ICS Daily Devotions
Overcome Evil with Good
2 Samuel 16:3-4 (NKJV) “Then the king said, ‘And where is your master’s son?’ And Ziba said to the king, ‘Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ’ So the king said to Ziba, ‘Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.’ And Ziba said, ‘I humbly bow before you, that I may find favour in your sight, my lord, O king!’”
When King David was crowned as the King of Israel, he deviated from the common practice of killing off all the descendants of his predecessor to safeguard against the possibility of future coups or treason. On the contrary, he went in search of King Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, and showed him favour by sending a chariot to bring him from Lo Debar to the palace. David restored to Mephibosheth all the land that once belonged to his grandfather King Saul and gave him the privilege of dining at his table. He extended grace to Mephibosheth because of his covenant with Jonathan.
In contrast, Mephibosheth’s actions were a disappointment to David during Absalom’s treasonous uprising against his father David. King David had the right to expect that Mephibosheth would honor the covenant which his father Jonathan had made with David and face the crisis together with him, as covenantal undertakings were considered unbreakable and to be honoured through the generations. However, when David left Jerusalem with his entourage to escape from Absalom, Mephibosheth did not leave Jerusalem with David; Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba claimed it was because Mephibosheth wanted to seize the opportunity to restore his grandfather King Saul’s kingdom. During a time of widespread revolt and uncertain loyalties, King David could have fretted over Mephibosheth’s perceived ingratitude and his failure to fulfil his covenant obligations. Instead, he chose to keep his peace.
2 Samuel 19:24 (NKJV) “Now Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace.”
Mephibosheth was in an unkempt state and deserted by his servant Ziba when King David returned victorious after defeating Absalom. Without corroborating with Ziba to confirm if Mephibosheth had been falsely slandered, King David extended grace to both Mephibosheth and his servant Ziba, who had earlier fled opportunistically with Mephibosheth’s goods. He showed what it meant to honor a covenant and kept his peace because his faith and confidence were in the Lord, rather than in man.
David was a trailblazer of his time. We can also be trailblazers of our time by being different. David stayed composed, focused, and resilient in the midst of adversity and the evil plotting of wicked men. You and I need to do the same, especially in regard to walking closely with God. We are to delight ourselves in the Lord, commit our ways to Him, trust in Him, and He shall bring to pass His good plans for us.
Sermon Series: Trailblazer
