Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-10-15
David's Kindness to
JOnathan's Son
Sunday SehSoI Lss'Ou for Oct. IS, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

one another. tender hearted forgivinR
ono another."-Eph. i:12.
| TIME-Not far from the middle Of
Davld'a reign, about the time Of the close
OF his wars Prof. Willis J. Beccher
thinks that ut was subsequent to David's
great sin and was probably one Of the
earliest OF the fruits OF his repentance"
| PLACE-David was az Jerusalem. Me
phibosheth lived near Mahanaim. where
Saufs son Ishbosheth, by tho aid OF his
general. Abner, had undertaken to hold
| The Kingdom during Dayid's reign at He
bron. IL was east OF the Jordan about
half way between the Dead Sea and the
| Sea of Galllee
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Dayid's Mind Reverts 20 Forgotten
Duties.-Overlooked In the great pres.
sure OF the duties Of defending and or.
ganizing his kingdom and building
them up into material and religious
| prosperity
David had made league OF friend.
ship with Jonathan, Saul's son, which
was 10 extend to their children. All
the affection this prince had lavished
upon David now came back In full tide
to prompt him to express his apprecia.
ton OF 1t by kind deeds 20 some OF the
family. He had also loved Saul him.
self. As far as Saul was concerned II
was a noble example Of doing good to
enemies. according TO the precept OF
Prov. 1921. 22 and Rom. 12:l9.2l.
saul had several times tried to kill
David; he had driven him into exile.
and hunted him from place 10 place.
There was a long black chapter OF
wrongs in the past
He Finds Mephibosheth. Son OF
Jonathan.-Ziba, an officer OF the
house OF Saul. reported to David that
son OF Jonathan was living in the
home OF Machir in Lo.debar. a place
not far from Mahanaim.
Mephibosheth, whose name was or.
| iginally Merib.baal. Lord Meri"
Il Chron. s:34; $40. was FIVE years
old % Sam i:+). when his father Jon.
athan and his grandfather Saul we're
slain on Mount Gilboa. When the news
came OF their death the boys nurse
| took him and fed toward Jezreel. and
In her haste let him fall He was so
injured that he was all his life lame in
| both feet. Being five years old at
| Saurs death he must have been l2
or 10 years old when David became
king over all Israel. When. therefore
| he came TO court he must have been
80 years old. was married. and had a
| little son ". l2). Mcphbosheth as
the representative OF Sauls eldest son,
had the precedence over Sauls other
grandsons, and was Sauls heir.
Other Accounts OF Mephibosheth.-
See J Chron. s:3i.4O: 9.40.i4; . Sam
"a; 2l;7; 1914; I9:24.3O
Mephibosheth's Property Restored.
and Himself Brought to the Palace
The oriental idea was that all the fam.
lily of rival claimant to the throne
| should be put To death. or removed
from all possibility OF melting an in.
shrrection.
His inheritance from Saul was re-.
stored To Mephibosheth. II must have
been considerable II was placed I'm.
Ter Ziba, a steward. and the revenues
were to be sent to his master AZ the
| court OF David.
Mephiboshcth was Invited 10 sit nj
The royal table as a part Of Davld's
household. The Syrian missionary.
Rev William Ewing, says in the sun.
day School Times: when two men
Eat bread together this is the desert
sacrament, the sign and seal OF a GOV.
enant Of friendship. a league for mu.
tual protection. This is so II they eat
but once. Had David only on one oc.
casiOn invited Mephibosheth 10 sit and
Fat with him. he would thencetorth
ave been known as the kings friend,
o injure whom would be 10 provoke
the monarchs vengeance. But
place continually at the royal table
| declared a relationship Of a deeper
| and stronger kind. He who eats con.
tinually' ut an Arabs board has
| passed the conditions OF mere guest
Or friend and is acknowledged as
Identified with the family in all It's
manifold interests David thus devised
right liberal things for the unfortu-
| late son OF the beloved comrade Of
other days"
Like David, we are not to wait till
he needy come TO MS. but we are 10
search for any we can help: canvass
our field. and find out who can be in
vited to eat the bread OF life continu.
ally with us in our class.
We should organize and train our
lass to so into the highway and
hedges II need be, and bring others IN
20 enjoy the good things OF the Bible
with them.
No one should be too busy 70 do
acts OF Kindness To individuals. and
20 pay by kindness the debts OF love.
Elevation TO power Is God.giyen
opportunity for remembering those
who have been less successful.
A woman came To an oriental king
% have some wrong redressed. and he
-efused because he had not time.
Then" said she, "if you have not
time to do Justice. you have not time
% be king"