God Will Restore Your Lost Inheritance
-2 Samuel 9:7
Many people have lost inheritances that God is going to restore.
You have thought about it and you have also worked on coming to terms with it, as your history, your story.
I believe that God does restore lost inheritances. God's kindness and graciousness knows no bounds with his children. This is illustrated in the story of Mephibosheth, in 2 Samuel 9:
David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from the family of Saul I can show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?” There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“I am your servant,” he replied.
So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?”
Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.”
The king asked him, “Where is he?”
Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.
Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, fell facedown, and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“I am your servant, ” he replied.
“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”
Mephibosheth paid homage and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?”
Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family. You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.”
So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons. Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been injured.
This is the greatest illustration of grace in the Old Testament. Chuck Swindoll said that.
Mephibosheth was about 5 years old, when his dad, Jonathan and his grandpa, Saul; were killed. At some point, when he was little, he was accidentally dropped and both of his feet became crippled.
Mephibosheth was about 5 years old, when his dad, Jonathan and his grandpa, Saul; were killed. At some point, when he was little, he was accidentally dropped and both of his feet became crippled.
He was a special needs kid who also lost his dad and most of (all?) his family. They died in the tumultuous war. His grandpa was also in a civil war with David, his dad's best friend.
It was unknown, in the years that followed his dad's and grandpa's deaths, if Mephibosheth was loyal to his grandpa, against David.
Mephibosheth was born into a messy time, with a good dad, but also had a disability, due to an accident. If things had gone differently, he would still have his dad and be in the royal family. But the reality was very different.
Misfortune upon misfortune seemed to be Mephibosheth's fate. Despite these, he found a wife and now had his own son. When David summoned him, he might have imagined that this is it, he was about to be executed, since he was Saul's heir, and his son was about to become fatherless, just like he was.
But that is not what happened. Instead, David reinstated Saul's lands to him, ordered a group of people to work that land for him, and gave him a place at his table (the king's table) permanently.
Reversal of fortune is what we call this. Probably totally unexpected. Kindness given, grace bestowed.
In this chapter, we have this word 'kindness' three times. It is in Hebrew, hesed, meaning 'loyal love'. This word is also used in Lamentations 3, where Jeremiah talked about just how bad things are, but then remarks that in the middle of this grief, that God is still good, dependable, and worthy of putting our faith in:
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!
-Lamentations 3:22-23
This is what happened to Mephibosheth, encapsulated in 2 Samuel 9:7:
- "Don’t be afraid", David said to him,
- "Since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan".
- "I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields",
- "And you will always eat meals at my table".
Don't be afraid.
- God wants us to fear not. Be at peace and be still. You are not being punished. What Mephibosheth went through was not punishment, but misfortune. When God moves in your life, do not be afraid. God loves you.
- God is kind and invented the concept. Whatever you have been through or was taken from you, God's kindness has you covered. God has been kind to you and is going to show you his kindness in a big way, when he restores your lost inheritance to you.
- This is a theme throughout the whole story arc of the Bible. And this particular story emphasizes that again. How and when God will restore and in what way, I can not say. But what I can say is from the Bible, is that God restores. Expect it and look for it.
- This reminds us of Jesus story of the two sons. The one asked for his inheritance early and squandered it. When he came home, he realized that being with his father was the greatest reward and that his real inheritance was bigger than he imagined. And the second son, who stayed home, lived with his dad and took him for granted and did not know how loved he was and what a treasure that sharing life and meals together was.
Something to think about is that God does not 'make it go away', as in putting us in a time machine, or turning the pages back and giving us a different history. Instead, God redeems the bad things and restores us in relationship to him and restores the inheritance that was taken or jilted from us in misfortune.
Mephibosheth still had the disability and he still missed his dear dad. But he was given back his life and got a new living, from David. And he did not have to fear anymore.
He was about 5 years old when he lost his dad, and went into seclusion. He became a nobody. From royal family to pauper.
He may have been about 20 years old when David summoned him. 15 years had passed. Despite the misfortune, he married and had his own little boy.
He had managed to find some joy perhaps, after so much loss. How do you think he felt about God?
God is kind. God is gracious. This is a story of God's kindness and graciousness.
David loved Jonathan and I imagine he missed him. I think he never had another friend that he loved so much.
And David was loyal. He remembered who loved him before he had power. He wanted to do something for someone, in the name of his friend, Jonathan.
God really cares and notices our loyalty to him and to each other. Loyalty is a big deal.
Mephibosheth suffered losses that were no fault of his own. He was in a certain family, and that family suffered losses.
His dad had been very loyal to David. Mephibosheth's inheritance was lost when his dad died. David gave that inheritance back and gave Mephibosheth a permanent place at his table.
I believe that God is going to restore our inheritances that were lost. Because God is kind and gracious.
And I have seen God do it.
God is kind. David illustrates or puts on display God's kindness.
The highest type of kindness, that is the kindness of God that we want to emulate, is spontaneous and self-motivated. God's kindness or godly kindness in us, is based on who God is. God in God and God in us.
We are not kind to people because they earn it or have shown themselves somehow to be good candidates for it. Kindness is gracious. We are kind and gracious, because of something internally in ourselves. It is internal and self motivated.
God is kind because God is kind. I am kind because God is kind. And I want to have God in me, influencing me to be kind.
This is what Jesus was saying when he said, "Be merciful, because your Father is merciful". We, who have experienced God's mercy are to be merciful to others.
David echoes God, in his actions towards Mephibosheth, in his kindness. This is our lifestyle as well, to echo God.
The best basis for benevolence is the experience of the mercy of God. Human organizations like charities that come to mind, that are not based on God's mercy are not the best.
Some people will be indifferent to your lost inheritance. They will be content for you to stay in obscurity or in hiding from your destiny. You might even be 'blessed' with friends like Job had, who tried to reason out how Job must have brought his misfortune upon himself.
Or you might be married to someone who totally does not get you or what God is doing in your life, like Job's wife, who urged Job to, 'curse God and die'. And remember when Sarah was eavesdropping on the Lord speaking to her husband and cracked up, laughing at the absurdness of them having a baby, at their age? These stories are actually very encouraging, showing that God works with weak people and loves them and puts his faith in them.
God is kind. God is kind because God is kind. And God is kind to us because of who God is.
David not only reassigns Mephibosheth's inheritance to him, but gives him a place at the royal dining table. He is given the inheritance and promoted to a new level of relationship and intimacy with David.
It is the same for us with God. God restores our lost inheritance and gives us an intimate relationship with him. He does not just give us gifts, but 'he does not leave us as orphans' and takes us to live with him.
But wait, there is still more. The inheritance re-assigned to you comes with provision. Your inheritance comes fully staffed.
This is what happened to Mephibosheth. A crippled man, with a wife and a small child, was not just given a large farm estate. David also assigned a group of people to work it for him.
The name Mephibosheth means 'dispeller of shame'. Dispel means to make disappear. Perhaps this was Mephibosheth's destiny all along.
There was a lot of shame in being in the family of Saul. He was very dysfunctional and acted crazy. Like a rageaholic.
You might have an inheritance that you lost, that was supposed to come to you, from dysfunctional persons. Maybe even a rageaholic. To be raged at or to see someone in your family rage is shameful.
Growing up, while trying to process and understand what happened with your grandpa, who failed on an epic level, might give you some shame. If you grew up in a dysfunctional family, you might identify with this.
God heals our shame. That's good news. Jesus came to heal up our shame.
Mephibosheth does not have to be ashamed anymore, and you won't either.
This story also illustrates how God loves the fatherless. We are all fatherless in a sense and get adopted into God's family, as His children. But God particularly loves people who are orphaned.
He does not love them more, but there is more to love. Deep wounds, deep healing, from deep love.
God is huge on covenants. Covenants are very important. David made a covenant with Jonathan before Mephibosheth was born, to be loyal to him, no matter what.
David missed his friend and his heart was tugged by that love and desire to do something loving and kind in his memory. That is what started the ball rolling that resulted in Mephibosheth getting these blessings. Covenant love.
This is illustrated in our lives today when we show kindness to our friends children. Especially when our friends die and their kids come into some hard times.
I remember my dad's best friend, who tried to help me, because he loved my dad so much. I really had no idea at the time. But now I realize.
I was just a young man. And he loved me, because he deeply loved, and honored my dad. Wow.
His name was Gus. He had a beard. I first met him when I was very young. I asked Gus if I could touch his beard.
Gus loved me and took an interest in me, because he loved my dad. I had no idea at the time, except I liked him back. He asked me to dinner one time, when I started working in Los Angeles. He came and met me at a Sizzler. He wanted to help me. He was so kind.
God is kind. God remembers. God takes notice of when we have our inheritance lost. God restores things to us that were lost. And God provides for how it will all work. He does not leave us as orphans. And he gives us a permanent spot at his dining table, where we can continue getting to know him and his family and ask questions and become known.
God restores. God is kind. God is gracious. And he dispels our shame. Just look and you will see. And it will happen to you.
He may have been about 20 years old when David summoned him. 15 years had passed. Despite the misfortune, he married and had his own little boy.
He had managed to find some joy perhaps, after so much loss. How do you think he felt about God?
God is kind. God is gracious. This is a story of God's kindness and graciousness.
David loved Jonathan and I imagine he missed him. I think he never had another friend that he loved so much.
And David was loyal. He remembered who loved him before he had power. He wanted to do something for someone, in the name of his friend, Jonathan.
God really cares and notices our loyalty to him and to each other. Loyalty is a big deal.
Mephibosheth suffered losses that were no fault of his own. He was in a certain family, and that family suffered losses.
His dad had been very loyal to David. Mephibosheth's inheritance was lost when his dad died. David gave that inheritance back and gave Mephibosheth a permanent place at his table.
I believe that God is going to restore our inheritances that were lost. Because God is kind and gracious.
And I have seen God do it.
God is kind. David illustrates or puts on display God's kindness.
The highest type of kindness, that is the kindness of God that we want to emulate, is spontaneous and self-motivated. God's kindness or godly kindness in us, is based on who God is. God in God and God in us.
We are not kind to people because they earn it or have shown themselves somehow to be good candidates for it. Kindness is gracious. We are kind and gracious, because of something internally in ourselves. It is internal and self motivated.
God is kind because God is kind. I am kind because God is kind. And I want to have God in me, influencing me to be kind.
This is what Jesus was saying when he said, "Be merciful, because your Father is merciful". We, who have experienced God's mercy are to be merciful to others.
David echoes God, in his actions towards Mephibosheth, in his kindness. This is our lifestyle as well, to echo God.
The best basis for benevolence is the experience of the mercy of God. Human organizations like charities that come to mind, that are not based on God's mercy are not the best.
Some people will be indifferent to your lost inheritance. They will be content for you to stay in obscurity or in hiding from your destiny. You might even be 'blessed' with friends like Job had, who tried to reason out how Job must have brought his misfortune upon himself.
Or you might be married to someone who totally does not get you or what God is doing in your life, like Job's wife, who urged Job to, 'curse God and die'. And remember when Sarah was eavesdropping on the Lord speaking to her husband and cracked up, laughing at the absurdness of them having a baby, at their age? These stories are actually very encouraging, showing that God works with weak people and loves them and puts his faith in them.
God is kind. God is kind because God is kind. And God is kind to us because of who God is.
David not only reassigns Mephibosheth's inheritance to him, but gives him a place at the royal dining table. He is given the inheritance and promoted to a new level of relationship and intimacy with David.
It is the same for us with God. God restores our lost inheritance and gives us an intimate relationship with him. He does not just give us gifts, but 'he does not leave us as orphans' and takes us to live with him.
But wait, there is still more. The inheritance re-assigned to you comes with provision. Your inheritance comes fully staffed.
This is what happened to Mephibosheth. A crippled man, with a wife and a small child, was not just given a large farm estate. David also assigned a group of people to work it for him.
The name Mephibosheth means 'dispeller of shame'. Dispel means to make disappear. Perhaps this was Mephibosheth's destiny all along.
There was a lot of shame in being in the family of Saul. He was very dysfunctional and acted crazy. Like a rageaholic.
You might have an inheritance that you lost, that was supposed to come to you, from dysfunctional persons. Maybe even a rageaholic. To be raged at or to see someone in your family rage is shameful.
Growing up, while trying to process and understand what happened with your grandpa, who failed on an epic level, might give you some shame. If you grew up in a dysfunctional family, you might identify with this.
God heals our shame. That's good news. Jesus came to heal up our shame.
Mephibosheth does not have to be ashamed anymore, and you won't either.
This story also illustrates how God loves the fatherless. We are all fatherless in a sense and get adopted into God's family, as His children. But God particularly loves people who are orphaned.
He does not love them more, but there is more to love. Deep wounds, deep healing, from deep love.
God is huge on covenants. Covenants are very important. David made a covenant with Jonathan before Mephibosheth was born, to be loyal to him, no matter what.
David missed his friend and his heart was tugged by that love and desire to do something loving and kind in his memory. That is what started the ball rolling that resulted in Mephibosheth getting these blessings. Covenant love.
This is illustrated in our lives today when we show kindness to our friends children. Especially when our friends die and their kids come into some hard times.
I remember my dad's best friend, who tried to help me, because he loved my dad so much. I really had no idea at the time. But now I realize.
I was just a young man. And he loved me, because he deeply loved, and honored my dad. Wow.
His name was Gus. He had a beard. I first met him when I was very young. I asked Gus if I could touch his beard.
Gus loved me and took an interest in me, because he loved my dad. I had no idea at the time, except I liked him back. He asked me to dinner one time, when I started working in Los Angeles. He came and met me at a Sizzler. He wanted to help me. He was so kind.
God is kind. God remembers. God takes notice of when we have our inheritance lost. God restores things to us that were lost. And God provides for how it will all work. He does not leave us as orphans. And he gives us a permanent spot at his dining table, where we can continue getting to know him and his family and ask questions and become known.
God restores. God is kind. God is gracious. And he dispels our shame. Just look and you will see. And it will happen to you.
Beautiful words. Glory to God for moving and revealing this truth to share.. It was very much needed today. Thank you.
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