Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-10-15
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR OCTOBER IS,
Subject-David's Kindness to iona.
than's Son, 2 Sam. 9-Golden
Text, Eph. h.4:82-CommitV 4 Verse 2
Read 2 Sam. 18:1-4; 19:24.30.
PLACE. - Jerusalem. TIME. -
1040 B. C.
EXPOSITION. II. Mephibosheth
in Lodebar, 1-6. Now that David Is
securely settled on the throne. he be-
gins to think of his dearest friend of
the days of his trial-,Tonathan The
house of Saul as whole had been his
bitterest enemies. but he will show
them kindness for Jonathan's sake.
The sinner Is bitter enemy to God
(Rom. 81: Jas. 4:4), but God loves
the sinner and will search him out
and show him kindness for Jesus
sake. The house Of Saul had sunken
from its former greatness into such
obscurity that 1t took some time OF
searching to find one Of the house
hold. A former servant OF the house
of Saul was better known than his
children or grandchildren. The kind
ness that David desired to show to
some Of the house Of Saul was 1.-The
kindness OF God" unmerited kindness
and great kindness. AS God had
shown kindness to David. so David
would show kindness to his enemies.
Mephibosheth is a fitting type OF the
sinner: he was lame on his feet"
and so Is the sinner. unable to walk
uprightly in the paths of righteous.
ness. constantly stumbling and fall
ing: and he lived In Lodebar (which
means. mo pasture"), and the sinner
Is without pasture. starving. God has
made the human soul on so large a
plan that nothing can satisfy 1t but
God Himself. We may flatter our
selves that II we have much goods
laid up for many years, our souls can
take their ease, eat. drink and be
merry" Luke 12:l9), but the human
soul that drinks Of any other we'll
than that to which Jesus invites him
will thirst again tJohn 4.13) It is
only when he drinks Of the water that
Jesus gives that he never thirsts, but
whosoever drinks of The water that
Jesus gives shall never thirst and 1t
will be in him a we'll of water spring
ing up into everlasting life (Jonn
4:14). Away from God there is no
pasture, but when we return to God
and He becomes our Shepherd He
makes us to lie down in green pas.
nnl Io tar
OF rest and redemption 'Ps. 1872.
r. ", margin. Our David not
merely sends for us. He comes
for us tLuke 13:l0), ana when
He finds us He rejoices over us.
lays us on His shoulder and brings
us safely home Nuke 15:5-D. How
foolish Mephibosheth would have
been II when the king sent for him.
he had refused to go with the messen
gers. and how foolish the sinner Is
when the King of kings sends for him
through His messenger. the Holy
Spirit, IL he refuses to leave the land
Of mo pasture" and the house )f
bondage, to 60 to the King and re.
ceive the reward OF the faithful
III. Mephibosheth at the Kings
Table, 7-13. When Mephibosheth
came into the presence of the king he
was full of fear in spite of the pur-
poses Of love that the king had ex.
pressed ". 81. So the sinner is full
of fear when he draws nigh to God.
though Gods purposes. revealed over
and over again. are purposes OF In.
finite love. To trembling Mephibo-
sheth David said. Fear not" and to
the trembling sinner God says, Fear
not" lis. 41:10, 49,: 1,2,5). There
is scarcely anything God says more
frequently in His Word than Fear
not" David gave Mephibosheth good
reason for not fearing, namely. 81 will
than's, thy fathers. sake" God gives
lis even better reason for putting
fear from us, because He will show
us kindness for His only begotten
Sons sake from. S:32: John IA: 13.
IA: 2 Cor. 5:21). David not only
promised to restore alb the land to
Saul. his father. but furthermore that
Mephibosheth should eat at his own
table continually, and this Is what
God invites US to do. No earthly
kings table was ever so bountifully
spread as the table of the great King
to which He invites every sinner to
sit down and to eat there continually
David's kindness filled Mephibosheth
with sense of his own utter un.
worthiness ". 81. He regarded him.
self as only dead dog. When we
see ourselves in the light of Gods in
finite grace. we too will see that we
are no better than dead dogs In our
selves. but by the grace of God we
become children of God John 1:12).
David sought to relieve Mephibosheth
Of all care by laying all responsibility
for looking after his large property
upon Ziba, the servant. Ziba himself
had fifteen sons and twenty servants,
but he in turn was to be servant to
Mephibosheth. God provides us with
mightier servants yet, servants Of no
less dignity than the angels (Heb.
1:13, 49, Mephibosheth was not
only to eat at the kings table. but he
was to eat there as one Of the kings
sons. We sit down at Gods table
not as guests, but as a child from.
S:15, ~. The lesson closes with
Mephibosheth no longer In Lodebar,
the land of mo pasture" but In Jeru-
salem. which means. founded In
peace" And not only In Jerusalem,
the city of peace, but continually at
the kings table. At this point the
type fails, for Mephiboshe tn is still
lame on both his feet. and the re-
deemed sinner is no longer lame but
made strong in his feet, able to walk
in the paths OF righteousness (Ps.