As you're turning there, I just
wanna be thankful to my God for, you know, Donnie asking me. I
do appreciate it. I don't deserve to be up here
to do this, but he deserves to be proclaimed. I do send greetings
from Sovereign Grace Chapel in Crow West, Virginia, close to
Beckley. I think some of you even know where it's at. But
my pastor there is Walker Pendleton, who happens to be my brother. Three of us preach there every
Sunday, so I am thankful for that, that I get to do that,
that they give me that opportunity. So I do appreciate them, and
I appreciate the assembly there who support me and encourage
me. And I appreciate my wife, too. She has to deal with things that
other people don't see. My title today is Dead Dogs,
the King's Son. So let's read 2 Samuel 9, and
I'm just gonna read the first three verses for now. 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 Ziba. 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 yet a son which is lain on his feet. Here in Chapter nine, this is
a time when David has been made king of Israel.
There are a lot of things that have passed through since David
was a shepherd, tending his father's sheep. He, of course, defeated
Goliath with the weapon of a shepherd, using a sling and five smooth
stones. Saul was the king at that time.
And David began to be involved with the king and his son, Jonathan. We know from the account that
Saul came to despise David. We read here in verse 1 and 3
of 2 Samuel 9 where David the king wants to show kindness to
someone of the family of Saul for Jonathan's sake. We read
of this knitting together of David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel
18. And if you would turn back there
with me real quick, keep your place there. 1 Samuel 18. And we'll read of this account.
1 Samuel 18, one through four. 1 Samuel 18, one through four.
And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto
Saul, that the Saul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.
And Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that
day and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then
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."
We see here that Jonathan and David's soul were knit together,
it says. There was a covenant made between
David and Jonathan, this being a type of God the Father and
the Son. There in 1 Samuel 18, we see
that Jonathan gave all of all. It says, Jonathan stripped himself
of his robe and gave David his garments, and that is his royal
garments, and also his sword, bow, and girdle. Christ left
all his glory and splendor and came down to this earth being
made a little lower than the angels, being made in the likeness
of sinful flesh. Not simple flesh, but in the
likeness of it. That is what we see a picture
of there when we are talking about Jonathan and David. They
loved one another, and no one would mess with them without
the other one being involved. Now, who were the ones that they
were going to have kindness shown to them? Who were those? The
posterity of Jonathan. Verse 3 says, Jonathan hath yet
a son. And if you would, turn to 1 Samuel
20. Let's read more about this account
of Jonathan and David. 1 Samuel 20, verses 14 through
17. 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. And
Jonathan calls David to swear again because he loved him, for
he loved him as he loved his own soul. The father and the son made a
covenant. We're talking about the elect.
was just read to us, that elect, Jesus Christ, the Father and
Son, made a covenant, and this covenant included a people who
were chosen in the Son. This choosing had nothing to
do with the ones being chosen, that is, for what they would
do or not do. This covenant was simply because
of the love David had with Jonathan. Jonathan's offspring would benefit
from this covenant. We see here that Jonathan is
now gone. He has died. For the things that
are taking place now, Jonathan had to die. And I want to go
through today three things. The covenant, number one. Number
two, who is the family? And number three, what blessing
do Jonathan's posterity enjoy in spite of themselves? So number
one, the covenant. We know we have read the covenant
spoken of here as between Jonathan and David, but we know this typification
is of a greater covenant made between God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Ghost. We see specifically God the Father
and God the Son here in 2 Samuel. This is a type, so it's a shadow,
so we will not see all the details here in this type. This is something
that really actually happened. It is a real account that happened
between these two. But when you see a shadow and
a type, it's a shadow. You're only going to see the
outline of it. And I know you know this, but I just wanted
to mention that. We read of this covenant being revealed to us
first in Genesis, Genesis 3.15. And I will put enmity between
thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall
bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. This covenant
we are talking about tells us Christ had to die. In doing so,
he would totally destroy the enemy, Satan. He would bruise,
that is, crush Satan's head, killing him and destroying him.
In doing this, his heel would be bruised. He would have to
die, the just for the unjust. He would have to be made a curse
and sin for those he would die for. Remember, Christ gave up
all. He gave up all his glory to do
the will of the Father. Remember Jonathan giving up his
robe? He was made a little lower than
the angels. He was made like unto sinful
flesh, but only likened to it. He was not made it. He was without
sin. This he did to redeem them that
were under the law, the scripture says in Galatians 4.4. But when
the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made
of a woman, made under the law. This covenant made of the three
in one, we see in scripture culminating in this, in John 19, you don't
have to turn there, John 19, 28 through 30. After this, Jesus,
knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full
of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon
Hyssop, and put it to his mouth, When Jesus therefore had received
the vinegar, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. The depths of mercy that we find
in that right there. Mercy comes to us when the wrath
of God is poured out on him in our state. I'm glad there was a covenant
between Jonathan and David, aren't you? A covenant between the three
in one as we know it typifies. So what else do we see as a part
of this covenant? There was a family promised to
Christ. There were people who were given
to Christ as a chosen people for his name. And that's for
his namesake and his honor and glory. Because of what He did
for the Father, He came to do the Father's will. Let's turn
over to Ephesians 1 real quick. I know you are very familiar
with this, but Ephesians 1. Let's go over there and look
at that. Ephesians 1, 1 through 4. Ephesians 1, 1 through 4. Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints
which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus,
grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the
Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. according to as he
hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Who are they that he did this
for? What can we learn about this
family of God? So number two, who is the family?
What description do we have of those who are the family of Jonathan?
They had a fall. This fall was due to another.
Their condition, although it was not from their actions, it
was from the action of another, but it left them lame. In 2 Samuel
4, we read, and Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame
on his feet. He was five years old when tidings
came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel. And his nurse took
him up and fled. And it came to pass as she made
haste to flee that he fell and became lame. And his name was
Mephibosheth. This fall left him helpless.
He is lame on both his feet. There is no chance he will take
another step. He stopped in his tracks. Now
we know this is a typification of a man or a woman's spiritual
state. Is this not where God finds us?
Is this not where God finds us in this spiritual state of lameness? We are helpless to do anything
for ourselves, but the worst thing about it is we're not even
looking for help. We need help, but we don't even
know. What was the extent of this fall? Or where did this
fall put him? Is there anything about this
person's surroundings that might help them? Back in our text in
2 Samuel 9 verse four. And the king said unto him, where
is he? And Ziba said unto the king,
behold, he is in the house of Maker, the son of Amiel in Lodabar. Maker, to sell into slavery. Lodivar, pastoralist, no bread. Because of this fall, they are
sold into slavery, slaves to the Mosaic law, that law that
is holy, just, and good. Slave to it, but never being
able to achieve its demands. They find themselves in a place
of no bread. They have no life, no righteousness. They have no food that they might
live. The scripture says that all have sinned and come short
of the glory of God, but not everyone is found there. There
are only some who are found in such a place. This is where God's people are
found. All of us will find ourselves to be in this place when God
moves toward us because they are the son of Amul. Amul means
the people of God. God's people come to know that
they come from a place of no bread, a place where they're
sold into slavery, sold under sin. Romans 7, 14 we read, for
we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. You cannot get away from this
on your own. We have no power, we have no life. But as we see
here, there is a blessing to come to those in such a state.
They do not have to stay there, but they cannot get out of there
on their own. This is only for those who are of the posterity
of Jonathan, his family. There is a people who are the
posterity of Jesus Christ. We are the family of God because
of what he has done. This is part of the covenant
made. What are we told that we are? We are told in scriptures
we are enemies of God. We are ungodly people. We are
the children of wrath, even as others. We hate the one who loved
us with an everlasting love, who actually bled and died to
pay for my wrath against him, my ungodliness, while I was yet
an enemy against him. This is what scripture calls
a sinner. A sinner is hard to find. But
that is the type of people that his family are. Those who have
sinned against a holy, just God. So what blessing do we see from
this covenant despite of what we are? The ones who are hungry
before they even know it. They need something to eat. They
just may not know it yet. We become accustomed to our poverty
so that we do not even recognize that we are poor. Not everyone
is a sinner. There are some who fit this description,
but not all fit this description. Just ask them. Those who have
a near of kin who is God himself. They are the ones who are of
this type of people, just as God says they are. But this is
a son of Jonathan, verse three, 2 Samuel 9. 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 yet a son which is lame on his feet. They know
they are poor and in need of everything. They have nothing
to offer God. And the worst part about it,
they are not even looking for God. There is none that seeketh
after God is what we read in Romans. But even though we as
God's people are sinners of the deepest dye, God has been pleased
to bless us in his son. There are certainly blessings
to come, that is when this old body will put this old body down.
But he's been pleased that it's not just to be then. But we have
blessing now. If we do not have blessing now,
we will not have blessing then. So number three, what blessing
do Jonathan's posterity enjoy in spite of themselves? So where
do we see this blessing as it relates to the account we are
reading? We are given all things in Christ, all heavenly blessings,
the scripture says, but specifically, what is typified here? The king
sends a servant out. This servant is to go where Mephibosheth
is. Does David tell the servant,
tell him to repeat these words after me? What good would repeating
words do for him? It would not get him out of the
place where he is. He has no bread, it would not
fill him. That's not what the servant was told. Does he tell
the servant to ask him if he will accept the king as his personal
savior? He's a lame beggar. He's going
to accept or reject a king? This is not what the servant
was told. But what about this one? Does he tell the servant
to take the first step and the king will meet him there? He's
lame on both his feet. What good would it do to tell
him to take a step? How many could he take? Not one. And we read that in verse 3.
He's lame on both his feet. This is what the world tells
us to do to their false God. The God we serve needs nothing
from us. What do we read here? Spiritually
speaking, we are lame on both our feet. We are deaf in both
our ears. We are blind in both our eyes.
Our hands are withered. Our heart is deceitful above
all things. And we can't even know how wicked
it is. How are we going to take a step
forward to the King of Glory? We are totally dead, unable to
help ourselves. But the king does not ask the
servant to ask or say anything to Mephibosheth. What does he
say? Go get him. Verse five of 2 Samuel
9. Then King David sent and fetched
him out of the house of Maker, the son of Amul from Lodabar. To take, that's what that word
fetched means. And it's derived from a word,
it's to take to himself. He comes and takes us out of
our helpless estate by his power, by his will, all because of Jesus
Christ and what he did. What does he tell us in John
10, 27? My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me. He calls us by name, and when
He does, we recognize it. Unless He moves on us, we will
never move to Him. John 6, 44, we read, no man can
come to me except the Father which has sent me. Draw him,
and I will raise him up at the last day. That word, draw. I've heard this analogy, if you
will, long ago, long ago, but it's this word draw. It's like,
you know, the wells that they had back then, you know, there
was a hole in the ground with water. They had some kind of
apparatus with it where they had a, you know, I don't know,
a string or bucket. I don't know exactly how it was made or done,
but do you think people would come up to that hole and say,
come up on out of there, water? Did they do that? No, they put
the bucket down in there and they drawled it up. That's what
God does to us. He draws us to himself. God does
not leave it up to us to get to him. And I'm so thankful for
that. He draws us to himself and he
does it in such a way that we are willing to come. He woos
us in. He does this in love, that everlasting
love that we read about in scripture. He does this through the gospel
and by His Spirit. What are we told in John 6 concerning
those whom He loved from the foundation of the world, verses
39 and 40? And this is the Father's will
which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this
is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth
the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and
I will raise him up at the last day. So those who are his, those
chosen in him must believe that he is. Our Lord specifically
tells us that you must believe or you will die in your sins.
It says here that it, it being the people believing him, It
is the will of the Father that whoever seeth the Son will believe. It is His will to come get those
which have been given to the Son and show who He is, causing
us to believe in Him. He does not leave it up to us.
Luke 15. Turn over with me to Luke 15.
A very familiar parable that our Lord gave. Luke 15. Verses four through seven. Luke 15, verse four. What man
of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does
not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after
that which is lost until he find it? And when he hath found it,
he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh
home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying
unto them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which
was lost. I say unto you that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than
over 99 just persons which need no repentance. We see here in 2 Samuel 9, He
has done all the work, He does all the work, and He shall always
do all the work to bring me and keep me in Himself. But when He works those things
out and drawing one to Him, He will not cast them out. John
6.37 says, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. How is it
that these will come to him? Because as we've already heard,
he draws them to himself. He doesn't leave it up to us.
We do not have any power in and of ourselves to get to God, to
please God or to serve God. He must come and get us. I imagine
there are some who may not think it grace to come to know you
were sold under sin and without Christ in the world. But it is
very truth that only grace can bring you to this place. You
will not be saved until you are lost. But grace does not leave
you there. He sits you down to feast at
his table. He paid that debt of sin I owe,
that debt of the soul that sinneth, it shall die. This is something
that every one of God's posterity earned. The same God who we have
offended must die for his people. Sinners. He must die for those
who are ungodly and enemies of himself. Sinners. He did. Hebrews 9, 11, and 12 says, but
Christ being come in high priest of good things to come by greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered into once into the
holy place, having obtained eternal. That's what it means, perpetual,
eternal redemption for us. He did this, and in doing this,
he gave up all. He gave up his royal place so
that he might die a human death. He became a man. He was both
made of a woman and made under the law. This was no mere man. He wasn't like us fallen clay
pots. This was the Lord of glory, manifest
as a man. This is who redeemed them who
were under the law. Not only that, even though he
has come and died, but he has also risen again. In doing so,
we have life in him. Because of the redemption he
has wrought for us, we can now receive the adoption of sons. But here specifically in 2 Samuel
9 in this account, we see the king coming to get us. He is
coming to get us to let us know what he has done. and the results
of what he has done because of the covenant made with David
and Jonathan, father and son. We read in John 10, John 10,
turn over there with me to John 10. John 10 and verses 26 through
28. John 10 verses 26 through 28. But ye believe not, because ye
are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give
unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. Those who are born like everyone
else, That is, they are born lame on both their feet. They
are lame because of a fall, and this fall was a result of another. This was not a doing on their
part, but we are lame on both our feet nevertheless. These
who are lame will not come to him on their own. They cannot
because they are lame, but they do not even know the king that
they might look for him. They must have eyes for the king.
What do we read in scripture? Proverbs 20, 12. The hearing
ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. He comes to us in that time of
love, opening our eyes that we might see him. Him coming to
us and picking us up and putting us on his shoulders and brings
us home. We read in scripture all over
the place where God commands his people to do things they
cannot do on their own. But he in grace always gives
us what is needed to enable us to do these things. He works
in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Let's read
what we have in our text in 2 Samuel 9. Let's read verses five through
eight. Verses five through eight of 2 Samuel 9. Then King David sent and fetched
him out of the house of Maker, the son of Amnion, from Lodabar.
Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul,
was coming to David, he fell on his face and did reverence,
and David said, Mephibosheth? And he answered, Behold thy 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 thy servant that thou shouldest look
upon such a dead dog as I am? What happens when God comes to
us in love showing his kindness to us for Christ's sake? This
is something the religious world knows nothing about. What does
Mephibosheth do? He fell on his face and did reverence. Not only do we fall on our face,
we see what we are and we see who the king is. When we find
that our God, the Father, for Christ's sake, is going to take
care of us continually, do we then start thinking good about
ourselves? Do we start to think what we
can do for him? No, we acknowledge we are servants.
What else do we read? And this we read everywhere in
scripture. When God begins to show us who he is, what does
Mephibosheth do when he finds out about the kindness that is
being shown to him? He says, what is thy servant
that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? A dead
dog learns that the God of glory is going to restore everything
that was lost. That which was lost to Mephibosheth
will be restored by the king. Not for what Mephibosheth would
do, but simply for Jonathan's sake. I know I'm not worthy of
God Almighty showing me kindness. I'm worthy of condemnation. There
is still that part of me that hates God. Paula and I were just
talking yesterday or the day before about a title that someone
had, and this title is telling. Love God. Sometimes I hate God. This was the title. We know we
still have this old Adamic nature with us. One day it will be gone. But we still have this old Adamic
nature with us, and it hates God with every fiber. We are
told to deaden every member of it. But this new man, which is
a miracle of God, cries out unto him, what is thy servant that
thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? God's people
acknowledge that we are by nature dead dogs. But because of what
the son has done, he seats us at his table. What are we told
by the king? He shall eat at my table as one
of the king's sons. We read that in verse 11 of 2
Samuel 9. Then said Ziba unto the king,
according to all that my lord the king has 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. As
I said, we still have this old man and we need to deaden. And it will be so until we go
to, this will be this way until we go to be with the Lord, or
he returns. What do we read in the last verse of 2 Samuel? 2
Samuel 9, 13. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem,
for he did eat continually at the king's table, and was lame
on both his feet. We have been seated by Christ
at his table of bounty where we can feast at his table But
we still have this old man, which is as corrupt as it ever was
But our iniquities are covered We sit at his table of righteousness
and the king does not see that we are lame on both our feet
We are covered by him. So when the king sees us, he
does not see our iniquities He just sees us as sons of Jonathan,
sons of Jesus Christ. When he sees us, he sees Christ. We are dead dogs, but we are
sons of the king. He has given it to us to feast
at his table. When we hear his gospel, we eat
his body and drink his blood. I pray he continue to give me
his gospel so that I might be filled continually. dead dogs,
sons of the King. Amen. Thank you all for having
me. And I will see you tonight, and
if you want to look at 1 John 4 for tonight, I will be in 1
John 4.