FROM LODEBAR TO THE KING’S TABLE

Let us consider these points:

1. His descent

2. His condition

3. His privilege

Our first point requires that we consider the descent of a prince who lived at Lodebar. He had not always lived there. He was descended from a royal family which had experienced much honor and glory among the people of Israel.

He was the only remaining member of king Saul’s family. Because of Saul’s sin, his entire family was destroyed. How plainly we see in that family God’s holy judgment over sin. There was none left but Mephibosheth, and his life was full of trouble and misery.

Mephibosheth was five years old when God’s judgment came upon Saul. There was a war, and in that war Saul and his sons were slain. How sad were the tidings received in the royal palace that both the father and the grandfather of the little boy were slain in the battle. The woman who was taking care of the little boy was very much afraid when she heard the tidings, for in those countries it was the custom when one king conquered another, all the princes were also killed. Knowing this, she decided to flee with the young prince and to bring him to Lodebar, a little town in a dry region. But while they were fleeing, the child fell, so that it became lame on both his feet.

He was sitting there, the little boy, a prince, but lame; a prince, but poor, eating the bread of charity. He was born in a palace, but now dwelled in the despised little town of Lodebar.

Do you know what Lodebar means? It means “pesthouse.” There, then, sat the prince, lame and forsaken, expecting any moment to be killed, for the law required it.

Dear friends, is that prince not an image of what you and I are by nature? Man is of royal descent. In Paradise, man stood as a prince to praise and glorify God. Oh, that we might experience the depth of our fall. Now we are children of Adam, sinners, because of the fall. In Paradise the breach was made. Oh that the Lord might open your eyes to see yourself as a fallen child of a King, who became a child of Satan. Oh, do not deceive yourself for eternity.

Upon Mephibosheth rested the curse of the house of Saul, and upon us all rests the curse of Adam’s breach of the covenant. Yea, the little prince was lame on both feet, and is man also not lame on both his feet, without God in the world? Mephibosheth lost all his possessions, riches, and honor and landed at Lodebar, the pesthouse. And where has man landed by his deep fall in Adam? We live in the pesthouse of sin, and, what is worse, we are satisfied in it. We become at home in the Lodebar of the world. Blessed is the man who becomes restless in that Lodebar of the world. But it is only by grace that man can no longer endure his stay in the Lodebar of the world.

Our second point calls for the consideration of his condition.

While Mephibosheth dwelled in Lodebar, a king reigned with power and glory at Jerusalem. From that king, of course, Mephibosheth could expect nothing but death and destruction. Had not his grandfather repeatedly tried to kill David? No, indeed, if that king knew the hiding place of the lame prince, it would mean his death.

And lo, on a certain day that king asked, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Ziba, a former servant of the house of Saul, knew the secret, and told it, and immediately the king commanded him to fetch the prince out of Lodebar.

How rich this narrative is. The spiritual experiences of God’s people are amply held before us. There is a people here on earth who by grace have learned something of it.

David asked, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

Oh, wonder of free grace! In eternity already, the Lord has asked, “Is there any left that I may show him kindness for Christ’s sake?”

David sent his servants to fetch Mephibosheth out of Lodebar. And wonder of free grace, the Lord sends His servants, His Word, and His Spirit to fetch the objects of His eternal election out of the pesthouse of sin.

But just think what that must have been for Mephibosheth. He must have been afraid when the servants came to get him and to bring him to the king’s palace. He expected that meant death for him. How gladly he would have remained at Lodebar.

And is that not the experience of all God’s children? Looking back to the time when they were first drawn, they acknowledge, “Lord, Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed.” Mephibosheth had to go to the king. He did not go of himself, he had to be fetched. Man by nature is also thus. He shall never go to the Lord, the Lord must take him captive by His word and Spirit. When God begins to uncover man, it is not pleasant for our flesh. Blessed is the man who learns to see that he is lame. Mephibosheth could not go away; neither can man do so of himself, it is only by irresistible free grace.

Now the servants of the king had to make a difficult journey with the lame praince. They had to go over the Jordan, and then on to Jerusalem through the wilderness and through great dangers. Surely for Mephibosheth it was a way of death. He must die.

Is that not also your experience, afflicted souls? The free-will people of our days, who are enemies of free grace and who want to give man something to rest on even if he has no sound basis, say, “Go to Jesus.” But the truly discovered soul will experience that he must be brought there.

Oh, that way from Lodebar to Jerusalem can be so fearful. The afflicted souls can be so afraid when they consider their lameness, that they cry out, “I am a child of death!” There are people on that way who can find no rest. They have lost God. But, like Mephibosheth, they draw nearer to the king. He must have seen the beauty of the palace and noticed the glory of David. Is that not also the experience of one who has truly become a sinner before God? They see something of the greatness and riches of the King of kings. Then they sigh within their heart, “Oh, if I were but the least servant of the King, that I too might dwell near the King.” But when man looks upon his descent and the place from which God fetched him, then it is impossible. Then he is guilty of death. The nearer he comes to his Judge, the more impossible it becomes.

David’s servants did not bring the lame man before the palace, but in the palace of David. And what did Mephibosheth do when he came before the king? He fell on his face, and did reverence. Is that not an image of the sinner who must appear before the justice of the Most High, and has not a penny with which to pay? Blessed is the man who gives up. The law testifies, “Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

God, the Father is judge and hence the sinner must go to eternal perdition. Righteously condemned to hell, and then, oh wonder, Christ comes and testifies that He has borne their guilt and sin. That is very clear in our third point.

When Mephibosheth beheld the king in his majesty and honor, he did not know what to say or to ask, but fell upon his face. Perhaps while on the way he had thought, “I will tell the king that I am a son of his friend, Jonathan.” But now he lies speechless on the earth.

David spoke to the lame man. “Mephibosheth,” he said. And thus the sinner also hears his name when he stands before God. Yea, thus man must see again and again who he is. And what did Mephibosheth do when he heard his name? Did he begin to boast about himself before the king? No, indeed. He did reverence and said, “Behold thy servant.” That is also the experience of those that truly have grace. They bow ever deeper, and know themselves guilty of death.

Yea, every moment Mephibosheth expected to hear he must die; but O eternal wonder, when he submitted himself to the judgment of David, then he heard the glad tidings out of the king’s mouth: “Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.”

“Fear not.” What a glorious word! What a happy surprise for him. O people of God, what a happy surprise for you. That benefit lay outside of Mephibosheth. All that he had lost through the fall of the house of Saul was returned to him. What a privilege. Was it due to the attitude of Mephibosheth? No, dear friends, it was for Jonathan’s sake. There was a secret, a covenant of friendship between David and Jonathan and that was the reason. The deliverance of this man who expected to die was a benefit of that covenant.

But, oh blessed ministration of the eternal covenant of grace. Christ has merited the blessings, and when the sinner, standing before the bar of God’s righteousness thinks he must die, Christ comes to testify, “I have paid the debt for him.” He has come into the Lodebar of this world to save His Church. He became the Man of sorrows for a hellworthy people.

What love! O people of God, behold your anointed King. He has purchased all the treasures for His people by His precious blood. That is the only ground for the salvation of God’s Church.

The blessing was so great for Mephibosheth that he cried out, “What is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?”

The expression, “a dead dog,” bore witness of great unworthiness in the East. And is that not also the experience of those having true grace? They are nothing in themselves, nothing but sin and guilt, a dead dog. They are nothing, and Christ is all; that is their life.

What a privilege it was that the lame Mephibosheth was given a place at David’s table. What a privilege, what an honor it was always to be able to speak with the king. That is also the richness of God’s people. They become brothers of the Lord, the King’s favorites, only for Christ’s sake.

But we read in the chapter of our text that Mephibosheth remained lame. That, my friends, is the experience of all those who by grace have faith in Christ. They shall experience that they remain lame.

Unconverted people, young people, remember you are still living under the presentation of grace. The Lord still calls you. Seek the Lord in prayer. It is still possible. It is still the day of grace. Oh, that you might learn to know the way from Lodebar to the King’s table. Soon it will be eternity, and without Christ, you will enter eternal death.

Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart. Amen.

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