SpringhillGNV's Presentation Group
Sunday, Oct 18th 2026 - 3rd Sunday

      • Psalm 150KJV1900

  • To Our God
  • To Worship You I Live & Agnus Dei
  • I Surrender All
  • 2 Samuel 9:1–13 HCSB
    1 David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul’s family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?” 2 There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. 3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” 4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” 5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. 6 Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, bowed down to the ground and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?” 9 Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants. 11 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been injured.
    Main Idea: Kingdom grace seeks those others have forgotten, restores what loss has taken, and gives the undeserving a permanent place at the king's table.
    Introduction
    In 2016, former Florida Gators defensive back Brian Poole reached the NFL Draft, but his name was never called. Earlier that year, he had suffered a broken collarbone setting back his preparation. Other players heard their names announce, while Poole finished the draft without being selected (Carter, 2017a).
    But an opportunity was still available. Dan Quinn, head coach of the Atlanta Falcons had coached Poole at Florida as his Defensive Coordinator. Poole was going to a coach who already knew him. He made Atlanta's roster and played in all sixteen regular-season games as a rookie (Atlanta Falcons, 2018).
    That season took him all the way to Super Bowl LI (51). The player who had gone undrafted, was given an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. (Carter, 2017b).
    Being passed over did not have the final word.
    That story gives us a picture of an opportunity opening through a familiar relationship. Poole still had to earn his place on the team. Our passage concerns a different kind of welcome, one rooted in a covenant promise. But carry this question into the text: What happens when someone with the authority to open a door remembers a relationship?
    David is king, but he remembers Jonathan. Years earlier, Jonathan had asked him to continue showing the Lord's kindness to his household. Now David asks, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” His position has changed, but his promise still matters (1 Samuel 20:14–17; 2 Samuel 9:1).
    The answer brings him to Mephibosheth. David will seek him, reassure him, restore property to him, and establish his place at the royal table. The kindness will change his circumstances while his disability remains (2 Samuel 9:5–13).
    Grace changes your place before it changes all your problems. Let us see what covenant kindness makes possible.
    Many of us in the room today have been recipients of the kindness shown just based upon relationships of others. We often use the phrase, it’s not what you know, but whom you know.
    Some job positions have been offered because of grace.
    Some doors have opened because of grace.
    Some second-chances have been given because of grace.
    Some loans have been extended or forgiven because of grace.
    Some penalties have been lightened or dismissed becasue of grace.
    And so many of us can identify with this text very easily, while celebrating our Mephibosheth-like story and the grace that has been offered in our lives.

    I. Kindness Seeks the Forgotten 2 Samuel 9:1–5

    A. Investigation to find any from Saul's family (2 Samuel 9:1-2)

    2 Samuel 9:1–2 HCSB
    1 David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from Saul’s family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?” 2 There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied.
    1. David initiates a Prescriptive Investigation (2 Samuel 9:
    David asks, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” The chapter opens with the king's question. It records no request from Mephibosheth before David begins the search. David takes the initiative (2 Samuel 9:1).
    2 There is a gracious Purpose of the Investigation
    Notice the purpose of the investigation. David wants to show kindness. The Hebrew word translated kindness is hesed. Here, the earlier covenant and the repeated reference to Jonathan give that kindness the character of faithful commitment. David intends to put his word into action (Bible Hub, n.d.; KJV, n.d., 1 Samuel 20:14–17).
    David's position has changed, but his promise still matters. The throne has given him greater ability to carry out what he said. That is a searching application for us. When our circumstances improve, do we become more faithful to our commitments? Who has a claim upon our attention because we gave our word?
    Do not let a larger platform make an earlier responsibility feel too small. The person who needed your attention before your advancement still deserves an honest answer.
    Sometimes the next act of obedience begins with a simple inquiry. We remember someone who has been absent. We ask about a responsibility we have allowed to slip. We make the call we have postponed. We do not have to solve every problem before we take the first faithful step.

    B. Identification of someone from Saul's family (2 Samuel 9:3-5)

    2 Samuel 9:3–5 HCSB
    3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” 4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” 5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.
    1 The Person fitting David's investigation is identified as Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son
    Ziba, a servant associated with Saul's household, is summoned. He tells David that Jonathan has a son who is disabled in his feet. David's next question is, “Where is he?” The condition Ziba mentions does not stop the search (2 Samuel 9:2–4).
    We have already met this son in chapter 4. He was five when news of Saul and Jonathan's deaths reached his household. During his nurse's hurried flight, he fell and became disabled. By chapter 9 he has a young son of his own. Scripture gives us these details without telling us his exact age at this meeting (2 Samuel 4:4; 9:12).
    2 The Place where they find Saul's grandson Mephibosheth is called Lo-debar
    His name is Mephibosheth. He is living in Lo-debar in the house of Machir, son of Ammiel. Somebody has already made room for him. Machir has a place in this story too. Now David learns about Jonathan's son, and the king has an opportunity to add his kindness to the care already present (2 Samuel 9:4).
    Lo-debar is the place from which David summons him. The king's commitment reaches someone beyond his immediate awareness.
    Lo-debar - “the name plays on its two Hebrew elements (lōʾ “no”; dābār “thing”) - It is the land of nothingness. It is a barren, and undesirable place. There is no life in Lo-debar. This a place with no pastures, no provision, no prosperity, not hope, no opportunity, and no joy. It is a lifeless and dead place.
    We can also learn to recognize the people who have been caring before we arrive. Ask who has already listened, opened a home, or helped carry a responsibility. Our assistance can honor that care and work alongside it. The story makes room for the household in Lo-debar as well as the royal household in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 9:4–5, 13).
    Imagine a church member whose absence has gradually become familiar. At first people notice. Later, the empty place no longer prompts a question.
    Transition: The search brings Mephibosheth before David. Now the king must explain why he has called him.

    II. Kindness Speaks Restoration Over Fear 2 Samuel 9:6–8

    A. Intimidation when coming into the King's presence - 2 Samuel 9:6

    1 Mephibosheth approaches David Humbly
    Mephibosheth comes before David, falls on his face, and pays homage. The narrator identifies him as Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. He bows, recognizing that he had no inherent right to be in the King’s presence, and so he has no right to approach the king arrogantly (2 Samuel 9:6; 19:28).
    2 Mephibosheth is acknowledged by David Honorably
    David addresses him by name. Mephibosheth answers, “Behold thy servant!” Then David says, “Fear not.” The king who has the authority to determine his circumstances begins by reassuring him (2 Samuel 9:6–7).
    Notice how David supports that reassurance. He explains what he intends to do. The promise of kindness is connected to Jonathan, to the restoration of land, and to a continuing place at the royal table. Mephibosheth is given something definite to hear (2 Samuel 9:7).
    That gives us a practical lesson about the way we welcome people. If someone is uncertain about approaching us, our words should help them understand what to expect. Speak respectfully. Explain what assistance is available. Make a promise only when you intend to keep it. Kindness becomes trustworthy through honest speech and faithful action.

    B. Indulgence offered by the King (2 Samuel 9:7-8)

    2 Samuel 9:7–8 HCSB
    7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?”
    1 David shows extravagant Grace in his treatment of Mephibosheth
    David declares, “I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake.” He promises to restore Saul's land and tells Mephibosheth that he will eat at his table continually. The generosity has a reason, and David names it (2 Samuel 9:7).
    Mephibosheth has brought no recorded accomplishment as the basis for these benefits. David is honoring his commitment to Jonathan. (2 Samuel 9:6–8).
    Here the story gives us an opening to explain the gospel, while the New Testament gives us its foundation. Paul teaches that God demonstrates his love toward sinners through Christ's death and that reconciliation comes through his Son. Our forgiveness rests on what Jesus has done (Romans 5:8–11).
    Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
    We do not earn reconciliation by presenting a life we have already repaired. Paul describes God acting for us while we were sinners. That truth invites repentance rather than self-congratulation. We turn to the Savior because we need the forgiveness his death provides. And the grace that receives us also teaches us a new way to live. Ephesians connects salvation by grace with the good works for which believers are created in Christ. Receiving kindness and learning to practice it belong together in the Christian life (Romans 5:8–10; Ephesians 2:8–10).
    Paul also tells believers to be kind and tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God has forgiven them for Christ's sake. Received forgiveness becomes a reason to practice kindness. We show mercy as people who have needed mercy ourselves (Ephesians 4:32).
    Ephesians 4:32 KJV 1900
    32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
    Remembering grace should affect the way we speak to people. We can speak truth without humiliation. We can take a concern seriously without reducing a person to that concern. We can explain a boundary while continuing to treat someone with dignity. Let your speech give people reason to trust your care.
    2 Mephibosheth shows sincere Gratitude for David's graciousness
    Mephibosheth bows and asks why David would take notice of a “dead dog” like him. That is his language of self-abasement before the king. We should hear the depth of his response without turning his words into God's judgment upon his worth (2 Samuel 9:8).
    David's commitment stands alongside that response. Mephibosheth speaks from the low position he claims for himself; David continues to act upon his promise. Kindness gives him a different experience from the diminished standing expressed in his own question (2 Samuel 9:8–9).
    There is an application for the person offering help too. Do not make somebody perform gratitude before you will treat them well. Listen to the person's account. Explain any conditions honestly. Offer help in a way that allows an answer. A person can be thankful and still have questions about an arrangement. Mephibosheth's bowing describes this ancient royal encounter; it is not a requirement that people today diminish themselves before they receive our care. Let the kindness we offer be consistent with the dignity we say we recognize.
    Perhaps receiving help is difficult for you. You are accustomed to being the one who supplies it. Let this passage prompt you to consider whether you can receive care with gratitude while remembering that needing help does not erase your responsibilities or your dignity.
    Grace changes your place before it changes all your problems. Mephibosheth has heard a promise. The next verses show the arrangements that give that promise practical expression.
    Transition: David turns from speaking to Mephibosheth to assigning responsibilities for his provision.

    III. Kindness Seats the Broken at the King's Table - 2 Samuel 9:9–13

    A. Insurance from the King (2 Samuel 9:9-10)

    2 Samuel 9:9–10 HCSB
    9 Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.
    1. Restoration is given to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:9)
    David summons Ziba and declares that Saul's property has been given to Mephibosheth. His word of restoration becomes an instruction to the servant who will manage the estate (2 Samuel 9:9).
    We do not know every earlier transaction involving the estate. We do know what David commands here. Property is restored, cultivation is assigned, and Mephibosheth's place at the royal table is repeated. The kindness has material substance ( 2 Samuel 9:9–10).
    The Lord may not give gold, but he will give grace; he may not give gain, but he will give grace.
    Charles Spurgeon
    2. Resources are given to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:10)
    David directs Ziba, his sons, and his servants to cultivate the land. The passage identifies fifteen sons and twenty servants. David's promise now involves an arrangement for continuing provision (2 Samuel 9:10).
    The promise becomes somebody's responsibility. Ziba receives instructions for the work that will support this arrangement. David's intention has reached the point where other people must carry it out (2 Samuel 9:10–11).
    This is a useful question for ministry: What happens after we announce that we want to help? Who will follow through? Has the person receiving assistance been heard? Have the people doing the work understood their responsibilities? A caring intention needs a practical next step.
    The land and the table also meet different concerns. The estate has a place in Mephibosheth's provision, while the royal table gives him continuing fellowship with David. He receives resources and relationship within the arrangement the king establishes (2 Samuel 9:10–11).
    Imagine inviting someone to share a meal and learning that transportation is the obstacle. In that hypothetical situation, kindness asks what arrangement the person would find helpful. The invitation becomes practical when access is considered. Let us think carefully about what makes participation possible.

    B. Injured but still Included (2 Samuel 9:11-13)

    2 Samuel 9:11–13 HCSB
    11 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been injured.
    1. Included at the King's Table (2 Samuel 9:11)
    Ziba agrees to the command. Mephibosheth eats at the royal table “as one of the king's sons.” That comparison describes the honor of his treatment. Scripture does not describe a formal adoption ceremony here (2 Samuel 9:11).
    Verse 12 names his young son, Micha. The man before us is also a father with a household. He has a life beyond this single encounter. Let us remember that when we serve people: the need we see is never the whole person (2 Samuel 9:12).
    2. Injured but still included at the Table (2 Samuel 9:12-13)
    Then comes the final verse. Mephibosheth lives in Jerusalem, eats continually at the king's table, and remains disabled in both feet. The narrator places fellowship and continuing limitation in the same concluding picture (2 Samuel 9:13).
    When we use the word broken in this sermon, we are speaking pastorally about vulnerability and difficulty. Physical disability is not moral failure. Mephibosheth's condition does not make him less human, and it does not keep him from the fellowship David has granted.
    His brokenness remains, but brokenness no longer determines where he belongs. His disability remains while his place at the king's table is established. He has been welcomed, and the narrator wants us to see that welcome alongside the difficulty that continues (2 Samuel 9:13).
    Scripture gives us other pictures of blessing alongside difficulty. Genesis describes Jacob limping after his encounter at Peniel. Paul describes a thorn he asked the Lord to remove and the assurance of sufficient grace he received. Paul does not identify that thorn as an eye infection in this passage, and we do not need to name it to hear the assurance (Genesis 32:30–31; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10).
    You can bring a real difficulty into Christian fellowship. You can ask for prayer while a question remains unanswered. You can participate with the gifts and capacities you have. As a church, we can learn to make room without making bodily change the condition of welcome.
    Perhaps we need to think about the gifts we fail to receive from people we see primarily as needing assistance. Mephibosheth is a father, and Scripture gives us his son's name. Let that detail slow us down. A person may need help in one area and have wisdom to share in another. Ask about the life beyond the immediate need. Allow people to speak for themselves. Make room for them to contribute as they are able and willing. Fellowship grows when we learn to know one another, rather than assigning someone a permanent role as the object of our concern.
    Nor should we turn this chapter into a promise that every earthly problem ends. Later, Ziba makes an accusation, David transfers the property, and Mephibosheth eventually presents his own account. David's response includes an order to divide the land. The wider story reminds us that David is a fallible king (2 Samuel 16:1–4; 19:24–30).
    That is why our faith must look beyond David to Jesus Christ. Luke identifies Jesus with David's throne and an everlasting kingdom. Paul explains that through Christ those who were far off are brought near and made members of God's household. Our saving hope rests in the promised King (Luke 1:31–33; Ephesians 2:13–19).
    Christ centered close
    Church, look once more at the end of the chapter. Mephibosheth is in Jerusalem. He is eating at the king's table. His disability remains, and the king's welcome is real. The difficulty that remains has not canceled the fellowship he has received (2 Samuel 9:13).
    Injured, but still included!
    That is a reason to lift your head. You can acknowledge the difficulty and give thanks for the kindness. You can need assistance and still receive honor. Mephibosheth's place in that final picture rests upon the arrangement David has made.
    And now let us look beyond David to Jesus. Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again the third day. That is the gospel! Our Savior has dealt with the sin that separates us from God, and our confidence rests in his finished work ( 1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
    Can the church say amen?
    Paul tells believers that those once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Through him we have access to the Father. We belong to God's household. That is the welcome the gospel announces to those who trust the Savior (Ephesians 2:13, 18–19).
    Brought near! Given access! Received into the household!
    If you know what it means to need forgiveness, thank God for his mercy. If you have received his grace, let gratitude rise in your heart. You do not have to conceal a difficulty before you can praise him. You can tell the truth about what hurts and tell the truth about the Lord who loves you.
    The believer's assurance reaches into suffering. Paul asks who can separate us from the love of Christ, and he names tribulation, distress, persecution, and danger. His answer directs our confidence to God's love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Suffering is real, and his love holds his people (Romans 8:35–39).
    The trouble is real, and the love of Christ is sure!
    So bring the burden to him. Ask the church to pray with you. Keep walking in the obedience you understand while you trust him with the questions you cannot yet answer.
    And let the kindness you have received reach somebody else. Remember a name. Honor a promise. Make room for fellowship. Somebody needs to experience the love we have been preaching about this morning.
    Mephibosheth's feet had not changed in that final verse, but his circumstances had. The king had established his place at the table. Let that picture help you hear the invitation of Jesus: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (2 Samuel 9:13; John 6:37).
    There is a welcome in Jesus Christ!
    Come with your need. Come in repentance. Come trusting the Savior who died and rose again.
    Grace changes your place before it changes all your problems. If you have received that grace, give God praise, and go practice kindness!
    Just As I Am - by Charlotte Elliott
    Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou biddst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come!, I come!
    Just as I a, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
    Just as I am, tho’ tossed about, With many conflict, many a doubt Fightings and fears within, without O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
    Just as I am poor, wretched, blind; Sight riches, healing of the mind Yea, all I need in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
    Invitation
    If you have never trusted Jesus Christ, turn from sin and place your faith in him. Scripture calls us to confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. Speak with us as we extend this invitation; we want to help you understand the gospel and respond in faith (Romans 10:9–13).
    If you are a believer who needs prayer, ask for it. If you have a commitment to honor, begin to put it right. If you need a church family, speak with us about following Christ in fellowship here.
    Let us pray. Father, thank you for the kindness you have shown us through Jesus Christ. Give us faith to receive your grace and humility to receive help. Make us faithful to our commitments. Teach us to notice the people we overlook and to welcome them with practical love. In Jesus' name, amen.

      • 2 Samuel 9:1–13HCSB

      • 2 Samuel 9:1–2KJV1900

      • 2 Samuel 9:1–2HCSB

      • 2 Samuel 9:3–5KJV1900

      • 2 Samuel 9:3–5HCSB

      • 2 Samuel 9:6–8KJV1900

      • 2 Samuel 9:7–8HCSB

      • Ephesians 4:32HCSB

      • 2 Samuel 9:9–13KJV1900

      • 2 Samuel 9:9–10KJV1900

      • 2 Samuel 9:9–10HCSB

      • 2 Samuel 9:11–13KJV1900

      • 2 Samuel 9:11–13HCSB

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