By Marvin Duncan
2 Samuel Chapter Nine
As we read the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, we read time and time again about the grace of God. Paul calls this age in which we live the “dispensation of the Grace of God” (Eph. 3:2). Paul is spoken of as the apostle of Grace. With all this emphasis being placed upon the Grace of God, we would do well to ask ourselves; what is Grace? Until we understand what this word means, as it is used in the Scriptures, we will never have the proper appreciation for what God has done for the sinner.
If we were to consult our dictionary for a definition of Grace, we would find something like this: grace is the free, unmerited favor and love of God. This is a good definition for the Bile usage of this word and we can learn several things about God’s Grace from it.
First, Grace is free. You cannot work for anything that is free. Second, Grace is unmerited favor. This means that you can do nothing to cause God to extend His Grace, nor can you do anything after Grace has been bestowed. Unmerited, then, is nothing before, nothing during and nothing after the bestowal of Grace. Third, Grace is an act of love. Love always produces an action. For God, the action of love is giving (John 3:16 “For God so loved that He gave”). This action of Grace is motivated from within, not as a result of some action that requires recognition or reward.
If God’s Grace were acknowledged as the only means of salvation (Eph. 2:8), and if the meaning of Grace were understood, there would be very little of the confusion that exists in Christendom today. With all the different attitudes being presented today as to how God imparts His salvation, it is no wonder the man on the street is confused. Let us look at some of the confusion about how salvation is obtained and then test these ideas against the meaning of Grace.
Questionable Teachings
Some truly sincere individuals tell us that if a man’s good works outweighs his bad deeds, God will reward him with salvation. Is this consistent with our definition of God’s Grace? According to Ephesians 2:8, salvation is a gift, not a reward. Paul tells the saints at Ephesus:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8).
No where in Paul’s writings will you find salvation is the result of man’s actions. Surely, this Ephesians 2:8 passage makes it clear that salvation is not the result of man’s actions.
Others tell us, yes, you are saved by Grace, but then you must work to keep your salvation. Again, let us ask ourselves, does this meet our definition of Grace? Not hardly! Grace means no action before, during nor after Grace has been bestowed. If salvation is by Grace there can be no works in order to keep it. We are saved by Grace and we are kept by Grace.
To help us gain a fuller appreciation of what Grace is, let us look at an event in the life of King David. When we understand David’s actions, we’ll make an application of these to God’s activity with the sinner. Hopefully, this comparison-will settle all the questions we have concerning Grace, as it is used in the Scriptures.
David Becomes King
When Israel was allowed to become as the other nations, having a king to reign over them, a man by the name of Saul was chosen to be Israel’s first king. Saul had several sons. One of the sons of Saul was Jonathan. When David was a teenager, he was taken into the home of King Saul to minister to the king with music. While living in the king’s house, David and Jonathan became very good friends closer than brothers. After God anointed David to be Israel’s next king, there was bitter conflict between Saul and David. Saul tried to kill David as he ministered in the king’s house but Jonathan helped David escape Saul’s wrath.
Some years later, King Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle. David ascends to the throne to be Israel’s king. Some of David’s servants, thinking to gain favor with the new king, began to destroy Saul’s family. This was not by order, nor consent, of David. To show this was not his wish, David punished those who had killed these innocent people by having them put to death (2 Sam. 4:12).
When the news of Saul’s and Jonathan’s death reached the palace, a nurse, trying to flee with Jonathan’s five year old son, Mephibosheth, dropped this child and his legs were injured. This accident left Mephibosheth lame for the rest of his life (2 Sam. 4:4).
David and Mephibosheth
Some years later, after having established his kingdom, David wanted to do something for his friend, Jonathan’s sake. Second Samuel chapter nine, records this action on the part of David.
Even though Saul had been the enemy of David, David now desires to bless a member of Saul’s family. This action on David’s part was not prompted by anything any of Saul’s living relatives had done. His actions were prompted for Jonathan’s sake (verse 1).
David wanted to show “the kindness of God” unto one of Saul’s sons. After some inquiry, a son of Jonathan was found, but he was lame on his feet (verse 3). He could do nothing worthy of the king’s attention and he could not serve the king in any way, he was un-profitable to David and to himself.
This son of Saul was Mephibosheth and he lived at “Lo-debar” (verse 4). This Hebrew word means no pasture.
“Then the king sent and fetched him out from Lo-debar” (verse 5). This is the same action of grace that God extends toward the “lost” sinner. Grace is the sending and fetching the sinner out of a place of no pasture and bringing him into a place of blessing.
Mephibosheth, now about 17 years old, fell before David, expecting to be slain because of who he was (verse 6).
Instead of hearing David’s wrath, Mephibosheth hears words of comfort. David says, “Fear not” (verse 7). David promises to bless Mephibosheth, not for what he had done, or could do, but for “thy father’s sake.” Mephibosheth was to have all the possessions belonging to Saul restored to him. Not only was he restored to a standing of honor and wealth, he was to eat at the king’s table continually and be received as one of David’s sons all because of David’s love for Jonathan.
Mephibosheth considered himself as useless as a dead dog (verse 8). This self-abasement is always the result of grace shown. The “I am” of this verse speaks of what he was, not about what he had done. (Notice Isaiah 6:5 and Luke 5:8 in relation to man’s actions when coming face to face with Grace).
All the possessions of Saul were given to Mephibosheth (verse 9). Mephibosheth’s sons were to eat of the fruit of the land that had been restored to Mephibosheth, but Mephibosheth was to eat at the kings’ table (verse 10).
Not only was Mephibosheth to eat at the king’s table, he was to be considered as a son of David (verse 11).
In this section of Scripture, we have one of the best pictures of grace in all the Bible. We can see in this record the attitude and condition of each party involved in this display of grace, as well as the result of grace bestowed. From this record, we can see a picture of the sinner and the action of God the Father as He exercises His grace. Let us apply the actions of David to Mephibosheth with the Father’s actions toward the sinner and see if we can grasp a clearer understanding of how we are saved, and kept, by God’s grace.
God and The Sinner
David is a picture of the Father. Mephibosheth pictures the sinner while Jonathan is a picture of Christ. Just as Jonathan loved David, Christ loved the Father. David’s actions are identical to the Father’s actions as He deals with the sinner in pure Grace.
Let us look again at the ninth chapter of Second Samuel and read it with the Father doing for the sinner as David did for Mephibosheth. David’s actions were for Jonathan’s sake, the Father acts for Christ’s sake.
The background or setting for the action between God and the sinner is the same as between Saul and David. Satan is the enemy of God. He is trying to keep God from having His rightful place on the Throne. We are the children of Satan (Eph. 2:2 and John 8:44) and deserve nothing but the wrath and destruction from God. Yet, for Christ’s sake, God the Father desires to show “the kindness of God” to some of Satan’s sons. Not because of anything they have done, but because of the love the Father has for Christ.
Looking at verse one of Second Samuel, chapter nine, the Father asks, “Are there any of Satan’s sons to whom I may show kindness for Christ’s sake?” The answer comes, “Yes, Satan has a son (the sinner) who is lame on his feet.” (Are we not lame and unable to help ourselves, much less doing anything for God? Rom. 5:6).
The sinner lives in Lo-Debar. He has no pasture. That is, the sinner has no means to strengthen himself while he is in his sinful condition. God sent and fetched the sinner out of Lo-Debar when He sent Christ to die in the sinner’s place on Calvary’s Cross.
As in verse 6, we fell before God when we came face to face with Him. (Did we not expect to feel God’s wrath because of who we were?) Yet, as in verse 7, when we were expecting His wrath, we were comforted by hearing the Father say, “fear not, I will show thee kindness for Christ’s sake.” Then, the Father gave us all that belonged to Christ (Eph. 2:6). He also commanded us to eat at His table continually. What a wonderful picture we have of the sinner receiving God’s grace in these Scriptures.
We have been given all that pertained to Christ for we are joint-heirs with Him (Rom. 8:17). We are to eat at the table of God for all eternity and are accepted into His family with all the privileges of a son even though we are continually lame on our feet unable to help ourselves or to do anything to repay God for His goodness to us.
Conclusion
Here then is true grace; something for nothing when we didn’t deserve anything. Are you resting in God’s salvation that is given as a free gift of God? Do you recognize that salvation is to be had only by Grace? If you have received God free gift of Grace, are you trying to re-pay God by your good works? If you are, you haven’t truly understood what God’s Grace really is*
Let us grasp the fact that God’s grace is the free unmerited favor and love of God. You can do nothing to gain God’s grace and once you have grace bestowed, you need do nothing to keep that gift of grace.
If you have received God’s salvation by grace, are you showing grace in your attitude toward others? Now that we are saved by grace let us also live by grace.