We are moving forward in 2nd Samuel 9 and looking at the kindness, grace, and generosity of David toward Mephibosheth. We will look at verses 7 and 8 today but before we do, let us be reminded that yesterday we looked at how Mephibosheth was hiding out and would have been fearful that David would be wanting to kill when David called for him. Let us see what happens when he comes before David." 7 David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly." 8 Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?"
The first thing we read is that David did away with Mephibosheth’s fear. David gave him all that was his and more. David gave him all the land that was his grandfather Saul’s. David also brings him to his table to eat. This one who is lame and worthless in society is now going to be eating at the King’s table and he now has land. David went against the custom that would have been to kill and blessed him instead. This one who society said should be his enemy David choose to bless.
David did more than that by allowing him to eat at his table he gave him the privilege of being in his presence continually. What that would mean would be that in essence he was added into the family. He was being treated like an adopted son which he actually calls him in verse 11.
So how does Mephibosheth react? Mephibosheth reacts by telling David that he is not worthy of such an honor. He calls himself a dead dog which is a pretty bad thing at that time. In the Jewish culture dogs were repulsive, disgusting, something to be despised. Calling yourself a dead dog in those days would carry the connotation today of saying, "I’m just a road killed skunk – a smashed cockroach." He sees himself as worthless when he was heir to the throne! What happened was because he was crippled, society at that time would have taught him that he was worthless and unfortunately he believed them. He was at one point in time the rightful heir to the throne but did not live like it until David brought him to that point.
God says you’re an heir to the kingdom – do you live like it? You are an adopted son or daughter of God’s but do you live like it? Do not believe society when they tell you that you are worthless or do you keep in your mind that you are a priceless child of the king and an heir to the thrown of God? These are questions that we need to wrestle with and find your answers in God and in His Word.
What does it mean to you that you are a son or daughter of God?
Romans 8:15. The Greek word for “adoption” is “huiothesia”, which means:
http://strongsnumbers.com/greek/5206.htm (properly, sonship (legally made a son); adoption.)
This means that beyond any shadow of a doubt, all the “legal rights and entitlements” of my Father in Heaven are passed onto me as a son.
Stew on that, for a while!
Even women this side of Heaven are made into sons through this adoption, for a daughter receives nothing as an inheritance when there is a son involved. Spiritual sonship is not gender-specific, it is a divine mystery. Yet it is our reality. Even for the ladies.
“Daughters of God” is Mormon theology, and has nothing to do with Romans 8:15.
I do love that portion of Scripture (Romans 8:15) and have actually taught on it. I have not heard that Spiritual sonship is not gender-specific before – I will have to do more research on it – but I find it very intriguing and it does make sense from what I do know about women and that time.
You have given me somethings to chew on and study up on and I like that!
Jim,
If I may:
Consider this- Jesus makes mention of so many things that are looked at in the natural but are meant for the spiritual. He talks about good and bad fruit. We see natural things; He meant spiritual things. That’s an easy example.
So…
To say we need to embrace the reality of spiritual adoption as SONS might offend the feminists and/or those who look to scream “Misogyny!” at the slightest hint of “male superiority”. Spiritual adoption as sons is exactly that: SPIRITUAL ADOPTION as sons, not as daughters. Jesus was not named Jessica for a reason.
We all want to be like Jesus. Guess what? He is/was a son and The Son. To seek to walk like Him under the umbrella of being a daughter of God is an impossibility. It is not the spirit of adoption as daughters and sons. It is sons. And it is Spirit.
The biggest uproar over this is that it sounds as if I am saying women cannot follow Jesus unless they become men. Yikes! Never said that, never will say that! This is spiritual adoption, not earthly. Sons of God in the Spirit. This is not gender-specific.
Allow me to close with this: my bride, the mother of my two daughters, is all woman. She is feminine through and thorough. But her spirit is aligned and submitted to the spirit of sonship. She is following after Jesus, The Son. She wants to be like Him in every way. She wants to be a Father-pleaser like He was. She walks as a son, in the Spirit. But in the natural she is my covenant bride and awesome friend who happens to be all chick.
I could go on and on, but…I shall stop here. This is not an easy teaching, Jim. I won’t lie and tell you it is. It is most assuredly not. But meditate on Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6, and ask yourself if our Dad looks at us as being sons or as being daughters. I haven’t found “daughters of God” in the NT, in any version.
We are as sons. Each and every one of us.
it means I have unlimited and unhindered access to the Father! I want to take even better advantage of that access than I have been already.
“….unlimited and unhindered access to the Father!”
Just like Jesus did! Jim, this is what I was rambling on and on about!
solid
I can see where you are coming from Jim in your original post. At the risk of raising some “stink” i think it is much ado about nothing. Adoption into God’s family is adoption into His family. It matters not to me if it is as a “son” or a “daughter.” I realize the whole Mormon junk but I am not referring to that. When my brother and his wife adopted Lia from China, she became a member of the Grandi family-locally and country-wide. Male or female makes no matter. She has taken the last name of my brother and is part of our family. My .02 worth.
I failed to mention that this has also taken us from the original intent of your post. The question you ask (paraphrased) is am I living like a child of the Father? M had to learn all that was David’s was his. we also are heirs to the Kingdom and all that is the Father’s is ours.
To me it means that I have the best Father, in which my spirit calls out “Abba”. The one who has giving me His Spirit in which is the seal of adoption, my identity, the symbol to this world, satan and my enemies that I am His.
It carries several meanings for me:
As a son, God will never stop loving me; He may no like what I do, but He loves me the same.
As a son, God establishes boundaries and rules for me to follow. These are for my benefit and not out of spite.
As a son, if I do not please God, He will correct my ways.
As a son, I desire to please Him.
There’s other things as well, but this is a start.
“God says you’re an heir to the kingdom – do you live like it?”
I try to ask myself this question every day. With everything I am, I desperately want to “walk worthy” of this inheritance. It is my heart’s cry and my life message.
It means that no matter what is said or done, I will always be His child and He will be my Father.
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