Return of the King?
Return of the King?
2 Samuel 19:24-43
24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. 25 And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. 27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. 28 For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” 29 And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33 And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” 34 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” 39 Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. 40 The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.
41 Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?” 42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
24 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. 25 And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26 He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. 27 He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. 28 For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” 29 And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” 30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33 And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” 34 But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38 And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” 39 Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. 40 The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.
41 Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?” 42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
Humpty Dumpty
You remember Humpty Dumpty? He sat on a wall, but had a great fall. Then, “All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn’t put Humpty together again.” No matter how hard we try, some shattered things just can’t be mended. That’s how King David must feel as he completes his broken homecoming today. It has been a very great fall.
The King’s Discernment (24–30)
It broke David’s heart when he heard Mephibosheth had betrayed him. As his adopted son now hobbles out to him, is he trying to save his own skin, like Shimei? He doesn’t look like he’s prospered from David’s trouble. He hasn’t changed, bathed, or groomed since David left. When David asks why he did not go with him into exile, Mephibosheth offers a very different story from Ziba’s. He wanted to join David, but Ziba left him and slandered him, all to get his stuff. The cripple couldn’t follow David into the wilderness, so he showed his loyalty the only way he could, by mourning for him in Jerusalem. Who do you believe—Mephibosheth, or Ziba? It seems that David can’t decide, and so divides the loot between the two men. This is unsatisfactory to us. But I think it’s a test, like Solomon will one day administer to reveal the true mother of a contested baby (1 Kings 3:16–28). David can discern Mephibosheth’s heart by the way he responds to losing half of his trust fund. He says, “Give it all to Ziba. I don’t want your stuff. I just want you.” I’d say that he passes.
The King’s Devotion (31–40)
A wonderful minor character named Barzillai now comes out to meet the king. The wealthy, 80-year-old Barzillai supplied David’s men in the wilderness; now he wants to welcome the king home. David wants to reward his loyalty, but Barzillai did not come for personal gain. Palace life doesn’t interest the old man. He wants to spend his last years at home, and be buried with his family. He only wants the honor of escorting his king back to his throne. He’s served David all his life, and wants to be faithful to the end. His name means “man of iron.” So the two men walk and talk to the river. Then they embrace, and part for the last time. True devotion.
The King’s Disappointment (40–43)
Finally, Judah and half of Israel, who all rejected David and ran him out of the country, meet the king at the Jordan. It should be a moment of healing and unity. Instead, the ten northern tribes are angry at Judah for trying to bring the king back without them (41). Judah snaps: “he’s from our tribe!” Israel shouts back, “well our ten tribes have ten shares in David!” The argument will escalate into another civil war (ch20)! We must judge David’s homecoming a failure, even after his victory, and all his shrewd political dealing. Because of David’s own sin, the kingdom is shattered—and David just can’t put it back together again.
Do you remember the “negatives” that once came with your developed photos (kids, ask a grown-up)? If you held them to the light, you could see a dark, reversed image of your bright, colorful photo. David’s broken homecoming is the photo-negative of the beautiful return of King Jesus, who is coming again to reclaim his Father’s world. The man of sorrows will be revealed as the Lord of all! He will cut no shady political deals. He will sort out every last character who stands before him, discerning our hearts with blazing clarity. He will right every wrong and reveal every tiny act of faithfulness. For those who love him, escorting him home will be all the reward we seek. We will watch in awe as King Jesus puts all the shattered pieces of our fallen world back together again.
Are you ready? Come live for him now! No fall is too great, no life too broken, for him.
Do you remember the “negatives” that once came with your developed photos (kids, ask a grown-up)? If you held them to the light, you could see a dark, reversed image of your bright, colorful photo. David’s broken homecoming is the photo-negative of the beautiful return of King Jesus, who is coming again to reclaim his Father’s world. The man of sorrows will be revealed as the Lord of all! He will cut no shady political deals. He will sort out every last character who stands before him, discerning our hearts with blazing clarity. He will right every wrong and reveal every tiny act of faithfulness. For those who love him, escorting him home will be all the reward we seek. We will watch in awe as King Jesus puts all the shattered pieces of our fallen world back together again.
Are you ready? Come live for him now! No fall is too great, no life too broken, for him.
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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church
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