6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

Mephibosheth, the 5-year-old son of Jonathon, was paralyzed while fleeing for his life. See 2 Samuel 4:4. A lot of time has passed since that incident, and he is grown up. David wants to find out if there is anyone from the house of Saul he can show kindness to for the sake of Jonathon. Ziba, one of Saul’s servants, tells him of Mephibosheth, who lives in Lo Debar.

One writer describes Lo Debar as “Nothingville” and not even considered a city. No doubt, as David summoned him into his courts, a mix of curiosity and fear filled his mind. Why is David calling me after all these years? David reassured Mephibosheth with his kind words and actions. David was very kind in giving him his father’s land back and making sure someone took care of it for him and his family. But his kindness went even further than that. David wanted to give him a place at the king’s table. Can you imagine a man who had been shunned for most of his life, living in poverty? No doubt he heard the stories of years passed how his grandfather Saul was king. Now after living all these years wants to make me like one of his sons. He knew He was not worthy of such kindness. David was fulfilling a promise he made to Jonathon and Saul. David promised he would not destroy their family when He became king.

This act of kindness reminds me of our Lord. Many times people in the New Testament referred to Jesus as the Son of David. People would come to Him asking for His mercy or undeserved kindness. See Luke 18:35-43 and Mark 7:24-30 as a couple of examples. Of course, like Mephibosheth, we do not deserve to be called the children of God. Yet, in spite of our sin and moral shortcomings, He calls us His children. See 1 John 3:1.

Sources
“What is the significance of Lo Debar in the Bible?,” Got Questions Ministries, accessed May 20, 2022, [https://www.gotquestions.org/Lo-Debar-in-the-Bible.html]