Now you will find David's promise to Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20:14-17;
and his promise to Saul in 1 Samuel 24:20-22. David had only agreed
that when he became king he would not kill Saul's descendants. He
could have fulfilled his promise by simply allowing Mephibosheth to
live as he was doing, visiting around, kind of sneaky like, without
any pocket change, among the few friends who would take him in.
What do you suppose Mephibosheth thought when the messengers showed up
one morning at Machir's house and called for him to appear before the
king? Scared to death, don't you think? No doubt he thought it was all
over for him now, except the "slow driving and music on the hill."
Why, when he came before the king he bowed clear down to the marble
floor, doing obeisance, and called himself a dead dog. Then, what
happened? He had to pinch himself to see whether he was dreaming. He
never got over the surprise of it as long as he lived. King David
helped him up on his crutches and told him to cheer up, for from that
time forward he should sit at his table, and be as one of the king's
own sons.
More than that: with all the thoughtfulness and fine courtesy of a
Christian gentleman, David turned over to this cripple his grandfather
Saul's estate, together with Saul's servant, old Ziba, with his
fifteen sons and twenty slaves, to till the land.
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