But I want to look at this story about David Mephibosheth tonight.
And I just want to speak a little bit about shadows,
because shadows are very frustrating things.
We know about shadows, they do point to the real thing,
but they can often leave you with a kind of incomplete picture, can't they?
And questions and a bit of frustration,
because you can't really see the real thing unless you have access to it.
Sometimes we do when we have a shadow.
And I think the Old Testament can be a bit like that for us.
When we read it, it can be quite difficult to understand
and difficult to apply in our own lives and to our own circumstances.
And so we do need to look at the Old Testament,
we always need to look at the Old Testament
through the lens of Jesus Christ,
who is the real thing of which the Old Testament really is a shadow
that points forward to Jesus.
It's always important to do that.
But even then it can be hard work,
even then it can be quite difficult to make sense of some of the things in the Old Testament.
Maybe not so much this chapter,
but certainly parts of the Old Testament, very difficult.
But what we do recognize and see is that throughout the Old Testament,
we have a picture of God,
and a picture of a covenant God,
who makes promises,
and who keeps promises,
and is pointing forward to a day when he will reveal himself
as the Messiah and the person of the Redeemer,
the one who is to come to save his people.
And he promises always into the chaos of life.
And we're living in a lot of chaotic days,
and it's important to remember his promises.
It's important to remember his unflinching commitment
to rescue,
to forgive,
and to love his people.
You and I from death to life.
And what that means for you when you go out tomorrow,
the significance and the importance of that.
And what we find is that sometimes the teaching,
hopefully not sometimes,
hopefully always,
we find the teaching of the Old Testament
unfolds,
even in shadow,
God's purposes to his own people.
In a very different culture,
certainly,
to the one that we're used to,
that ancient Near Eastern culture
of kings and wars and brutality,
which we sometimes recoil a little bit from
when we read it.
And we think,
this is not my world.
I don't understand this.
This is strange.
And yet we're called to recognize God
working in that situation,
and we learn from him
about how he expects us to live our lives in Christ
through God our Savior
in a world that we too are surrounded by enemies.
Different enemies,
in a different context.
You're not going to get,
generally speaking,
people running up to you with chariots
and with spears
and all kinds of stuff like that.
But nonetheless,
we know there's a spiritual warfare going on
in our lives.
So there's two things
that I want to talk about this evening.
The first is
the global picture that we see of God at work
in shadow
here in this passage
or in the passages surrounding it.
And then the personal work of God
in shadow
in the interaction between David and Mephibosheth.
And we'll try and make sense of that for ourselves.
So what we recognize
as we're going through the story of David particularly,
God is establishing his kingdom.
He's establishing a people
and a nation
and a country,
a land,
and a king
over them.
And that becomes really clear
in the chapter before
and in the chapter after chapter 8
and chapter 10
are very interesting.
We don't have time to read them.
And in some ways,
they're quite brutal chapters
because it's all the stories of David
defeating his enemies around him
and destroying the enemies
and setting up the land
and the kingdom
for his people.
And so what we do see, though,
is that God is establishing a king
in King David,
a king after his own heart,
a people,
people that follow God
and who are reliant on God
as their saviour
who has redeemed them
and on whom he pours out his hesed,
his loving kindness,
his grace.
He pours that out on them.
And they're establishing a homeland,
a place to stay.
Someone to follow
a righteous king, David,
and somewhere to live.
Somewhere to call home.
That's not that unfamiliar, is it?
So we have the king,
a people, and a homeland.
And it's to be a society
that reflects God's own character.
A society that's loving
and secure
and just
and fair.
I think chapter 8
and verse 15
we're told that David
reigned over all Israel
doing what was just
and right
for all his people.
So it was to be
a specific kind of nation.
One that reflected
God's justice
and God's character.
And it was also a nation
that was founded
on
on God's help
and God's strength.
So again in chapter 8
if you look at verse 6
in terms of the battles
that David had
it said
the Lord gave David victory
wherever he went.
And then in verse 14
it repeats that.
The Lord gave David victory
wherever he went.
So it was
the nation
the big global picture
as it were
was of God
setting up a people
a king
and a nation
and it was in God's strength
and in reliance on God.
And it was always
in the face
of brutal
opposition.
So the surrounding nations
would have none of it.
They didn't want to worship
the God of Israel.
They didn't want to come
under his lordship.
They wanted their own
idolatrous lives
and idolatrous ways
of living.
And
it was
it was kill or be killed.
That was the world
in which you lived.
it was
they were there
to destroy
God's people
and destroy
the worship of God
and his lordship
and his exclusive claims
and his people.
They all wanted that wiped out.
So we find
that God
in the Old Testament
is pointing forward
by doing this.
He's establishing
a king
and a people
and a homeland.
Now can we move
out of the shadows
for just a moment?
And remember
that Jesus
sheds light
on
on all of this
John 8 verse 12
he says
I am the light
of the world.
And
he brings light
into the shadows
of even
these Old Testament
pictures
and he reminds us
that he is
the greater king
the greater son
of David
the one that
we have put our trust
in.
21st century
Edinburgh
we're the people
that have put our trust
in Jesus
the great servant king
the great son of David
who is God
but who is also
one of us.
He's our idol
as it were
he's our god
he's our king
he's our hope
he's our saviour
and he alone
is worthy
of our
worship
who alone
can satisfy
our deepest needs
he's our warrior king
who's already
won the battle
on our behalf
never leaves us
he's the man
it's too easy
for us to lose
sight of that
it's too easy
for us to drift
along without
thinking about
Jesus
to lack
enthusiasm
for Jesus
Christ
and just to forget
how great he is
that everything
everything in the
Old Testament
is pointing towards
this great
climactic
revelation of
God
in Christ
and all of it
is in shadow
behind him
and he's the God
who meets
our deepest needs
the need for
belonging
that is
a homeland
isn't it
that's what we need
that's what the
Old Testament
people were speaking
of and thinking
of
a land flowing
with milk and honey
good place
that's what
God provides for
his acceptance
family
love
security
ultimately a
homeland
which will be
a physical place
too
new heavens
and the new
earth
a place
with no end
date
no eviction
notice
no borders
a place to
explore
and a place
of excitement
and a place
of joy
and a place
of learning
and a place
of exploration
where we live
in his
in his company
forever
with the church
as a family
or the people
of God
as our family
the ground
which McClue
is built
which your houses
are built
scarred by sin
and by all the
effects of sin
will be reclaimed
forever
in the new heavens
and the new earth
he's providing
a home
and a belonging
and a fatherhood
for us
and that victory
similarly
to the victory
of the Old Testament
is a victory
in the face
of spiritual
darkness
enemies
surrounding us
you know
today we can't
get away
from the reality
of evil
you simply
can't do it
it seems like
there's new ways
to invent evil
all the time
doesn't it
can't get away
from it
we realise
that the nations
are under
God's judgement
and that evil
provokes death
and destruction
and his lordship
and his rule
and his greatness
is denied
we see that
we know that
we experience that
all around us
Satan rails
against God
at every level
but remember
he is defeated
on the cross
not yet destroyed
he thrashes around
in his dying
rage
we recognise that
and we
we're realistic
about that
so our Christian
life's a battle
and your heart
is a warfare
and there's that
reality that we face
every day
the war has been won
but there's many
battles that we
still face
as we live
our Christian lives
so there's a kind
of global
picture there
in a sense
a shadowy
picture
in the Old Testament
victories
and establishing
of a kingdom
which point forward
to what God
is doing in Christ
what is happening
just now
that he's establishing
a spiritual kingdom
a homeland
of which we are a part
but I want just
to speak also
briefly
about
the personal
story
that's in shadow
here
that speaks about
grace personally
that maybe takes it
more into the living room
or more into the church
this evening
and
more into our own lives
and how we respond
because
I was saying this morning
at St. Columbus
you know
it's
it's really easy
to
to be unchanged
under God's word
isn't it
it's really easy
to forget
that we're part
of a grace revolution
and it's
so it's a revolution
not in macro terms
but in heart terms
so that
every time we come
under the word
every time we're
eyeball to eyeball
with God
in his word
or in prayer
or in preaching
or in Bible study
whatever it happens
to be
he's saying
I've got something
that I want to
I want to transform
in your life
there's a response
that I want you to give
to the troubles
you're facing
there's
an action of grace
that I want you to put
in place
because the Christian road
that we're on
is a radical road
it's a revolutionary road
it's a different road
certainly
from the revolutions
of the world
where we live
but nonetheless
it's a grace revolution
anyway
that's me just dipping
into this morning's sermon
in case I run out of time
it's personal in shadows
and I think
we need that
because
what we have here
so you've got the big picture
and I know it's difficult
to understand the battles
and
we feel
and a little bit distanced
from all these battles
and these victories
and warfare
and killings
everything
but now
we come to this
this great cameo
this great
this powerful cameo
where we see
God's covenant love
God's chesed love
God's loving kindness
what it looks like
at eyeball to eyeball
level
between human beings
it's a
it's a little grace oasis
as it were
it's a shaft
of light
of grace light
in the Old Testament
shadow
or the Old Testament
attic
it's a sun spot
in the Old Testament
shadowy garden
and it's a place
of warmth
and attractiveness
for us
where we can see
God's love
at work
and I hope
that we can apply that
to how we
live our lives
so
you're a well-taught
people here
you all probably
know the story
of Mephibosheth
and David
and the background
to it as well
what we do have
is the outworking
of God's love
in David's life
I entitled
this sermon
David's Finest Hour
and I genuinely
believe
this is King David's
finest hour
his interaction
with Mephibosheth
is the high point
of his life
doesn't get better
God is with him
in these victories
but this is the high point
and I think the text
is created
to reveal that
because from this point
or from the next chapter
on chapter 11
it speaks about
his great downfall
and his great failing
and the exposing
of his lust
and selfishness
in the story
of Bathsheba
and what follows
from it
and it really
doesn't really
get any better
from then on
this is the high point
in many ways
and that's good
and that's important
because we know
that David
loved the Lord
we know he was
a recipient
of God's great grace
and love
in his life
and we know
that he shared
that love
with Jonathan
he shared
that love
with the way
he treated Saul
even though he could
have destroyed
that whole family
as the kings
of his day
had every right
to do
but he
or Jonathan
and him
made a covenant
in some of the
earlier chapters
chapter
well it's back
in 1st Samuel 20
and also 2nd Samuel 7
we've got these
this great covenant
that Jonathan
made where David
said look
look after my family
and covenant love
you know whatever
happens
Jonathan says
will you please
not destroy
any of my
descendants
because of the
love we share
and because of
because of the
love God
has shown us
because of God's
love for them
that they were
asking
that Jonathan
was asking
who
Jonathan
who knew
that David
had every right
to destroy
any particular
descendants
of Jonathan
and Saul
who might
usurp
the throne
wasn't it
interesting
that ended up
David's own
son that usurped
the throne
in Absalom
anyway
he made this
covenant
and David
agreed
in love
and grace
knowing God's
love in his
own life
to protect
and look
after the
descendants of
Saul and
Jonathan
loyal love
and forgiveness
and grace
was unbreakable
strong bond
and so we have
this story where
David just asked
the question
is anyone left
to Saul's family
and who I can
show kindness
to
same word
loving kindness
grace
chesed
for Jonathan's
sake
he said that
great love
for Jonathan
and there was
this
Mephibosheth
and so he
calls for him
and he calls
for him
to come to the
house
they summoned
him to appear
before David
can you imagine
what Mephibosheth
was thinking
curtains
this is the
end
I've been found
out
been on the run
most of my
life
things have
been difficult
completely
unexpected call
from the king
love to a
descendant of
Saul
no chance
anonymous
character
don't know
what he was
doing up to
this point
but his
background
his bloodline
was deadly
he had
injuries
lifelong injuries
that were a
constant reminder
to him
of the fact
that he'd
been on the
run
for his
life
as a
small child
probably very
poor
dependent on
others
2 Samuel 4
tells us
that he was
dropped by his
nurse while
they were
running away
for their
lives
and damaged
his legs
and he was
never able to
walk properly
after that
he himself
had no
self esteem
called himself
a dead dog
in verse 8
why on earth
would you have
any interest
in me
a dead dog
it's quite
interesting
he's a
dead dog
and he's
living in
Lodabar
and that
just means
the land
of nothing
this guy's
no great
hero
he's a
crippled
individual
who is
anonymous
who's kind
of scared
of his
life
he has
no great
prospects
and he's
living in
the land
of nothing
and the
first thing
David says
to him
is
don't be
afraid
don't be
afraid
he had
every right
to be
afraid
he was
really an
enemy of
David's
in many
ways
he said
I will
surely show
you kindness
in verse 7
for the sake
of your
father
Jonathan
I will
restore to
you
and he
goes on
this great
generosity
amazing
generosity
that he
shows
he restores
his land
he provides
people to
till the
land
to provide
fruit
and to
provide
income
through that
land
he has
fellowship
at the
king's
table
in
Jerusalem
for the
rest of
his life
he has
servants
he has
harvests
he has
income
he's treated
like a
son
he has
no rights
to any
of it
it's
unreal
beyond
his wildest
dreams
he must
say pinch
me
what's
going on
here
am I
dreaming
this can't
be happening
it's like
winning the
lottery
a hundred
times over
he had
this amazing
future
ahead of
him
not that
winning the
lottery is
any use
of course
I recognize
that
but
speaking
colloquially
and using
that illustration
unbelievable
generosity
and grace
was his
so let's
briefly
shine
the
new
testament
light
of
grace
on that
story
for
ourselves
where we
see as
time
reveals
itself
God's
covenant
of
grace
revealed
fully
in the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
and
I
think
from
this
little
glimpse
of
grace
in
David's
finest
hour
we see
him
if I
can
talk
like
this
way
if I
can
talk
this
way
most
like
Christ
he's
most
like
his
greater
son
in
what
he
does
here
he's
a
type
of
Christ
but
he's
also
and
forgive
me
or
forgive
for
those
who
are
theologians
here
this
might
not
be
correct
but
I
think
he's
also
an
exemplar
of
a
Christian
a
type
of
Christ
but
also
an
exemplar
of
a
Christian
he's
reflecting
God's
love
so
we
find
sandwiched
in the
global
shadows
of
chapter
8
and
10
this
amazing
picture
of
grace
being
outworked
which
points
forward
to
his
greater
son
Jesus
because
can I
say
I
think
if we
reflect
on this
in many
ways
we
are
Mephibosheth
we are
the same
as him
before
this
great
king
before
the
greater
son
of
David
Jesus
by
nature
we're
hopeless
before
the
king
we have
no
rights
we have
every
right
for
God
to
reject
us
death
awaits
us
without
salvation
and
that's
where
sin
holds
us
in a
place
of
being
enemies
of
Christ
and under
his
just
wrath
and
judgment
until
we come
to
faith
it's
important
to
grasp
that
to
remind
ourselves
lest
we
think
we
deserve
anything
from
Jesus
lest
we
think
we're
better
than
other
people
lest
we
think
people
out
there
deserve
judgment
but
us
in
here
we
don't
let's
remind
ourselves
of
who
we
were
if
you're
Christians
this evening
who
we
were
and
how
God's
great
grace
was
gifted
to
us
and
can
I
just
ask
if
any
of
you
share
that
same
self
loathing
as
Mephibosheth
had for
himself
this
dead
dog
when
I
was
reading
this
passage
that's
always
what
stands
out
for
me
that
you
should
notice
a
dead
dog
like
me
we
live
in
a
day
and
a
generation
where
people
self
esteem
is
extremely
low
many
people
feel
utterly
worthless
and
insignificant
feel
like
damaged
goods
unworthy
of
anyone
or
anything
now
if
you're
a
Christian
this
evening
and
you
feel
like
that
I
think
you
need
to
seriously
reevaluate
your
understanding
of grace
and of
God's
love
for you
and
his
covenant
love
and
his
promises
and
his
commitment
and
the
great
cost
he's
already
paid
for you
to be
free
we
kind of
forget
it
and yet
it's
the
greatest
cost
that he
couldn't
have done
anymore
for you
to be
sitting
here
this
evening
as
a
Christian
up
close
and
personal
find
your
value
and
your
identity
and
your
worth
and
your
significance
and
your
purpose
in
life
knowing
his
great
love
not
just
talking
about
it
or
understanding
it
theologically
but
soaking it
in
and
taking
it
so that
it
changes
the way
we
think
about
ourselves
and
who
we
are
and
understanding
him
and
recognizing
if you're
not yet
a
Christian
if you
feel that
sense of
hopelessness
and
worthlessness
that is
the world
that we
live in
and that
is the
heart
that
sometimes
sin
exposes
us to
hear
God's
invitation
in
Jesus
Christ
and
come
to
him
for
love
and for
life
and for
belonging
and for
hope
and
listen
to
the
echo
of
God
in
this
passage
where
David
says
don't
be
afraid
you
know
that's
the
most
probably
the
most
common
message
that we
get
from
heaven
I'm
not
quite
sure
if this
is
apocryphal
because
I've
never
tested
it
out
but
there's
supposed
to
be
365
do
not
be
afraid
in
the
Bible
no
I
think
there's
actually
366
there's
one
for a
leap
here
apparently
there's
certainly
a lot
of
them
because
God
knows
isn't
that
good
that
God
knows
that
we're
often
afraid
and
that
we're
often
struggling
and
we're
often
battling
as
Mephibosheth
would have
been here
do not
be
afraid
and
we
rejoice
this
evening
because
he's
taken
that
great
fear
from
our
hearts
and
lives
and
remind
ourselves
when
we
look
at
a
passage
like
this
and
think
of
what
Mephibosheth
was
given
what
we're
given
spiritually
in
relation
to
what
he
was
given
we're
given
everything
that we
need
this is
a bad
dream
this is
a small
bad
dream
in the
light
of
eternity
and the
struggles
and the
battles
we have
here
they're
real
they're
significant
but
they're
a drop
in the
ocean
compared
with
the
reality
of
what
we
have
and
what
we
have
yet
to be
revealed
in
Christ
a
home
and
adoption
resources
we're
sitting
you know
we
celebrated
the
Lord's
supper
this
morning
in
St.
Columbus
because
it's
a
picture
of
the
feast
that
we
will
enjoy
in
the
presence
of
Christ
the
wedding
feast
where
there
is
tremendous
provision
and
love
and joy
and
an
unbreakable
shall we
live
that
perspective
and that
hope
which is
significant
for us
isn't it
he's
sacrificed
so that
we can
I can't
even
I can't
even put
into words
what we
receive
you see
what
Mephibosheth
gets here
and it's
just a
shadowy
picture
of what
is ours
in Christ
and God
knows that
I can't
put it
into words
because he
says it's
beyond
what we
can ask
or even
imagine
but the
Old
Testament
the
promises
thunder
out of
the
shadows
as we
look at
them
through
the
light
of
Jesus
Christ
so we
are
Mephibosheth
and lastly
and very
briefly
I also
think we're
David
or that
we're to
take the
example of
David
I know
that David
in many
ways is
the type
of Christ
here
but he's
also a
sinner
that's
saved by
grace
isn't he
and he's
an example
of how
to
live out
grace
how to
show it
in his
life
and he
shows it
very
powerfully
with
Mephibosheth
because he
understood
at this
point
in the
most powerful
way in
his life
he understood
God's grace
to him
and how
that should
make him
act
with others
that's
why truth
is crucial
for us
tonight
and in
our
Christian
lives
where the
teaching
the doctrine
the truth
the person
of Christ
understanding
the gospel
understanding
the covenant
why that is
so important
because until
we understand
his love
for us
and who
we were
and what
he saved
us from
we've chosen
and rescued
and enriched
we'll never
act that out
in our
relationship
with others
unless we
see what
we've been
saved from
it will
never impact
or transform
our hearts
in the way
we deal
with others
who
are to be
loved with
that same
covenant
love
I think
that starts
first in the
Christian family
see what's
a real
curse
is a
divided
and a
cold
and a
judgmental
and a
gossiping
and a
separated
church
family
it's a
church that
doesn't
understand
grace
it's a
church that's
not sacrificing
itself for the
greater cause
it's a
church that's
just
pedestrian
in their
understanding
and it's a
church that
nobody will
come into
because who
needs that
we get that
in the
bowling club
get that in
the workplace
get that
everywhere else
but the
church is to
be that
great out
working of
grace
it's to
be the
the radical
community
of a
transformed
people who
have been
turned upside
down and
inside out
by God's
grace
as David
was in the
way he
acted towards
this son of
Jonathan who
he had every
right to
annihilate
or ignore
but here we
see him
acting in
such a way
and so we
have to
act on the
basis of our
understanding of
what God has
done for us
with loyal
love not just
within the
church but
outside the
church as
well
loving God
loving one
another loving
our enemies
it's a great
triumvirate of
the gospel
isn't it
that we also
love those who
persecute us
us we love
those who
have no time
for us we
love those
who seek to
destroy us
with the
gospel of
grace and
with truth
it's utterly
and completely
radical
so I'll finish
with the words
of Van
Morrison
you've got to
live your
religion deep
inside when
you try for
the kingdom
on high by
his grace
by his grace
amen
let's pray
father god
we ask
and pray
that you
would help
us to
understand
you
understand
your truth
understand
the
revolutionary
nature of
truth
that
ironically
probably the
older we get
the more
darkness
is revealed
in our
hearts
because the
deeper the
light goes
and the
things you
forgave and
were patient
with when we
were younger
Christians
you now want
to deal
with and
you want to
transform and
you want to
change
and so the
great
counterintuitive
reality of
your gospel
is that we're
being transformed
more and more
there's never an
end to it
we don't relax
we never retire
from it
we're never
complacent
and we pray
that we would
see the need
for grace
patience
understanding
love
commitment
and sacrifice
and cost
in the
great gift
of salvation
we've been
given
and in so
doing
help us
to be
as like
Jesus
as we
can be
what an
impossible
task
that seems
to be
Lord
just like
a rich
man
entering
the
kingdom
of heaven
impossible
but we
thank you
for your
own words
which said
these things
with men
are impossible
but not so
with God
and we
pray that we
would take
our impossibilities
to you
this evening
when we
want to
grumble
or complain
or be greedy
or selfish
or proud
or insular
or can't be
bothered with
people
or church
or the
bible
or prayer
and all the
impossibilities
that come into
our lives
day to day
help us to
take them to
you and
you're an
understanding
and patient
and forgiving
God
and a
provisional
God
you provide
for us
in all that
we need
and we
pray for
your provision
and for
that honesty
with you
may we
learn from
David
may we
give thanks
for Mephibosheth
and for
the shadows
that point
forward to
the great
saviour
Jesus
bless us
we pray
in Jesus
name
amen
let's
return
praise
to
God
in
Psalm
126
well
known
Psalm
well known
words
in the
sing
Psalms
and
it's
just
that
hope
of
restoration
and
the
reality
of
God
working
and it's
been
Zion's
fortunes
God
restored
it was a dream
come true
stand together
praise him
when
Zion's
fortunes
God
restored
it
was a
dream
come
true
our
minds
were
then
with
laughter
filled
our
tongues
with
songs
anew
the
nation
said
the
Lord
has
done
great
things
for
Israel
the
Lord
did
mighty
things
for
us
and
joy
our
hearts
knew
well
restore
our
fortunes
gracious
Lord
like
streams
in
desert
soil
a
joyful
harvest
will
reward
the
weeping
sower's
toil
the
man
who
bearing
seed
to
sow
goes
out
with
tears
of
grief
will
come
again
with
songs
of
joy
bearing
his
harvest
chief
now
may
the
God
have
peace
who
through
the
blood
of the
eternal
covenant
brought
back
from
the
dead
our
Lord
Jesus
the
great
shepherd
of
the
sheep
equip
you
with
everything
good
for
doing
his
will
and
may
he
work
in
us
what
is
pleasing
to
him
through
Jesus
Christ
to
whom
be
the
glory
forever
and
ever
amen