King David's treatment of the lame Mephibosheth is a beautiful portrait of Christ's treatment of poor helpless sinners who are drawn to Him by the Father.
David restored Mephibosheth's lands and servants, and exalted him to eat at the king's table for the rest of his days.
Mephibosheth's response to this undeserved mercy is revealing: he wondered aloud how and why the King should so befriend one such as himself. He referred to himself as no better than a "dead dog."
Dogs were despised in Israel, and the Scriptures use them to describe those who are vile and despised and cast out, worthy of shame and judgment. A dead dog was a pollution on the land and fit only to be burned upon the trash heap.
This is indeed our condition before Christ; we are filthy in our sins, and an offense to a Holy God. Yet sinners' eyes are blinded, and they know not their true standing before God.
But when the Holy Ghost opens our eyes and enlivens our dead hearts, we cannot fail to see our loathsomeness to God; thus we exclaim with joy, like Mephibosheth, at God's mercy toward us, dead dogs though we are.
Not only so, but Mephibosheth's image of the dead dog reminds us that Gentile were called dogs by the Jews. Yet the Lord was pleased to extend His Gospel of salvation beyond the chosen Israelites unto the ends of the world! This was foretold by the prophets, but beautifully portrayed in Christ's dealing with the Syrophoenician woman. She acknowledged her low estate, but begged for the crumbs that fell to the dogs under the table! She claimed no entitlement, but pled for mercy, and the Lord heard!
Unworthy though we are, we're seated with the Lord of Glory!
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
#7 - Top Played Sermon (48-Hours) on 11/25/2013
