Mephibosheth - lame on both his feet. (Quality: good)

[0:00] Find our text that the Lord may be pleased to help us in the chapter we read the second book of Samuel chapter 9 the last verse which is verse 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem for he did eat continually at the king's table and was lame on both his feet These words are found in verse 13 chapter 9 of the second book of Samuel Now I do hope we've had this word laid upon our mind to bring before you this afternoon and I trust too that it may prove to be a time of instruction to our souls and benefits also and that it may be made interesting to our many dear young people present and that the Lord may give us the right understanding of the precious proof couched beneath this historical portion of God's word

[1:23] Now also one would point out that in a text such as this it is very necessary to speak of the context that we might get a right setting to these words there are also as we may comment upon as we go along a very definite experimental side to these words particularly the last clause of our text and was lame on both his feet but first that the Lord may help us to look at the this chapter in its setting that we may understand the outcome the outcome of it because the first verse of our text says so and this word so as it were gathers up all that is gone before that we might understand the reason whereby this favored young man was brought to take meat at the king's table

[2:34] Now firstly we could say the setting of this portion was at a time when David had come to be truly established on the throne of Israel and that was according to the promise of God and the fulfilling of it in these seasons for we all know how that Samuel was instructed of God to anoint David when he was about a youth and how in subsequent days the trial was exceeding great as to whether it would ever be fulfilled because he was hunted unmercifully by his father-in-law Thor and became so despondent at last that he was ready and willing to go over into the land of the enemy that he might escape that which he was sure

[3:37] Saul would inflict upon him but we all know and I trust some of us experimentally that what God has said must be fulfilled no matter how hard or difficult or trying the pathway may be and however you may look within and see how it seems almost impossible that God's word will be fulfilled yet the Lord gives us a little faith to believe that he will perform what he has said it was so literally here in David's experience and some of us when we are down past we are able to look back at the promises God has made I don't know what I would do if I couldn't do that sometimes I'm sure but we remember as the spirit brings it to our remembrance that which the Lord has said concerning us well that day did come and at this time we believe that David was established firmly upon the throne of Israel and Judah and as it were at this time he may have been in a reflective mood he looked back to the cruelties of his father in law

[5:06] Saul and yet David was truly a man that had love in his heart a tender God given love a tender one toward others he didn't come as many kings did in those days being established upon a throne to be revengeful because here I would mention no doubt some of you know it but in those days which were noted for cruelty that when a new dynasty was established that is to say when another line of kings defended the throne the first thing that that king would do would be to destroy utterly all the remaining members of that former king so that there should be not one that would be able to lay claim to the kingdom as you know there are men today some in

[6:09] France and Spain and other places that feel they have a rightful their rightful heir to the throne but they're still waiting but we're not here to discuss that this afternoon except to use it by way of illustration and so these kings would unmercifully completely obliterate men women and child all the seed royal we read of a queen of Israel that arose and destroyed all the seed royal except one that escaped and so this was the barbarous custom that their own kingdom might be completely established but we find that David having the tender fear of God in his heart was a merciful thing and this wonderful question he asks here it is asked twice in our chapter and the wording is twice rather different he says first is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for

[7:21] Jonathan with its table but later on we read that the Lord this dear man said in verse 7 and David said unto him I've got the wrong verse I think but we read it verse 3 and the king said is there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindness of God under him there's a difference he says but what a difference to show kindness to the enemy and how we're seeing this that David fulfilled the law of Christ for we all know what Christ said on the mount I say unto you love your enemies do good to them that despitely you do are we able to do that dear friends if you have one that has wronged you no doubt all of us have had these people at one time or another that have wronged us are you possessed of a evangelical spirit do you say oh I'll get even with you ah the

[8:46] Lord Jesus says love your enemies do good to them that despitely you do and when he hung upon the cross what did he say father forgive them for they know not what they do well another thing I noticed this morning in this chapter which I'd never noticed before that this young man the philochess being the son of Jonathan when it was told him to confirm this young man who he was that David was as it were bound to do good for this young man so I look back and it's your letter perhaps you young people will look back to the first book of Samuel and there you will see the affinity there was between David and Saul's son Jonathan what a love that was wonderful love

[9:54] David said that the death of Jonathan thy love passes the love of women doesn't seem possible does it that one man to love another to such an extent as that but it's brought to my memory just the feeling that hymn just now as I thought of the love of David and Jonathan I'd only have been favoured to love but one man in such a manner as that and the love which I had for that dear man and he for me was extraordinarily great and wonderful he was a deacon one of our causes and begged to cheer and I understood before he knew me he wasn't very partial towards me in fact I used to hear that he in no way could speak complimentary towards me but you see dear friends the Lord knows how to bring things to pass and in the province of God one of his sons and one of my daughters began to be friends now of course they're married and through this we began to know one another very well and times and times we had the sweetest spiritual community together and I believe I love that dear man more than any of my own brothers and what a bitter grief that was to me when the

[11:38] Lord so suddenly he moved him and I could see how I've been leaning upon a friend but his memory is treacherous to this day and I can well understand dear David mourning the loss of his friend Jonathan who was raised up in a time of great need to defend him against his wicked father but in that first book of Sam you'll read this and it's worth looking up you dear young people you find that in their conversation together and it seemed to be that Jonathan had a premonition but he would not live to see David being established on the throne but David made a covenant with Jonathan and Jonathan said when this cometh to pass remember I'm not using exact words but he said remember my own offspring my children deal timely with my family and David swore made an oath but he would in kindness remember the children of Jonathan and so you see dear friends he was bound by a covenant and how this brings to our mind does it not

[13:06] God's dear son and that covenant he has made with his dear people you see the Lord Jesus tried covenant to save his dear people he was in duty bound the oath he has made to save his dear unworry sons and daughters you may sometimes be self condemned feeling totally unworthy that you should ever receive kindness at the hand of God you may find too black a sinner to ever obtain salvation I'm not worthy to be among the people of God ah but you see if your name was inscribed in the Lamb's Book of Life the Lord and the covenant it is bound to save you dear friends when that day comes you see your name was written in his book before time began and as dear David said although my house be not so with God yet all these wonderful little words of scripture yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure and so you see David but honoured the covenant he had made and one feels sure that David was glad to hear that this son of

[14:40] Jonathan was there that he might show the kindness of God unto him and now you notice next where this young man was and also the nature of his scripture we are told twice earlier on when this young man is described we read that he was lame on his feet now text endorses that he was lame on both his feet and we also notice his location in a place called Lodi Bar I have not looked on the map to see whether Lodi Bar is within the two tenths of Israel but this one does believe that he was hiding in the house of his friend in fear he knew as I told you just now he knew full well that David if he acted like other kings he would destroy him unmercifully and one feels he was hiding here in trembling in fear left the hand of

[15:53] David might come after him now you see dear friend is that not like a convicted sinner or how they tremble when the hand of justice threatens to lay hold of them or how they find no hiding place which is that a sanctuary and then it appears that one day I wouldn't be dogmatic and say that there was a knock at the door but at least there was a messenger came and this messenger inquired as to ask concerning Mephibosheth and no doubt when he was told that the king wanted to see him well what did he feel like I suppose he really and truly thought that he comes for his condemnation but there are two lines in one about him may come to your mind already some of you and he says this

[16:57] I look for hell but I obtained heaven and this young man fears you see when he came to the presence of David were completely allayed and called himself into his humility a dead dog totally unworthy and to his astonishment instead of being condemned you see he was exalted all the word says by the mouth of the apostle there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus to them that not walk not after the flesh but after the spirit and again you see in this account those precious doctrines I trust we love even the doctrines of free and sovereign grace but this poor man was in no way or ability to be able to come to David himself in fact we read that they sent and texted and some of us know that unless the Lord had sent and texted us we could still be a stranger from the grace of

[18:15] God I'm very very fond of those words of the hymn writer Jesus taught me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God he to save my soul from danger him to pose his precious blood and so he did we often are told and rightly so too to seek the Lord while he made his hound and call upon him while he is near we want to be made Peter after Christ but I'm so glad he so emphatically said for the son of man have come to teach and to say that which was lost so would think of the astonishment that this poor helpless man must have had when he was brought into the immediate presence of the king all the lifting up another one says how can

[19:19] I walk how can I come some soul may say I'm lame and cannot walk and so it was for him the divine grace of God brings his righteousness near to a poor sinner he sends and takes them delivers them from the horrible pit from the marley clay and sets their feet upon a lollipid and thus this poor man you see he instead of the execution which he feared his head was so wonderfully lifted up and you see not only this but we find that dear David spake very kindly to him there's another portion I think it's in the book of Chronicles where we read one of the last kings that was taken to Babylon and he lived there in great literary in the dungeon for many years and then another king came upon the throne and it's the last verse in the book we read how this poor king was taken from the prison he was brought into the king's palace he had a change of raiment and meat was set before him every day of his life a portion for every day and thus you see the Lord raises up the beggar from the dung hill to set him among princes and this poor crippled lad was so exalted and David spoke the sweet and precious seen for him so that he was lost in wonderment and is that not so with some of us or when we think of the unworthiness and how we know we deserve our just punishment the Lord has lifted up the light of his countenance upon us and he has brought us by faith into his immediate presence he has thus far provided for all our needs has he not and he has given us great and exceeding great and precious prometers whereby we are made partakers of the divine nature and he has made every provision for us for time and for eternity now then

[22:03] I must come having said so much more to the words of our text and here we find the consummation of this favoured experience which this favoured young man was brought into and we are told so Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem now Jerusalem of course is symbolic of the seat of the king it was where David dwelt the king of that country and Jerusalem is also called Zion and Zion is the seat of the heavenly king therefore this place signifies the place of the most high God the place where the Lord would gather his people together and so this man was a dweller in Jerusalem are you dear friends can I say that I am can we say that we love the place where is honour dwellers do we look upon our little hills where we worship to be

[23:20] Zion itself good good indeed if we can say Lord I have loved the place the habitation of thy house the place where thy honour dwelleth place where the king himself dwells where the king dispenses his blessings and his favour not just one that goes in and out the expression I've heard sometimes by different people so they come to the house of God and they go out like a door swings on its finger and they never seem to get anything to profit their souls they come and go but I want to be like the hymn writer here would I find a settled rest while others go and come no more a stranger or a guest but like a child at home and in this

[24:22] Zion as we read here we read he did eat continually yes bread shall be given thee and thy water sure no longer that hazardous worry which he perhaps had before of where the next meal would come from no more poverty but change of raiment and exalted position the place even in the king's presence and there when the time to eat came round he had all things in abundance and is that not the lot of many of the favored of dwelling Zion do they not come hungry and thirsting after righteousness do they not enjoy that delectable food which the Lord sets before them they are not contented with the huff of the swine to eat not contented as alas so many are in our day and generation with the proclamation of a social gospel when every subject under the sun is spoken of except that which is good there used to be a church of

[25:49] England minister at a village near Bedford where I used to live and going round the countries I did in my business for many years I got to know quite a lot of what went on in these spaces one day a man who knew what I professed said to me said you know our minister in the summer we have termans on cricket and in the winter he says he turns to football what a dreadful dreadful place to discuss such things as that how dreadful that men should preach a social gospel a gospel of outward reformation to be preach what I call the tropical sermon and knowing nothing of the power of the blood of Christ knowing nothing of his glory of his wondrous work his wondrous death his glorious atonement and his resurrection knowing nothing of the spirit's power cleansing the soul and giving those here an inward knowledge and joy in knowing

[27:03] Christ the Christ of spades if you eat not my flesh and drink my blood there is no life no none whatever in you thank God my beloved friend the Lord has given you a dear pastor who is determined to know nothing among men save you for Christ and in crucifix the love that I'm sure and delight to tell you all he knows and all he has proved of those things which he has eaten at the king's table those things which he knows can be made profitable to your soul those precious fruits which you can live by and which you can safely die by thus feed it continually at the king's table and then one sees in this a great honour wonderful honour isn't it wouldn't you think it's so if you were invited to Buckingham

[28:11] Palace we see sometimes pictures I've known people who've been there they put on their best clothes and it's a joy they go and you'll often find they proudly are photographed outside that place it's a greatest honour naturally speaking we feel that can befall a man though I crave no such honour for myself I feel it's this to be an unspeakable honour to be cavered in one little way the honour of God to proclaim this practice to those so feedly one often feels a great honour but what an honour it is for you and for me to eat at the king's table have you had some of your sea crumbs have you had a taste of that bread of life do you desire no other drink than this that by faith you may drink its precious blood to eat there continually come eat oh friends you're told and yea drink abundantly come eat my flesh and drink my blood have that divine life in you have you the appetite for the precious things of the gospel though you've heard them some of you for many many years now you draw near to the end of your journey you find you never tire they never fail you still want these delectable things presented before you you'll never be tired of hearing the things of

[29:55] God again and again you won't be like a little lad that was billed upon us in the days of the war but he came home and I remember saying to him one day well what have you heard today well he said the teacher had been talking about Jesus he heard about that last week and that was all of course he wanted he wanted on his bread oh there are many such things yet unknown concerning the glory of Christ many precious truths that are like an uncarribable mind which we shall never fathom as long as we hear and sometimes the devil may say well what a repicative your ministry is he keep on and on our dear friends and we guarantee too while we can the knowledge of Christ preaching the precious truth concerning him they are a constant repetition you'll never tire of this delectable food one might liken it to use an illustration to see bread as a stable diet we eat it every day of our life but we don't find that we find it to be something we don't want we know it's meatful it is that which is bread and water we could put this on but we don't tire of it shall we tire of this precious food which the

[31:27] Lord has made known to us and which we hope one day in his great and infinite mercy we may enjoy eternally for there will be one but one new song in that world which is to come it won't be like the modern youth that must continually have something fresh and that of utter nonsense one feels it will be what they do sing but they shall sing a new song yea and it will be unto him that wash up in his precious blood and they will never tire of singing that in a million years it will still be on their lips as fresh as the first time they sung it I'm sure of that but I want to be among them now if we eat at this table here below we shall eat and drink in his immediate presence in the world to come we shall him bear now I want to say a little before we close of these last words of our text which I feel are so very important and was lame on both his feet now you see it's repeated as though the Holy Spirit would empathize this one was true to us naturally speaking this deformity of this young man would be a great handicap

[33:01] I believe I'm right in saying that elsewhere we read that his nurse had dropped him when he was a child he had similar cases in these days but being a lifelong cripple would indicate our own sad state by nature for there never was a time in your life and in mine when by nature but what you were deformed by sin this same dear man David well knew the depravity of his heart when he came to that time of confession in psalm 51 he said concerning himself I was born in sin and shape in sin do you believe that of yourself born in sin by first father says the prophet Isaiah has sin and you're sinners and I'm a sinner we were born in sin and shaped in in the cases but what a mercy that we washed in his precious blood and redeemed from all adversity and was lame on both its feet now some people in the religious world may only be lame on one foot well if you're only lame on one foot you have a crutch you can get along after a passion the teaching of course is this that some people that said and do say that if you do your part though you're lame on one leg your other leg is down now you should do a little toward your salvation you do your part and then

[34:47] God will do his God save us from such religion as this some of us I believe have been brought to know some of you dear young people perhaps you do but as years go by if you're spared you'll find it increasingly to be so with your lame on both your feet you'll be brought to know and feel the older you become and the more grace you have more humble too that you'll feel and know what it is to be lame I mean this utterly and alone dependent on him for salvation utterly so you'll say if ever my poor soul be saved then Christ must be the way you'll know that all salvation depends in time alone upon his finished word lame yes and the word tells us elsewhere and the lame to take the place you know there are those that are very proud about in the religious world are very top sure to use perhaps the rather or perhaps ought not to use that expression as rather for pain if you know what I mean all those proud strong in themselves people those who say well it's up to you take it or leave it gospel like a man said once in the town hall in

[36:26] Bedford one Saturday evening I was rather inquisitive to be here so called evangelical meeting and out of being inquisitive I went to hear what he said and this man's name was in big letters all over the town and this is what he said in the course of his address he said you know a man chooses Christ as a woman chooses a hat and if you don't choose him now he said I know who you choose who you chose and that is the devil well afterwards I happened to get near this man there were a crowd of people around me and I said to him I said I believe you preach the gospel wrongly and he looked at me so fierce there was no humility or tenderness he said what do you mean well I said my bible tells me that the Lord Jesus Christ has said ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and do you know what the gospel was that man almost literally threw me out of that place he did indeed like a devil let loose and these are the ones you're told that you're friends to follow he wasn't lame you see you're not lame if you can do the choosing yourself oh the

[37:54] Lord brings his people very very low he brings them to say other refuge have I not as we sung hangs my helpless soul on thee he'll bring you down to make you known fear your utter and alone weakness you know what it is to be physically lame lay it aside your legs won't go can't do much then can you you're weak you're utterly dependent upon another are you not and so it is in the spiritual realm we are lame on both our feet there was one in the gospel I believe we read of like this and the Lord graciously healed him and we read in the prophet Ivar then shall the lame man leap at an heart we all leap then when the Lord blesses you that you'll be made to feel your lameness as long as you live you read the and I'm glad and I say in the right sense that some of us are made to feel our lame condition because it's good for us again when was lame on both his feet one can also liken this to the providential path because providence and grace are completely united in this way one is brought to feel are we not our dependence upon him and there are times when the

[40:05] Lord will emphasize this in no uncertain manner we may be well we may be strong we may be able to do things and feel a little boasting of them but the Lord knows how to bring us independence in providential things as I learned some of you may have heard three weeks yesterday got loaded up our car and made a start on our journey to the midlands but instead I found myself on a hospital bed that same night I was unable to walk on that occasion I had time to ruminate on one's utter and alone dependence upon him you may that some do find solace and riches they may be like that man who said friend thou hadst much good laid up for many years he's sure soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry and so on but the

[41:10] Lord said thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee where then will those riches be so you see in the providential path we need the Lord to help us we need the Lord to guide us we need him every moment one feels of the journey which we make through life and we shall prove in all things in wisdom and discretion all these things we find in and of ourselves that we possess a lack of the faith and thus the Lord would emphasize again lest any might overlook that which is said before that this man though he was exalted to this place of being at the king's table yet it was still to be a place of dependence he doesn't say that his lameness was gone when he was there no he was still to feel that it was daily to be a cause of thanksgiving that he was in this exalted position and let none of you young people

[42:32] I speak to especially let none of you think that you can go on day by day and feel sure that it will always go well with you whether you're young or whether you're old the Lord caused you and me to know and feel that we're entirely and alone dependent upon him the farmers have said no man can keep alive his own soul and you cannot command the breath which goes into your body can you we have to boast not what a day may bring forth light comes to my mind that I was speaking one day to a farmer on the main road and suddenly someone got off a bicycle and said a phone show is dead whereupon this farmer whom I was speaking to said that can't be for I was speaking to him here only five minutes ago ah but he said you see he's just been killed by a lorry up the road all the solemnity of these things kept by the power of God come to salvation yea ready to be revealed for last time and I do it would emphasize this truth the Lord rightly make you feel your own lameness on both your feet that you may come to him daily hourly

[44:09] Lord hold thou me up lest I fall Lord keep me Lord preserve me from danger seen and unseen every moment of the way for these things are left on record for our learning for our instruction this is not meant to be an isolated case that we may read and say how very interesting that portion is what a wonderful man David was David would save himself as the apostle Paul said by the grace of God I am what I am that's all we can say but may these words enter into your very heart and experience and was laying on both peace to depend for salvation to depend upon your very existence and upon your preservation upon him who makes us heal our lameness and that in our extreme weakness we may come under him for strength that's a wonderful truth though it may seem to be a paradox the utterance of the apostle

[45:32] Paul he said when I am weak then am I strong and you're never stronger than when you feel your weakness is never stronger than when this lameness is known and felt and real in your experience thus we would leave these few remarks to you each one praying to be the Lord's sovereign will and pleasure he may bless it through your souls and that you may realize that only the Lord can heal you of your lameness that you may ever be dependent upon him and was lame on both his feet amen and son nation has the other partners and those that you must be

[46:49] Porcher! and Licoix Academy but here on many Portyсят the