And for the sake of me having to type out Mephibosheth, he will now be referred to as Bo.
Bo goes through a classic case of identity that i believe we all are going through in one way or another. Bo is crippled in both feet, and even though he has a royal lineage (he is the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, Israel's first king) he sees himself as a "dead dog" (v. 8).
How many of us judge ourselves according to what we see in the mirror? Or what we see on the report card? Or in our annual review at our job? Or in (or what's not in) our wallet? And when we do look at such things, no doubt the result is we see ourselves as good as a "dead dog." We all have an ache somewhere in our lives that cries out, and the yell bounces off the walls of our own soul and somehow echo back:
"dead dog!"
But in this passage David restores Bo in two huge ways.
The first is provision. Did you see the message that was repeated FOUR times in this one short chapter? It was the fact that Bo "ate at the king's table" (or something equal to that) in verses 7, 10, 11, and 13. Look at the question in life that particularly bugs you. The question underneath it probably lies in the realm of provision. Will there be enough money? A high enough social standing? A good enough resume? Etc. But one of the great promises of God is provision. Look at these passages:
Matthew 6:25-33
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
II Peter 1:3
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."
Do you believe these promises to be more true than the echoes of your soul telling you otherwise? I promise you that Scripture always holds more sway than our fear of lack in our lives.
The second way that David helps restore Bo is through fruitfulness.
Notice that at the end of the passage Bo actually bears a son. The son's name is Mika which curiously can mean "Who is afraid?" or "Who is a wimp?" The ultimate show of fruitfulness in the Old Testament (and still today in many ways) is to bear a child. It's part of God's command of fruitfulness in Genesis 1, it's the long awaited promise for Abraham, etc. And Bo names his son Mika, I believe as a testimony that he (Bo) is no longer afraid, and no longer sees himself as weak/a wimp! It's a nomenclative brushing off of the shoulders! It's Bo's way of saying "I'm provided for, therefore I can be fruitful. Nothing can stop me."
Colossians 3:1 says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." And where is Christ seated? On a throne.
Even more interestingly we are reminded with the very last words of this passage that Bo is lame in both feet. And yet his whole identity has undergone a giant transformation! Now, I believe our God is one that can heal feet, but He is also one that is not afraid to keep our circumstances the same until our soul, our identity is elevated to that of royalty. Kingdom of God royalty.
Provided for, fruitful, the divine meshing with human, from dead dog to
royalty.
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