Slices
Prepare
Thank God for the fellowship of faithful Christian friends.
Bible passage
24 Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his moustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely. 25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, ‘Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?’
26 He said, ‘My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, “I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so that I can go with the king.” But Ziba my servant betrayed me. 27 And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever you wish. 28 All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?’
29 The king said to him, ‘Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the land.’
30 Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has returned home safely.’
31 Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there. 32 Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33 The king said to Barzillai, ‘Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.’
34 But Barzillai answered the king, ‘How many more years shall I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? 35 I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is enjoyable and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way? 37 Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever you wish.’
38 The king said, ‘Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever you wish. And anything you desire from me I will do for you.’
39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and bade him farewell, and Barzillai returned to his home.
40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel had taken the king over.
41 Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him, ‘Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men?’
42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, ‘We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?’
43 Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, ‘We have ten shares in the king; so we have a greater claim on David than you have. Why then do you treat us with contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing back our king?’
But the men of Judah pressed their claims even more forcefully than the men of Israel.
Explore
Absalom’s death ends this attempt to overthrow David’s kingship, but it is merely a lull before the next storm. In the brief respite, as David makes his return to Jerusalem, two men come to welcome him, Mephibosheth the grandson of Saul and the aged Barzillai.
David has his suspicions about Mephibosheth. He had been ratted on by Ziba back in chapter 16, accused of remaining in Jerusalem to side with Absalom against David. Mephibosheth’s unkempt appearance suggested a different story; that he was more concerned about David than himself. And had David overlooked his physical disability? As a declaration of his commitment, he renounces all claims to his inheritance (vs 29,30). Mephibosheth of course had nothing but the kindness of David to rely on. It’s a touching story of ongoing kindness and lasting gratitude. Barzillai is lauded for using his wealth to back David (v 32). But he looks for no personal reward other than returning to home comforts. His son, Kimham, will continue the family’s faithful service. If we add to this the troops accompanying David (v 40), do we at last have a happy ending? Sadly, not. This is no fairy-tale. It’s the record of sinful people in a broken world who bicker over status. No wonder Jesus calls us to be salt and light in this decaying and dark world.
Respond
Suspicion and resentment are destroyers of fellowship. Is there anything for us to put right there?
Deeper Bible study
Peter, seeing John, ‘asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”’1
I remember a TV advert picturing a well-dressed businessman walking quietly along a road and suddenly being assaulted by a youth in a hoodie. The camera then pulled back and revealed that the young man, seeing danger, had knocked the man out of the way of a falling pile of bricks, saving his life. The point was that only when seeing the bigger picture can you draw correct conclusions.
In chapter 16, David had heard Ziba’s claim and immediately assumed that Mephibosheth was a traitor, but here we have Mephibosheth’s side of the story with clear evidence that Ziba had been wrong, which means that David’s original judgement had also been wrong. The text leaves the reader to decide whether David’s current conclusion that Saul’s estate should be shared between the two was an attempt to hide that wrong judgement or a realisation that both his decisions, first to give everything to Mephibosheth and secondly to take everything away from him, had been unjust. One hopes that it was the latter.
The next section of the chapter speaks of Barzillai, another person (like Jonathan) to whom David was indebted. The king was able to repay the debt by looking after a younger relative. The juxtaposition of these two stories is probably deliberate and again intended to raise questions in readers’ minds! Lastly, we have more rivalry between David’s tribe of Judah and the other northern tribes. The final sentence of the chapter shows that decisions were made not by working out the justice of the claims but by who made claims ‘even more harshly’. The writer really does want his readers to assess what he is recording!
Have you ever made false judgements because of poor information? Has personal or tribal rivalry been your motivation? Pray for help to see the bigger picture, always seeking God’s perspective.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Isaiah 53,54; Psalms 108,109
Pray for Scripture Union
The Be More Micah collection is for Faith Guides to use with young people who are passionate about current-day issues but who do not yet know Jesus. Please pray for Content Innovator Maggie Barfield as she brings together expert consultants and contributors to create two new resources on the environment and racial justice.
