fetched from this place of nothing blame, he must be carried. He can't make the trip himself. And brought into the. Presence of this of this kind monarch, For the first time in verse six, Mephibosheth is named. Now, when Mephibosheth and look how he's described here, the son of Jonathan, oh, David's covenant love. David's covenant love with thank you. With Jonathan is emphasized here, the very reason that Mephibosheth is enjoying this blessing. He's the son of Jonathan, the one with whom David has the covenant, but he's also described as the son of Saul, reminding us of his disgraced family tree, of where he came from, of why he was in Lodibar. And Mephibosheth literally, as so many Hebrew names, it communicates a message, it carries a story with it. And Mephibosheth translates as destroying shame. And truly outside of Christ. We are born and if we remain outside of Christ, we we die in the grips of destroying shame. The shame of our sin, the penalty of our transgression against God, the violence and wickedness of our enmity toward the God who created us. And is justly worthy of our worship and our devotion. And notice the exchange that takes place here is as Mephibosheth finally enters into the presence of this this king who is Determined to do him good. Since when he was coming to David, he fell on his face and did reverence, he assumes a posture of humility. And David said, he says one word, he calls his name, David said, my favorite chef again translated, destroying shame. David says to him, man of shame. And how does Mephibosheth respond? Behold, thy servant. And again, if we're looking at this chapter as an illustration of the spiritual pilgrimage that each of us in Christ takes as we're translated from death into life. We realize that in the initial throes of spiritual awakening. The first thing we recognize. And it's essential that we recognize this. The first thing we recognize is our shame, our sin, how we are deserving of condemnation, how we are. We are worthy. Of the punishment. That a just God would and must meet out upon our heads because of our sin. But just like Mephibosheth, we recognize that that God is well within His rights to do exactly that. And so we prostrate ourselves before Him. We offer ourselves to Him as servants. I am a sinner. As Peter would say to Jesus in Luke chapter four, away from me, I am a sinful man, depart from me. But in verse seven, the kind and comforting words of David, issue four to Mephibosheth. And David said to him, fear not. You see, when we come to an awareness of our sin and we cast ourselves upon upon the mercy of the God who made us and would be just to condemn us because of our sins. The scripture tells us that a broken and contrite heart. He will never refuse. When we cast ourselves upon his mercy, we hear the words that Mephibosheth heard, fear not, fear not. Why? For I will surely show the kindness for Jonathan, thy father's sake. Notice the determination of David here to bless Mephibosheth. He's used all of the the resources at his disposal as the king of Israel to go in and fetch Mephibosheth. From Lodibar, he's determined to bless him, fear not. Don't worry. Don't be don't be doubtful of my intentions towards you. I will surely bless you. I intend to bless you. I'm determined to bless you again, not because of any merit in you, not because there's anything in you that has called for. This blessing from me. But I will surely show the kindness for Jonathan, my father's sake. God, the father. is determined to bless those of us who are objects of His electing love. He is determined to bless us, again, not for our sake, but for the sake of another, for the sake of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Theologians describe A transaction that took place between the members of the Triune Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They speak of a transaction, an agreement, an arrangement that was reached in eternity past. That is described variously as the covenant of peace, the everlasting covenant, the covenant of redemption. And we find in the New Testament allusion to this redemptive agreement, this redemptive covenant. That was struck between the members of the Godhead in John, chapter six. First passage that comes to mind. You know, a passage is no doubt familiar to this congregation. John, 635. We read the words of Jesus, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you. That you also have seen me and believe not, and I watch first thirty seven. All that the father giveth me shall come to me. In him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me, and this is the will This is the father's will, rather, which hath sent me. That of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing. But you raise it up again at the last day, and this is the will of him that sent me that everyone which seeeth the sun and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day in this passage, we find reference to. The father's will. This is the father's purpose, the father's plan. And in the execution of that will. A certain number of individuals are given to the Lord Jesus Christ. And in submission and obedience to that will, to that plan. The son then comes via the incarnation is born into the world of the womb of the Virgin Mary. lives a sinless life and offers himself as a substitutionary atoning sacrifice on the cross in order to make that planned salvation a reality. This is the covenant, this is the this is the redemptive agreement struck between father and son, and the role of the Holy Spirit, of course, is is to administer the merits of Christ's cross work into to my life, into my heart, into your life and your heart, if you're a recipient of the of the grace of God. in accordance with God's specific redemptive timetable for you and me. This is that's that's that's the basic outline of the. Covenant of redemption. If you look in Romans, chapter eight. The father's absolute determination To do us good in Christ, to make good on the terms of this covenant is an explanation for Paul's absolute confidence at the end of Romans eight. That not one for whom Christ died would ever be in danger. Of hellfire. In Romans eight thirty one, Paul writes, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect, it is God that justifies who is he that condemned? It is Christ that died, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall persecution or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is covenant language. This in Christ language is covenant language. We've been given to him. We belong to him. We're his property. And because of that commitment of the Father to bless those who are in Christ for the son's sake, Hawkins State with absolute confidence, nothing. Nothing past, nothing present, nothing to come will be able to separate us from that electing love. We could look at other passages, time will not allow us to do that, so let's go back to 2 Samuel 9, let me pick up the pace. Again, the words of David in verse seven, fear not, for I will surely show the kindness for Jonathan, my father's sake and will restore the all the land of Saul, my father, and thou shalt eat continually at my bread at my table continually. He bowed himself and said, What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am? If you are a genuine recipient of the grace of God, if you have been born again by the Spirit of God, then the words of Mephibosheth, the personal assessment of Mephibosheth must be your assessment. I am unworthy of all that has been done for me. In Christ, I am entirely without claim to the blessings that are mine in Christ. When I compare myself in my sinfulness, in my love for this world or the pleasure of this world, when I consider my former hatred of God, the way I lived as an enemy of God, and I consider the gracious bounty that has been bestowed upon me in Christ. Then I must judge myself, a dead dog, totally unworthy of what God has done for me. I have given unto thy master's son all that pertain to Saul and to his house. Thou, therefore, and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him and thou shalt bring in the fruits that thy master's son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread always at my table. Now, Zeba had 15 sons and 20 servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, according to all that my lord, the king, hath commanded his servant. So shall my servant do, as for Mephibosheth saith the king, he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons. The kindness, the terms of the kindness that David is bestowing upon Mephibosheth is fleshed out for us here. And we see that the terms of this act of kindness have two basic aspects. First of all, Mephibosheth experiences a complete change of status. He goes from being the member of a disgraced and fallen house, living in a place of nothing. He is brought from that place of nothingness and deprivation and disgrace to the king's table, eating with the king as a son of the king. Sound familiar? In Adam, fallen, disgraced. We are worms, we are dead dogs, we are God's enemies. In Christ, made new creatures through the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus and the application of that work by the Holy Spirit. We're now sons and daughters of the King. The Spirit of God has been given to us that we might cry, Abba, Father. Mephibosheth enjoys a change of status, as do we in Christ. Secondly, notice the provision that is his again goes from a place of deprivation, Lodibar, nothing. To having Zeba and his sons and his servants till all of the land that once belonged to the house of Saul and all the proceeds of that agricultural effort belong to Mephibosheth. See, David didn't simply bring him as as a lame beggar into Jerusalem to to then leave him. To then leave him to his own devices, but he provides him with with provision and not sparse provision, not basic provision, but but ample provision. David's generosity here is luxurious. And so in Christ, we're not simply given the grace of justification, but we're given the grace of sanctification. The same grace that justifies you works within you to sanctify you. And all of the resources of heaven are yours and mine in Christ. Quickly, look at Ephesians chapter one with me, we're going to look at one verse there. Ephesians chapter one and verse three. Here are the words of the Apostle Paul, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. How many of the resources of the Heavenly Father are at your disposal and my disposal this morning? All things are ours in Christ. Every spiritual blessing has been gifted to our account. We, like Mephibosheth, have gone from being spiritually bankrupt, destitute, beggarly, We've gone to being sons of the king, eating bread at the king's table continually and enjoying luxurious, a luxurious spiritual inheritance in Christ. The blessings that we receive in Christ also were down to those around us. I wish I had more time to develop this point. I don't. So let me simply point out the words of verse 12. And Lefebvre had a young son whose name was Micah. Fathers, mothers. Grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles. As you are blessed in Christ, as you are Translated and transported from Lodibar to Jerusalem as you go from deprivation to dining at the king's table is one of the king's sons. Those around you benefit from that blessing and should be able to recognize it in your life. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziva were servants unto Mephibosheth. So verse 13, concluding verse, so Mephibosheth dwelt In Jerusalem, no longer in Lodibar, he's in the royal city. I can't help but think of Revelation 21. And the description of the new Jerusalem, the city of God, descending out of heaven from God with all of its opulence, with all of its luxury, with all of its blessing. That's our home now in Christ. Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he did eat continually at the king's table. But then notice how this chapter ends. It was lame on both his feet. Mephibosheth continues to bear the marks of his shame. Although he has enjoyed a remarkable change of status, although he's gone from being destitute to being the recipient of of kingly provision. He remains lame at both his feet. The Apostle Paul could say at the end of his ministry, he was the chief of sinners. The Apostle Paul in Romans seven and in Galatians five can describe the agonizing condition of a child of God where we were in constant warfare with the flesh, that which we would like to do, we don't do, and that which we that which we hate, we do. Why? Because we continue to bear In us and upon us, the marks of our shame, we continue to carry with us the vestiges of our sin. The Bible does not teach perfectionism in this life. The Bible does not teach instantaneous entire sanctification in this life. The Bible rather teaches that while positionally you are as righteous as Christ is, I wish I had another hour to develop that yet experientially. You wrestle with sin your entire life, and the more you grow in grace, the more acutely aware you are that you are lame in both your feet. The more acutely aware you are that the old man is locked in never ending mortal combat with you and you must daily crucify him with his lusts and passions. Oh, the glorious blessings that are ours in Christ. Oh, what God has done for us for the sake of another. And perhaps there's no more fitting way to end this sermon than by simply turning to the Psalms, turning to Psalm 23. And reading that precious portion of Scripture. With the awareness of all that we have considered in Second Samuel nine fresh in our minds. Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely, notice that word, surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Let us pray. Gracious God, indelibly inscribed the truth of this passage upon the hearts of your people here this morning. Father, if we have not yet this day been moved to worship you. May our study this morning. Propel us to our knees, spiritually speaking. To offer hosannas of praise to you, to cry unto you as Abba Father, If there is still yet one here this morning living in Lodibar, living in shame and disgrace and deprivation, I pray, Father, that you would apply the truth of your word to that heart, that you would awaken that individual to his or her sin. Point him or her to Christ. Birth in that heart faith and life so that another worshipper can be added to the throng here this morning. All this we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.