Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: 2 Samuel 9
Preparing for Worship

Preparing for Worship

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Sunday Worship 

9:30 am

650 Kennedy Drive

Northglenn, CO

Scripture:  II Samuel 9:7-13

So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”  Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

Sermon:  Accepted and Elevated – Tomm Tice

  1.  David accepted him unconditionally.
  2. David restored him completely.
  3. David elevated him positionally.
  4. David provided for him abundantly.

Catechism:  Westminster Shorter Catechism-Question #89

How is the Word made effectual to salvation?

The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.

1 Nehemiah 8:8-9. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Acts 20:32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Romans 10:14-17. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 2 Timothy 3:15-17. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Worship

In Christ Alone

Across the Lands

He is King
Abundant Provision

Abundant Provision

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Abundant Provision

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

2 Samuel 9:13

We come today, full circle, to the text with which we began a few days ago. At that time, we considered that David had behaved in a most Christ-like manner in receiving Mephibosheth with an unconditional acceptance. After that, we considered that he enacted for Mephibosheth a complete restoration. Beyond that, we meditated upon the fact that David granted to Mephibosheth a place at the king’s table, thereby raising him to an elevated position. Today, we consider but one thought which arises from these words, ‘for he ate continually at the king’s table.’ Here is the testimony to David’s further Christ-like behavior. He provided for Mephibosheth abundantly. So also does Christ for us. We are disinherited beggars, born in the house of the King’s sworn enemy. We are neither attractive, nor acceptable. We have nothing and can offer nothing. Then Christ steps in. He accepts us unconditionally; He restores us completely;  He elevates us positionally; He provides abundantly. Christ fills our mouth with ‘a feast of fat things,’ and causes us to ‘drink, wine upon the lees, and good wine, well refined.’ Christ gives unto us, not dry crusts, but fresh bread from the ovens of heaven. He does, ‘above all that we ask or think.’ All praise to Him, Who, for us ‘has done all things well.’

Our most Gracious, Provident God,
we rejoice that You do all things well.
We praise You that You feed us with Your Own Hand,
and satisfy us fully with an overwhelming abundance.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
A Place at the King’s Table

A Place at the King’s Table

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A Place at the King’s Table

You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

2 Samuel 9:10

As we consider the account of David and his interactions with Mephibosheth, we come today to consider another way in which David both mirrored and modeled Christ. After David had restored ‘all the land of Saul,’ to Mephibosheth, he gave the management of the estate into the hands of ‘Ziba the servant of Saul.’ He liberated Mephibosheth from the burden of having to manage the holdings. Instead David said, ‘”You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him,and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.”  Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.’ The significant portion of the verse for our consideration today is, ‘But Mephibosheth your Master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.’ This is important for us to contemplate because it touches upon our relationship to Christ. David accepted Mephibosheth unconditionally. He completely restored all that his ancestor Saul had forfeited. He then, gave Mephibosheth a permanent place a the King’s table. What the king had enacted, no one else could alter. So Christ does with us. He accepts us unconditionally. He restores all that our ancestor Adam had forfeited. He also gives us a place at the King’s Table, from which no one can remove us. Here we see the gracious behavior of the king demonstrating the Gracious Behavior of the King of Kings. What David did for Mephibosheth, Christ has done for us.

High King of Heaven,
we rejoice that You raise us up, that You welcome us in,
and that You seat us in Your Banqueting Hall
and feed us at Your Sumptuous Table.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Complete Restoration

Complete Restoration

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Complete Restoration

So David said So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

2 Samuel 9:7

As we continue to dwell upon the story of David and Mephibosheth, we come to consider the very Christ-like behavior which David exhibits as our text for today reflects, ‘So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”’ Here we find David completely restoring unto Mephibosheth all which was the estate holdings of Jonathan, his father, and more than that, of Saul, his grandfather, the previous king of Israel, and David’s enemy. Here is the epitome of Christ-like behavior. Mephibosheth had no claim upon David. By rights, and by custom, David could have seized and retained all of that which pertained to Saul, his predecessor. Had he been like many other kings, he could have sought out and destroyed all of the remaining members of the house of Saul, to end all competition for the throne. By contrast, David demonstrates the true spirit of Christ when he restores to Mephibosheth, ‘all the land of Saul your grandfather.’ So Christ does to us. We are like Mephibosheth, without claim to the Throne of Grace. We are, by rights, liable for doom and destruction. Christ restores, by Free and Sovereign Grace, more than all for which we could possibly hope. With Him, instead of rejection, we find acceptance, and instead of destruction we find restoration. Here are thoughts for us to think that are utterly worthy of Christ.  From Christ we have received, utter and complete restoration.

Our most Gracious, Generous God,
we rejoice in Your every Provision,
which enables us to receive much more than ever we lost
by the errors of our fathers.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Unconditional Acceptance

Unconditional Acceptance

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Unconditional Acceptance

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

II Samuel 9:13

It is wonderful to behold those who are Christ’s behaving in a Christ-like manner.  David, ‘the man after God’s Own Heart,’ does that on many occasions.  In the passage from which our text for today comes, we see David mirroring and modeling Christ in his relationship with Mephibosheth.  Mephibosheth was a son of Jonathan, of the household of Saul, the previous king of Israel, who had sought diligently to kill David.  Because of the error of his nurse, who had dropped him in his infancy, Mephibosheth was a paraplegic.  He was, ‘lame in both his feet.’  He was not one of the ‘beautiful people,’ nor was he a shining ‘candidate for grace.’  He was not ever going to be an ‘adornment’ for the king’s table.  His disability, caused by another, would never improve or disappear.  Yet, David demonstrated Christ-like compassion upon him, and displayed an unconditional acceptance of him.  So Christ does to us.  We have permanent disabilities of every stripe and variety, some visible and some invisible.  The effects of those incidences may never fully disappear in this scene of time. They may forever, while we are in the flesh, be our ‘thorns in the flesh.’  Yet, Christ unconditionally accepts us, our unattractiveness notwithstanding.  Let us today, magnify this overwhelmingly Compassionate Savior.

Our Kind and Compassionate Savior,
we praise You for Your gracious acceptance of us,
all our flaws and failings notwithstanding.
We rejoice today, that You have received us into the number
of those who have a home with You.

Tomm Tice
where the Bush is Burning

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