The Mephibosheth Blessing: Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 26, 2022
Updated: Aug 29, 2022
Praise God that Christians have access to many blessings in the Bible. Blessings that ensure a life that reflects the fullness of life available though the death of Jesus (John 10:10). One such blessing involves Mephibosheth. He was the last remaining son of King David's best friend, Jonathan. Although Jonathan was the son of David's arch nemesis and predecessor, the Bible tells us that both men loved each other. 1 Samuel 18:1-3 - After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
As we can see, David and Jonathan entered into covenant. That agreement covered their family members well and was expected to outlive both men. 1 Samuel 20:42 - Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
Unfortunately, sometime later, Jonathan died on the battlefield alongside his father and most of his brothers. This incident, however, opened the way for God's promise that David would take over the throne.
Years after David became king, he remembered the covenant with Jonathan and found Mephibosheth. The young man was lame and living with someone, having lost most of his family. However, in an instant, his life changed when David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan..." (2 Samuel 9:7). David granted him ownership of his grandfather's estate plus all the land belonging to his grandfather's family. He was also invited to always eat at the king's table as if one of his sons, officials or special dignitaries.
Mephibosheth went from a crippled young man to a man of means and substance. He did nothing to deserve this change in circumstance. He simply benefited from a covenant made between his father and a man who eventually became king.
Through this story, the Lord showed me what I call the Mephibosheth Blessing. This is a blessing where an individual benefits from a good relationship they were never party to. It involves love and/or respect between two people that a third person reaps from. In Mephibosheth's case, his father, Jonathan, and David loved one another and years later, though lame and forgotten by many, that original relationship transformed his life for the better. The Mephibosheth Blessing can be prayed over yourself or over your generations.
Please don't rush into asking for this blessing because you need to take a second to consider a few things. The Mephibosheth Blessing is based on the concept of covenant and love. Take some time to read the messages on covenants so you have an understanding of the concept and the related consequences. To benefit from covenant, you have to be a covenant keeper yourself. Trust me, Mephibosheth proved to be this very sort of person in 2 Samuel 19. If you recall our review of covenant, then you know that God takes them very seriously and will punish for breaking them.
Therefore, arm yourself with the knowledge of this blessing and work on being a faithful person so when the time comes, you can ask God for the Mephibosheth Blessing and receive it to the glory of God. May the Lord bless you with the wisdom to apply this and other blessings in your life and that of your loved ones, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
You can read more on promises and covenants here:
To learn more about blessings and obedience, consider reading this old P&P message - Deuteronomy 28 Blessings & Requirements - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 24, 2021
*LAST 10 MINUTES* As I noted in the original post, we each need to take a second to consider covenant because it is a key part of the Mephibosheth Blessing. I mentioned that it is important that each of us is a faithful person. The reason why is because there are people in the Bible who enjoyed the Mephibosheth blessing but quickly squandered it. One such example is the young King of Ammon in 2 Samuel 10. His father had recently died and he became leader of his kingdom. Instead of nurturing the good relationship his father had built with the Kingdom of Israel and its king, David, the new king insulted David. The result was a war that ended with a former…