“And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of Saul, your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?””
– 2 Samuel 9:7–8
This is a picture of kindness from David the king to Mephibosheth. He was a son of Jonathan, he was crippled in his feet, and the king, King David, basically just said, “I will make sure you are provided for, you will eat at my table always.” Mephibosheth is overwhelmed. He is thinking, “Who am I that I would sit at the king’s table? Always? For the rest of my life? That I would enjoy this privilege?” In this picture of a man who is overwhelmed by the king inviting him to his table to feast there for the rest of his life.
An Invitation to God’s Table
We who were once enemies of God have been invited to eat at His table now, for all our days in this life, and for all of eternity.
In this picture, we see a portrait of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, what it means to be a child of God, invited by the king of the universe. Just think about this in your life. You have been invited by the sovereign king of the universe. By the creator of all, the omnipotent sovereign ruler of everything. He has invited you to feast at his table. Not just for the rest of your life here on Earth, but forever.
What we are going to do right now as we pray in just a moment. We have been invited to come into the presence of the holy god of the universe. The one true god, king overall, and we have communion with him, and not just get to talk with him but he speaks to us. Not just does he speak to us, but he strengthens us, he satisfies us, he sustains us, he helps us, he leads us, he guides us, he directs us, he blesses us, we could go on and on and on and on. The kings has invited us to a feast at his table.
2 Samuel 9:7–8 Takes Delight in God’s Grace
This is grace. Mephibosheth says, “Who am I? What is your servant that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I? How much more do we say?” Who are we? We’re sinners who have rebelled against God. Sinners who have rebelled over the king over all, and we have been invited to commune with him and join him. To walk with him. Oh, to worship him. To delight in him and all of his goodness toward us forever.
So God, I am speechless. God, I’m so overwhelmed by your grace right now. I don’t deserve this. There’s not one of us who’s praying right now who deserves this. We deserve to be separated from you forever. We deserve just judgment for our sin. Eternal separation from you and you have saved us from that which we deserve. Not only saved us, but you have seated us at your table. I pray you forgive me for how easily I take this for granted.
2 Samuel 9:7–8 Thanks God for the Privilege of Prayer
This privilege of prayer, this privilege of communion with you, relationship with you. This is awesome beyond words. This is awesome, and that’s guaranteed forever. That you’ve said, “You shall eat at my table always.” Always, like even beyond the moment when I breathe my last breath, when we breathe our last breath, we will in an even greater way, come in your presence and feast at your table.
So God, thank you. Thank you for saving us, thank you for seating us at your table. Help us to take full advantage of this privilege you’ve given to us. Pray that you would teach us to pray and teach us to live in a way that honors you as our king and spread your kingdom. Help us to invite others to the table. Help us to not keep this invitation to ourselves. God, we pray you’d use us today to lead somebody else to come to your table. We pray that you would bring the nations to your table, bring all the people of the world to your table. Use our life, our churches toward that end. Above all, we love you God and we praise you for the privilege of a seat at your table. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
