For our Scripture reading tonight, turn with me to 2 Samuel, chapter 9. 2 Samuel, chapter 9, as we read together that chapter, and as the focus for our message comes particularly from verses 1, 8, and 13. Really the whole chapter, but more specifically, verses 1, 8, and 13. Chapter 8 gives us a bit of a history of David's victories after he had come to power. Then chapter 9 gives this wonderful story about how David sought to keep his covenant with his beloved friend, Jonathan. 2 Samuel 9, as we give our attention to the Word of God. David asks, Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake? Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, Are you Ziba, your servant? he replied. The king asked, Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness? Ziba answered the king, There is still a son of Jonathan. He is crippled in both feet. Where is he? the king asked. Ziba answered, He is at the house of Machir son of Amiel in Lodabar. So King David had him brought from Lodabar from the house of Machir son of Amiel. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, Mephibosheth, your servant, he replied. Don't be afraid, David said to him, For I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table. Mephibosheth bowed down and said, What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me? Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him. and bring in the crops so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do. So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. Mephibosheth had a young son named Micah. And all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king's table and he was crippled in both feet. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, what a high point in David's reign. Not a high point because of his war successes or because of his riches or because of His strength or because of His host of warriors and servants and faithful subjects. Not a high point because of His rule over the world at that time. But a high point because of the kindness shown to one man. One insignificant, helpless, worthless, undeserving man. Now if you read the Psalms of David, you will notice how often he speaks of turning from evil and doing good. And as we consider for a moment this sacred chapter of Scripture against the backdrop of David's life while King Saul was still alive, then we have a beautiful picture that David practiced what he preached. He did not return evil for evil. Instead, he returned good for evil. Time and time again you remember that Saul tried to pin David against the wall with his spear. Saul was jealous of David as the women sang, Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands. David had to flee to the enemy, the Philistines, for his very life. And even there, he wasn't completely safe. But now David uses his royal power, not for revenge, but in a most noble fashion. People of God, with this portion of Scripture, we have a beautiful picture of salvation in Christ. The mercy and grace Mephibosheth receives in his physical life is a portrait of the mercy and grace the believer receives in his spiritual life. So I preach to you this Word of God, the honor of the King's table. It is first of all a gracious honor. Secondly, it is a covenantal honor. And finally, it is an eternal honor. This episode before us, I trust, is clear. Even the boys and girls, you can understand you could easily understand this story that is being told. In some respects, it's a true story about a man brought from rags to riches. Most likely, it took place somewhere near the middle of David's reign, maybe a little past middle, because as chapter 4, verse 4 tells us, Mephibosheth was five when his father Jonathan and his grandfather Saul were killed, therefore when David came to power. It was at that time as well that the nurse fled with him and dropped him, and it's then when he became crippled in both feet. And now in chapter 9, verse 12, we're told that Mephibosheth himself had a young son. Therefore, some time had passed. And again, chapter 8 tells us about David's victories. So here we could say that David was at the height of his power, and what does he do? He gives back to Mephibosheth all of the land that had belonged to his grandfather, King Saul. And no doubt, beloved, this was no small fortune. He restored everything to one who had absolutely nothing. But even more than that, King David takes this man, moves him, relocates him to Jerusalem, to the capital where the king lived. And he becomes just like one of the king's own sons. He's given a place at the king's table, pointing to fellowship with the king. And not only did this mean an endless supply of food, but I believe it points to all of the prosperity and honor and restoration that David bestowed upon Mephibosheth. Now, 1 Kings 4 tells us about Solomon's provisions and talks about the bounty of the king's table just to give us a taste. Verse 22 says, Now Solomon's provisions for one day was 30 cores of fine flour. 30 cores was 150 bushels. 60 cores or 300 bushels of meal, 10 fatted oxen, 20 oxen from the pastures, and 100 sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl. But David determined to provide for Mephibosheth for the rest of his life. Mephibosheth enjoyed the honor of the king's table and indeed it was a gracious honor because first of all, David didn't have to do this. There was no law of Moses stipulating this. There was no law of the Medes and the Persians. In fact, it was uncommon to do this. It was customary in the eastern countries at that time that when a new king came to the throne, the entire remaining family of the former king was either put away or put to death. That way there would be no threat of retaliation or there would be no threat of trying to reclaim the throne. We read about that in Judges 9 with Gideon son Abimelech as well in 2 Chronicles 22 with wicked Athaliah. But David goes against the grain of custom and he seeks out one from Saul's own family to whom he can show kindness. Remember, Saul was David's archenemy. Mephibosheth deserved to be put in prison or to be put to death. But David takes the initiative to restore him. David goes to find him. David didn't owe this to Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth didn't earn this privilege. it was an act of grace even as we consider this morning with election and reprobation had David not done this he would have been taking nothing away from Mephibosheth he owed him nothing but all of this becomes even more clear as we consider Mephibosheth's condition he was lame in both feet he had nothing he could contribute to the king he couldn't serve in the king's army therefore he was useless in war He could do nothing to repay the king for his kindness. And we also recognize the graciousness of this honor in Mephibosheth's response to David's kindness. He bowed down before David to pay him honor. Mephibosheth recognized who he was compared to the king. He recognized his own unworthiness and worthlessness compared to the loftiness and the majesty and the worthiness of the king. And Mephibosheth confesses his unworthiness and demonstrates his humility in his self-description. What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me? I am your servant. You may recall that these are basically the same words that David used with Saul when Saul was chasing David. And David has an opportunity to confront him and say, Why are you doing this? I'm just a dead dog. A dog, you remember, was an unclean animal. And the term dog used for a human being was a term of contempt, shame, or excessive humility. It was not a compliment to be called a dog. And then dead dog gave even more emphasis. A dead dog pointed to one that was perfectly harmless and insignificant. One who was not a threat. Boys and girls, if you have a neighbor who has a dog that's mean and barks all the time at you and growls at you, and one day you wake up and that dog is dead. That dog is no longer mean. That dog can't hurt you. A dead dog, as Mephibosheth called himself, was one who was far beneath the dignity of the king. This one didn't deserve even an ounce of the king's consideration. Why should you even notice me? Mephibosheth says. One commentator says, a dead dog cannot bite or hurt and is an object about which the king ought not trouble himself. In other words, the king had so many better things to do. Beloved, just as Mephibosheth's honor at the king's table pointed to the fullness of his restoration, the table of our Lord and King Jesus prepared before us tonight points to the fullness of salvation. This table too. is a gracious honor for you and me. And as you come to the Lord's table, I hope and pray that you consider it a gracious honor. Our sin and misery rendered us helpless, hopeless, worthless, unworthy, lame and useless, so that all that we can say is nothing in My hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. Because by nature, we have nothing to contribute to the cause of Christ or to our salvation. And by nature, we don't want to contribute anything. We did not seek the face of God. He sought us. And as Paul says in Romans 5, verse 8, but God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God took the initiative, beloved. He didn't have to do that. There was no law that said that he had to do that. He owed us nothing. He would have robbed us of nothing if he had chosen to leave us in the sin in which we had willfully cast ourselves in. And just as David calmed Mephibosheth's fears and called him by name, tenderly, the Good Shepherd calls his own by name. But we are also to learn something here from Mephibosheth's response to David's grace and kindness. In so many circles today, even those which call themselves Reformed, we are told to have a high esteem of ourselves. We are to think positively of ourselves. That's the problem in the world today. We don't think enough of ourselves. But the Bible teaches us that the Lord despises the proud and the arrogant, but He gives grace to the humble. In fact, God calls us to the opposite of pride, doesn't He? In Philippians 2, verse 3, we read, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Mephibosheth's response to David was fitting. He was indeed a dead dog. He was not puffed up with self-importance. Oh, the king wants to see me. I wonder why. Remember that wicked Haman? How he rejoiced that he was the only one invited to Queen Esther's banquet. Mephibosheth did not come before the king with self-delight and self-exaltation, but he came before him with self-abasement and humiliation. And congregation, that's the result of grace. Grace does not exalt, But grace humbles. Because grace reminds us of that which we do not deserve. Grace is undeserved. It is a matter of charity. The grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ reminds us that we need God's charity. We need that which only He can give us. And the Lord's table is a visible sermon of God's charity towards sinners. And beloved, we are to come in all humility. Not in pride as if we are worthy in and of ourselves to come. But we are to come in humility before our God recognizing that we deserve not even a crumb from the Lord's table. But He gives to us a feast. An eternal feast. Those who receive the honor of the Lord's table and His bountiful provision lack nothing and need nothing else. And this is ours, beloved, because the honor of the King's table is also a covenantal honor. Verse 3 says that David wanted to show God's kindness. He wanted to demonstrate the kindness of God and to demonstrate kindness for God's sake. He wanted to demonstrate the kindness of God which he himself had been a recipient. You see, David was truly a man after God's own heart, even as Luke 6.36 says, Therefore be merciful, just as your father also is merciful. But notice David's motive for showing kindness to the house of Saul. For Jonathan's sake. If you remember your Bible history, then you also remember that Jonathan and David made a covenant. We could call it a covenant of kindness. A covenant of friendship. David had a loyal love for Jonathan and would do anything he could to keep that covenant. How much more our faithful Savior. And no doubt when David looked into the face of Mephibosheth, he could see the reflection and features of his father Jonathan. Congregation, we baptize our children not because we presume they are saved, not because baptism saves them, but because they are children of the covenant. Here, Mephibosheth is spared because of David's covenant. With whom? With Jonathan. Nothing in Mephibosheth made him worthy of David's friendship and kindness. The reason for that kindness came from outside of Mephibosheth. And people of God, we are not the recipients of God's love for our own merit, but for the sake of Christ. God's kindness to us points back to our mediator and it's a kindness rooted in a time long before we were even born. In Reformed theology, we speak of a covenant of redemption which is a covenant between God the Father and God the Son in which the Father gives the Son as Head and Redeemer of His elect and His Son, Jesus Christ, willingly and voluntarily takes the place of those given Him by the Father. Peter talks about being redeemed by the precious blood of Christ and says, He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Hebrews 13.20 says, Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. And Paul, speaking in Ephesians 1 about being chosen and adopted, says this is to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Our salvation congregation is because of something outside of us that is God's everlasting covenant. God looks on His children and sees a reflection of His only begotten Son and His saving sacrifice. This table is a reminder to us that Jesus Christ fulfilled that covenant of redemption and secured for His people a place at Heaven's eternal banquet. Boys and girls, do you remember from Bible school? Do you remember our memory verse? Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth, and the life. We didn't learn the second half of that verse, yet we talked about it quite a bit. The second half says, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Those who believe in Him are heirs, sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father who inherit all of His treasures of forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life. And beloved, if you think that you may come to the Lord's table because you have earned the right to come or because you are worthy in yourself, you are sadly mistaken. That's a reason not to come. Our worthiness to come as Christians. Our place has been set at the Lord's table because of something far outside of us. The perfect righteousness and sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And to add even greater comfort, the honor of the king's table is finally an eternal honor. Verse 13 says again, And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king's table and he was crippled in both feet. He always ate at the king's table. Another translation says he continually ate at the king's table. Again, David's promise to Mephibosheth was for life. And this promise was not contingent upon anything. There was no bargaining. There were no conditions. Just pure grace. And notice, he didn't send a pair of crutches to Lodabar and say, well, Mephibosheth, if you can hobble here on your own, Then I'll feed you. The king's table was a sanctuary under which Mephibosheth's lame feet were hidden. At the king's table, he enjoyed a haven of rest and gladness. It was a place of protection even as we can hear David's words in Psalm 23, verse 5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. What was Mephibosheth's portion? Well, we can summarize it with one word. And that word is life. Life. Beloved, Paul said, the wages of sin is death. But for those who believe, our lameness of sin is hidden under the Lord's table and replaced by the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ. And instead, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And just as certainly as we eat and drink and taste the bread and wine with our mouths, God, through His Holy Spirit, nourishes our hungry and thirsty souls with the body and blood of Christ by faith. And that nourishment is unto eternity. Mephibosheth always ate. He ate continually at the king's table. That means regularly and without interruption. What a beautiful promise, a beautiful picture of the promise of God that for Jesus' sake, all of His children will enjoy fellowship with Him for all eternity without interruption. Did you hear that? Without interruption. And that's a fellowship, beloved, that we can enjoy already today. In fact, the table before us is for those who have that blessed fellowship right now with God in Christ Jesus. If you do not truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, this table is not for you. And you cannot come because if you do, you eat and drink judgment to yourself. Instead, you are called to humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, looking to Him alone for forgiveness of sins and salvation because only in Christ will you enjoy the honor of the King's table. And that's eternal life. Apart from Him, congregation, there is only eternal starvation and death. But to those who believe, who are humbled because of the grace of God, to you our Lord says, Come, for the feast is spread. Take, eat, drink, remember and believe that the body of our Lord was broken and His precious blood was shed unto a complete remission of all our sins.