An Imperfect King and a Loving Servant–Mephibosheth Part II

In my post from May 15, I talked about the grace Mephibosheth (or Fib as I called him) received from King David when at worst Fib should have been executed on the spot or at best spared.  Instead the king grants Fib not only life but the effective equivalent of an adopted son.  Fib is like us, deserving of nothing except judgment and wrath.  Instead, like Fib, we are granted the right to eat at the King’s table and to be part of His adopted family. 

We see Fib again in 2nd Samuel 16 and this time it is to expose an imperfect king.  As David is fleeing Absalom, he encounters Fib’s servant Ziba who tells this story of Fib’s betrayal of the king.  Problem was it wasn’t true.  The king does not make any attempt to find out if it is true (he assumes it is), and grants all of Fib’s land to Ziba.  In 2nd Samuel 19 David is restored as king of Israel after Absalom’s death, he encounters Fib who is disheveled and unkempt.  Fib completely denies any truth to the Ziba fabricated story.  In fact, Ziba had pulled a ruse by telling Fib he should stay home because he would slow the king down.  David tells Fib that he can split the land with Ziba.  Is that right?  Where is the justice in that decision? When our kids were young, they would fight over something and each would make her argument.  We had no way of knowing (and we really didn’t care) so we would just penalize both.  Far easier than trying to administer true justice.  The king didn’t want to deal with it.  He had bigger fish to fry. Like us, David was an imperfect king. 

On the other hand, Fib’s response is amazing.  He responds with complete resignation to what the king’s position is.  All Fib cared about was his relationship with the king.  He wasn’t in it for the money.  He was completely defrauded, yet he didn’t care.  All he cared about was his relationship to the king.   Our King is perfect and can administer perfect justice.  He can’t be defrauded or misled.  Further, He cares about what happens to us.  Fib represents the character of a devoted servant.  King David had given life and possessions.  So when possessions go bye-bye, should we care?  No, because we have life.  Think about that again – the servant is defrauded, but all he cares about is that the king is back.  He even goes on and says “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.” (2 Sam 19:30). 

We have life and as a devoted servant,that is all that matters.  We love the perfect King, one who gives us life.  Instead of loving the King wholeheartedly and unashamedly, we put so much stock in our possessions.  Are we prepared to be defrauded out of everything like Fib?  How would we respond?