Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-05

had been made king over all Israel.
lie had extended the boundaries of
it until it reached northward and
southwark, and eastward and west
ward in fact David possessed more
of the territory promised to Abraham
than at any other time of the king
dom. The nations around him had
recognized his kingdom as one of
the great world powers, and their
kings sent presents and paid tribute
to him. Furthermore he had brought
the ark to Jerusalem, and had estab-
Iished the worship of God on firm
foundation, having assigned to every
one his part. And now he was at
peace with all of his neighbors; this
else he could do to make his people
happy for he had their interests at
heart. He had so planned everything
that justice and righteousness were
executed to all of his people.
One thing occurred to him that he
had not done; he had performed part
Of it, but there might be something
more that he could do. When he
had had the conference with Jona-
than the day he fled from Saul, he
had sworn to Jonathan that he would
show him the kindness of the Lord
that he die not, and that he would
not cut off this kindness from Jona-
than's house forever; no, not when
the Lord had cut off all of David's
enemies from the face of the earth.
See 1 Samuel 20:14, Is. Later on,
when he had spared the life of Saul,
Saul had foresight enough to know
that one day David would be king,
IT,. IL Ii, i
in the matter of those who might
be pretenders to the throne, he had
taken advantage of David's generos-
by and had extracted from him a
promise that when he came to the
throne he would not cut off his seed
after him, that he would not destroy
his name out of his fathers house.
I Sam 24:21.
Now David had kept part of these
covenants; he had not taken the life
al a single one of those who had
prosecuted him so mercilessly; his
attitude had been entirely different
from what any other monarch would
have been in that day. But David
had time to reflect now that he was
not so busily engaged in the affairs
of state, and he thought of his be-
loved friend Of bygone days and of
his promise to him. He inquired,
therefore, if there were any descend
ents alive, for he remembered the
foul murder Of the only remaining
son of Saul by the sons of Rimmon
He learned that there was one of
SauPS servants yet alive, and from
Ziba he learned that there was one
of Jonathan's sons still alive and in
exile.
When the slaughter had taken
place, this boy was a child Of five
years; she had attempted to get
away and in her haste had let the
little fellow fall; he had been lame
in his feet ever since. Those who
had had him under their care had
gone over the other side of the Jor-
dan with him, and there they had
raised him in the house of Machir
of Lo-debar. AS he grew to man
if he would some day be discovered
and his life taken by David or some
of his emissaries. We can well mag
inc how afraid he was when the
messengers arrived to say that he
was to be brought into the presence
his fear get any less as he came
nearer and nearer to the city of the
king.
King1y Kindness
Can you picture that scene when
the poor cripple was brought into the
presence of the greatest king that
the world then knew, or has ever
known? He had been living in ex-
lie and probably in want. for there
had been left to him no estate nor
source of income, and his infirmity
had made it impossible for him to
earn a decent livelihood. But, even
so, there was something admirable
about this young man. He is call
ed by two names in the records.
Mephibosheth means destroyer of
shame" and his other name, Merib
baal means contender against Baal."
Now, when we appreciate that the
worship of Baal was attended by the
most horribly immoral and shame
full practices, we can easily see that
to have such names as he had in
Dictated that he would not stand for
that without making the most Vigor-
Gus protests, and doing all that he
could to put an end to them. I'm
doubtedly', therefore this son OF
such a noble father was doing what
he could to make his life count for
all that was best.
When he came into the presence
of David, he bowed himself to the
ground with the greatest Difference,
but could not conceal from the keen
eye of his fathers friend the fear
How graciously David acted. Tear
not" he said, 'for will surely show
thee kindness for the Father Jona-
than's sake, and will restore three all
the land of Saul thy father, and thou
shalt eat bread at my table contin-
ually."
Notice that there were three things
that David promised him-life, that
was the kindness that Jonathan had
asked of him. and that he had also
promised to Saul. But that was only
a small part of what David gave
were the other two. David need not
have done more than spare his life, |
and yet have kept his promises; but |
that was not enough for this gener-
Gus soul. He gave him all that he |
would have inherited, and instructed |
Ziba to take his fifteen sons and the |
twenty servants and get busy max |
ing a crop so that his masters sons |
would have all the income he needed, |
that he might live as his friends |
son ought to live. Even this was not |
enough for Jonathan's boy. He had |
been dearer to him than his own |
brothers, and Jonathan's boy must |
would have; henceforth, he was to |
sit at the kings table and be treat |
ed as one of his own sons.
And so the years went by, until |
one of David's sons rebelled against |
him. 1t was while he was over Jor- |
dan in his effort to put down the |
rebel, that this same Machir of Lo- |
debar with some others provided him |
and his men with food and refresh |
ments. But Ziba proved himself a |
very unfaithful servant, for he told |
David the most outrageous lies about |
Mephibosheth being a traitor and an |
migrate. David was impulsive, and |
believed it at first, but when he got |
back to Jerusalem. the unshaven
beard, the long hair, and the unkept |
appearance of Mephibosheth, told a
very different story, a story Of the |
most heartfelt distress; for while his
lameness prevented him from going |
to the help of the king he had spent
the whole time in anxious mourning
for the fate of his friend and bene-
factor.
I have been wondering whether we
are as deeply concerned over the af-
fairs of our David; for David was
thing for Mephibosheth, but he was