Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20021006.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XLVI: Preserving Ties With Subordinates By Keeping The INTENT Of The Promises We Make
(2 Samuel 9:1-13)
  1. Introduction
    1. When a leader makes a promise, his character before others is exposed by how well he keeps it.
    2. David exampled how to keep a promise with great impact on his subordinates by keeping it in the very spirit in which it was made in 2 Samuel 9:1-13. We can learn to follow his lead in oversight as follows:
  2. Preserving Ties With Subordinates By Keeping The INTENT Of The Promises We Make.
    1. When Saul's son, Jonathan was still alive, his godly love for David led to his causing David to make a mutual pact to treat one another and each other's offspring with kindness forever, 1 Samuel 20:14-17, 42.
    2. In fact, Jonathan made a special provision that, in case he died before David that David would extend his kindness to Jonathan's offspring, 1 Samuel 20:14-15.
    3. David upheld this pledge not only in a general way, but he kept the intent of the pact by going to great lengths to address a special need in Jonathan's offspring, 2 Samuel 9:1-13:
      1. After David was established on the throne, he made inquiry regarding what kindness he could show to the line of Saul for the sake of his promise to Jonathan, 2 Samuel 9:1.
      2. He found a servant of Saul whose name was Ziba, and Ziba reported Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth who was lame in both of his feet, 2 Samuel 9:2-3.
      3. When he asked where Mephibosheth dwelt, Ziba replied he lived across the Jordan River at Lo Debar in the home of Machir, the son of Ammiel, 2 Samuel 9:4 with Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 466. Apparently, though his home tribal territory of Benjamin was close to David's Jerusalem in Judah, Mephibosheth felt vulnerable to harm were he, a grandson of Saul, David's former enemy, to live in his homeland so close to David while being unable to defend himself as a paraplegic.
      4. David responded to this news by taking action to keep his promise to Jonathan not only in an external way, but he also went the "extra mile" to uphold the intent of the promise made as follows:
        1. To set Mephibosheth's concerns at rest regarding his own safety in David's reign, David summoned Mephibosheth from his Transjordan dwelling to tell him not to be afraid, 2 Samuel 9:5-7a.
        2. Additionally, David informed Mephibosheth he would surely show him kindness for the sake of his promise to his father, Jonathan, 2 Samuel 9:7b.
        3. That kindness would be shown three ways: (a) David would restore not only Jonathan's land, but due to the death of Jonathan and his brothers with Saul, Mephibosheth would gain all of the land of his grandfather, Saul, 2 Sam. 9:7c with 1 Sam. 31:6 and 2 Sam. 4:4. (b) Though the grandson of David's former foe in Saul, Mephibosheth would regularly eat at the king's table, being treated as one of David's own princes, 2 Samuel 9:7d, 11b. (c) Finally, the property of Saul restored to Mephibosheth would be farmed by Ziba, his fifteen sons and twenty servants, and its produce be given to Mephibosheth, 2 Samuel 9:9-10. That put Mephibosheth into an oversight role as a man of importance to encourage him as a paraplegic in a culture where lame men often begged for a living!
        4. The graciousness of this provision was seen in Mephibosheth's expressed amazement at David's kindness in 2 Samuel 9:8 as well as in Ziba's willing submission to heed David's decree, 9:11a.
        5. Hence, though from Benjamin, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem as a man of princely importance!
        6. Though it was unusual for a king in DAVID'S era to have a LAME person in his presence, DAVID provided for Mephibosheth CONTINUALLY to be TREATED as a PRINCE this way! David thus went the "extra mile" in keeping the INTENT of his pledge to Jonathan!
    4. In treating Saul's grandson so well, David only solidified support from all Israel, Ibid.
Lesson: Since he not only kept his promise to treat Jonathan's offspring kindly, but he went to great lengths to ENCOURAGE and SETTLE and ELEVATE Jonathan's VULNERABLE son as though Jonathan were still alive, David would only have SOLIDIFIED support in the nation for his reign.

Application: If we are put in oversight in a marriage, family, church, business or governmental realm, we should follow David's lead and KEEP our PROMISES as to their INTENT for upholding unity!