Ten Men: The Rich Connections Every Man Needs (A Study of King David)ਨਮੂਨਾ

Spiritual Sons (David & Mephibosheth)

This is the great biblical theme: Moses had Joshua, Elijah had Elisha, Paul had Timothy, and David became a father to a broken young man named Mephibosheth. His name is not nearly as complicated to say as his story is to tell.

Mephibosheth was the grandson of former King Saul and the son of David’s deceased best friend, Jonathan. Mephibosheth could have made the case that he should be king—he was just a couple of heartbeats away from the throne—but the whole world had moved on from that possibility. To make matters worse, Mephibosheth had sustained a physical injury that had left him permanently disabled. Mephibosheth became a victim of his grandfather’s sins. He was thrust into fatherlessness, severely injured, and he lived in fear of what the new regime would do. Most newly crowned kings probably would have had him killed, but David was no ordinary king.

Second Samuel 3:1 tells us that there was a “long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker” (NLT). Peace and prosperity grew under David’s rule, and God’s promises were fulfilled before his eyes. Right about the time most kings would have rested, David made this extraordinary request: “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1 NLT).

With honor in his heart and his long-lost friend on his mind, King David sought to bless someone from the former royal family. Not only was David breaking protocol, but he was seeking to bless his predecessor. For David to have a blessing like this in his heart was unprecedented. His lack of insecurity was astounding, and his generosity could even have been interpreted as foolishness by some. A former shepherd boy let benevolence reign over selfishness, and he would be rewarded for it. He would gain a son.

We have no record of Mephibosheth praying for a fatherly rescue, but I am certain he prayed for help. God has a way to “turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6 NLT). When spiritual fathers are absent, many sons will remain in hiding. It is our heavenly Father’s desire to connect spiritual fathers to their sons. He knows how to give us what we need. He knows how to get us out of insecurities and place us in our royal callings.