2 Samuel, chapter 9. Our message today is seven sovereign
steps in a sinner's salvation. Seven sovereign steps in a sinner's
salvation. I use the term salvation in the
broadest sense Referring not to regeneration only, but to
all the work of God spanning from eternity to eternity. And it takes in all that the
work of God does. The prophet Jonah had it right.
You remember the story about him. In connection with this word
sovereign, seven sovereign steps. Remember when Jonah was trapped
deep in the sea, in the fish's belly? He knew
his own helpless and hopeless condition. He could do nothing
for himself. And he rightly stated these words
in Jonah 2.9, salvation is of the Lord. Not just from the Lord,
but of the Lord. He was saying, if there's any
help for me, if I ever get out of this mess,
it'll not be in anything I can profess or produce or perform
in myself. Salvation is of the Lord. Now, this story we read this
morning, it's about the mercy and kindness of King David toward
a helpless and hopeless descendant of King Saul. For those who may not know, many
of the Old Testament stories are in the Bible not just for
the sake of history, but to teach us the gospel. They all have
a a deeper meaning, a greater meaning, pointing to Christ and
the gospel of grace. And such is the story before
us this morning. And if you are one whom God has
quickened, has given you a new heart, you are God's child this
morning, these seven things will be precious to your heart and
will be reality in your heart. Seven things I wish to refer
to in this message. Seven sovereign steps in a sinner's
salvation. Number one in verse one, And David said, this is the first
thing the king spoke. The king spoke. First three words, And David
said. He didn't have to speak. He wasn't obligated, but the king spoke. He wasn't obligated to initiate
what he's about to initiate, but he does. David could have said, well,
if I'm ever faced with the situation, And I find out it's a relative
of Saul. I'll show kindness. But no, David
initiates it. He initiates it. Mephibosheth
was the grandson of the former king, Saul, rejected of God. And he's living
down in Lodabar, we read about, which means the house of no bread. Mephibosheth has no idea of ever
meeting King David. He does not and cannot initiate
any plan to ever come face-to-face with the king. But the king initiates
it. David initiates it. And the same
is true with us. Same is true with me, with you.
As part of Adam's fallen race, you and I did nothing and could
do nothing to initiate finding favor with God. Left to ourselves,
what would we do? We would live all our days and
we would die doing exactly what our father Adam did, running
to hide from God. not running to Him. And that's
what we all did and would have continued to do had not the Lord
initiated it and come to us. We were dead in trespasses and
in sins. We walked, Paul said, according
to the course of this world and would have lived and died in
that condition if God had left us alone. But God, but God, the
king spoke. How wonderful, how blessed that
he did. How blessed that he did. The
second thing still in verse one, the king substituted and I use
this word substituted. You remember Saul who had hated
David. And hunted him like a wild animal. And wanted to kill him. That
was an awful situation. But Saul had a son named Jonathan. Who loved David. And David loved
him. 1 Samuel 18 and 1 says that the
soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. And Jonathan
loved him as his own soul. Jonathan's father Saul hated
David. Jonathan loved David. Well, Saul
and his sons, including Jonathan, were killed, were slain in battle.
And now David is king. Historically, many times a king
upon ascending the throne would destroy every relative, every
friend of the previous monarch. It was to keep down any rebellion
or effort to overthrow the new government. Well, David didn't
do that. He didn't. Matter of fact, He
is thinking of his friend Jonathan, and he wishes to express in some
way his love for his friend Jonathan, even though Jonathan is dead
and gone. And so he makes a substitution. He is willing to express his
kindness to any remaining relative of his friend Jonathan, any remaining
descendant of the house of Saul. So he makes the substitution
here and he asks the question, is there yet any that is left
of the house of Saul? Doesn't matter what they are
or where they are, is there anyone left anywhere that I might show
him glory For Jonathan's sake. Not for that person's sake, but
for Jonathan's sake. David's purpose is fixed. Not to administer judgment, justice,
condemnation, but kindness. His mind and heart and his purpose
is fixed. to administer kindness to any
remaining relative he can find of the house of Saul. It matters
not what Mephibosheth looks like, acts like, or smells like. He is the object of David's mercy
and grace for Jonathan's sake, and he don't even know it. That
was my situation and yours in life. Christ from eternity had
been made our surety. We were placed in Christ by God's
grace. Chosen in Christ, Paul said,
for the foundation of the world. And for Christ's sake, God showed
mercy and kindness and grace to us. Now, about this man, Mephibosheth. I can remember a well-known preacher,
a very emotional, sentimentalist type that would emphasize this
little cripple boy, this little cripple boy. Well, Mephibosheth
is not a little cripple boy. Many years had passed. He was
only five years old when his nurse had fallen and dropped
him and he's crippled. That was when Saul and Jonathan,
his father, died. But years have passed. He is
now a grown man and he has a son that we read about in the text
here. So he's not a little cripple boy. He's a stinking, unshaven,
unbathed man that is worthless so far as work, labor. He's just a burden on society.
He's good for nothing, as some would say. But you see the grace,
the kindness of David is directed toward him, not for his sake,
but for Jonathan's sake. And the grace of God administered
to sinners like you and I this morning is for Christ's sake,
not for our sake, not for our sake. It's not that God sees
anything worth anything in me or in you. But all He does for
us is for Christ's sake. This is the gospel of His Son. The gospel of His Son, not the
gospel of good works, not the gospel of good citizens, not
the gospel of church member. It's the gospel of God's dear
Son. And all that He does for us,
He does for Christ's sake. Chosen in Christ. Nothing about
ourselves could ever win God's favor. Oh, no. He could never
love you outside of his son. Uh-uh. So much of today's religious
thrust leaves Christ's plum out of the picture. And they say,
oh, God loves you. Oh, he loves you so much. No, he loves his son. And except
God loves you in Christ, he don't love you at all. That's a fact. There's nothing about you that
God could love and still be God. So this grace, this kindness
of David is a substitutionary thing. His mercy and kindness
to Mephibosheth is for one reason, one reason only, it's for Jonathan's
sake. God's mercy to you is for Christ's
sake. It's nothing of you or about
you. It's for Christ's sake. Number
three, The king sent upon hearing that there
is a descendant. He sends for him. There was a
remaining servant here in the house of from the house of Saul
carried over into David's reign named Ziba. And this man knew Saul's family. And who was dead and who was
alive and he was able to answer the king's question. And he said
to King David, yes. There is one remaining of Saul's
house. Jonathan hath yet a son. Remember, David is willing to
extend kindness and mercy to any left of the house of Saul,
even a distant relative. Don't you know his heart must
have skipped a beat when he heard the name of his friend, Jonathan. Jonathan hath yet a son. Oh my! I can imagine maybe Ziba
said, but O king, wait a minute before you get too excited. He's got problems. He's lame on his feet. He can't walk. And not just one
foot, but both feet. I can imagine David saying, I
didn't ask you what kind of shape he's in. It doesn't matter. My interest in him requires nothing
in him. What I'm doing, I'm doing for
another's sake. So the king said, where is he? Ziba said, he's in the house
of Maker, the son of Amiel, down in Lodabar, house of no bread. Verse 5, Then King David sent. He sent. Many have said and preached
that Ziba is a type of the Holy Spirit sent to fetch God's elect
but it's just not so. Ziba hated every minute of this
and it'll come out in following chapters. He hated Mephibosheth
and that'll come out But the king is calling the shots. These
are sovereign steps. Ziba will have to do as he's
told. No man can forbid or hinder the king from carrying out his
purpose. So the king sent after Mephibosheth. And then number four, the king
summonsed Mephibosheth. to the palace. Mephibosheth will be coming to
the king's house. The king will see to it. Mephibosheth is not invited. He is summonsed. He is not asked to make a decision. He is summonsed. By the King's
authority, He's coming. It is an effectual call. It will
have the desired result. The King's Word, which goeth
forth out of His mouth, will not return void, but will accomplish
that purpose. It is given whatever it's sent
to accomplish. Number five, the king subdued
Mephibosheth. I can imagine when this royal
chariot or dispatch from the king shows up down in Lodabar. at the lowly home where Mephibosheth
lives. His heart must be full of fear. He don't know what this is all
about. May this be for questioning? But more likely, he thinks it's
for judgment. to put me to death just because
of who I am, what I am. I'm one who is part of a rejected
family. I am what I am as the result
of a fall. Lame on both his feet. He's a
nobody. He has nothing. His very existence
is worth nothing to the king or to anybody else. So he thinks,
and he's full of fear. I can imagine he rehearses his speech and he
plans it all out, what he's going to say. And maybe he thinks I'll fall
at the king's feet, which he does, and confess that I'm nothing
but a dead dog, which he feels he is. He is conquered. He is subdued in his heart all
because of the king's action. This is so much different than
some religious nut trying to talk you in to making a decision
and accept Jesus. No. What went on in Mephibosheth's
heart was due to the king's action. He had summonsed him into his
presence. And I want to say this morning,
if the king ever summonses you, or if he ever comes and speaks
to your heart, It'll strike fear in your soul. Oh, it will. It will. There is fear of facing
a holy God because of knowing that we're in no shape to face
a holy God, not one of us in ourselves. But when they brought Him into
the King's presence, He's expecting judgment. And
David shows mercy. In reading this chapter, and
I encourage you to read it, the king speaks first. And his first word was, Mephibosheth. Verse six, Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth had no idea the
king even knew his name, but he did. He did. John chapter 10 verse 3 says,
The good shepherd calleth his own sheep by name. He knew his name. Christ knows your name. He came
walking through Jericho. Here's this little old tax collector
that done run ahead and climbed a tree. He wanted to see this Jesus everybody's
talking about. He had no idea that he knew him. But the Bible says when he got
to the place, Jesus stopped and he said, Zacchaeus, he calleth
his own sheep by name. And the first word here is Mephibosheth. He knows him. Mephibosheth. He's subdued. Number six, the
king sustained him. He administers his kindness and
mercy for Jonathan's sake. And David's next words were,
fear not. You're not here to die. You're
here to live. And David said to him in verse
7, 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. He's the King. He can do this to a sinner and for a sinner
who has been left empty and naked and perishing. He can restore
all the land that belonged to your family, and that's what
David's doing. And then he added, Thou shalt eat bread at my table
continuously. continually. Not just once. You're not just going to have
dinner with the king tonight, but every night. Now she'll eat
bread continually. This is the first of four times
in this brief chapter that mention is made of Mephibosheth eating
at the king's table continually. And in verse 11, It adds that he's not here as
a guest, but he's here as one of the king's sons. Yesterday, he was perishing in
Lodobar, the house of no bread. Today, he has a place at the
king's table as one of the king's sons. That's grace. That's amazing. Grace. And number seven, not only does
the king speak and substitute and sin and summons and subdue
and sustain, but the king satisfies. He fully satisfies Mephibosheth's
heart. This is a precious part of the
story to me. In verse seven, He had given
Mephibosheth his family's old home place and land. But to see Mephibosheth's satisfaction,
you have to read on a few chapters. Wasn't too long till David's
son Absalom revolted. Do you remember that story in
chapter 15? David had to flee the palace for his life. He had
to leave the throne. And this servant Ziba was to
get Mephibosheth ready to travel and bring him to meet David outside
of town. Well, Ziba came alone. came by
himself. And when David asked him, where
is Mephibosheth? Ziba lied about it. And he said,
oh, he stayed behind. He didn't want to come and be
with you. And so David says to Ziba, all right, so be it. The land that I had given him,
I'm giving you. What was his is now yours. Well, Ziba thought he had pulled
it off. Well, later on, way on over,
chapter 19, I believe it is, when David returns, Absalom being
dead, Mephibosheth comes out to meet the king upon his return. And in chapter 19, let me just
read it to you. Chapter 19, beginning in verse
24. Now Mephibosheth, the son of
Saul, came down to meet the king and had neither dressed his feet,
nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the day The
king departed until the day he came again in peace. Mephibosheth
had this sort of gone into a sort of depression. He didn't
bathe. He didn't shave. He didn't do
anything. And it came to pass when he was
come to Jerusalem to meet the king. that the king said unto him,
wherefore wentest not thou with me? Mephibosheth. I would have
thought after all I did for you, you would have followed me, you
would have went with me. And he answered, my lord, O king,
my servant deceived me. Talking about Ziba. For thy servant
said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, go to
the king, because thy servant is lame." He said he was going
to saddle and ask, make me a ride
to be able to go. But he left me. He hath slandered
thy servant unto my Lord the king. But now look what he says. But
my Lord the king, is an angel of God. Do therefore what is
good in thine eyes. For all of my father's house
were but dead men before my Lord the King. Yet didst thou set
thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What
right, therefore, have I yet to cry any more unto the King? The king said unto him, Why speakest
thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide
the land. Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all. For as much as my lord the king
is come again in peace unto his own house. Mephibosheth said,
My Lord, it's not about the land. Let him have it all. It's about
You. I never loved the land. I loved
You. The land did nothing for me.
You did. I don't want the land. I want You. Mephibosheth is saying, my religion
is not about your gifts, it's about your glory. My religion
is not in pursuit of your rewards, but in pursuit of your righteousness
that you set me among the king's sons. It's not your property
I want, it's your person. The land never satisfied me. You did. The king satisfies. This is so appropriate for our
generation. Never, never have people, even
those who claim to be the Lord's people, being so materialistically
minded, so in pursuit of things, as we are nowadays and have such
a mindset of going to a heaven that's going to be like Santa
Claus coming, passing out rewards and crowns and all this kind
of stuff. But oh, as a true child of God
with the spirit of Mephibosheth, I want to say, Lord, it's not
about the gifts. It's not about the gold. It's
not about the land. It's about your glory. Just to
be His. Just to have been rescued from
perishing in my sins. I love Him and praise Him forever. I want to say to you today, It's
okay to die poor. You're in a society that won't
tell you that, but I'm telling you it's okay to die poor. Just so you're poor in spirit,
poor in spirit. Just so you have no resources
to recommend yourself to God and you don't, you don't. Jesus
said, blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who
are bankrupt so far as recommending themselves to God. And we lean
on and look to and trust in nothing, nothing, nothing. But the mercy
and grace of our God. Well, in God's providence. Even
today, even this week. All our lives take different
turns. Unexpected things happen, some
pleasant, some unpleasant. None of us have a promise of
tomorrow. But you see, what you're unable
to accomplish or not accomplish in this life is not the biggest
thing. But the ultimate in blessing,
the ultimate of success is to die looking to, trusting in,
and loving the Lord Jesus with all your heart. It doesn't get
any better than that. You're not taking the millions
with you. You're not even taking the reputation with you. I'm glad that my experience has
been Mephibosheth's experience. In these seven sovereign steps,
things the king did belong to each and every one of God's children. He has spoken concerning us. He has substituted for us. He made Christ our surety. He
has sent for us. And He has summoned us all in
conviction to meet Him. He has subdued us, brought us
to the end of ourselves. And He has sustained us by His
grace. And best of all, He has satisfied
us in our hearts. In our hearts. I bless His holy
and high name. Amen. All right.