Unmerited Covenant Grace

Bible Text: 2 Samuel 9 | Preacher: Alan Conner | Series: 2 Samuel, 2001

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Aug. 26, 2001

2 Sam. 9
Unmerited covenant grace

INTRO

A LESSON ON NEGLECT.                The flaw is in the length of time that David takes to make good on his covenant to Jonathan. David made a covenant with Jonathan back in 1 Sam. 20:14-17. When Saul and Jonathan died, Mephibosheth was 5 years old (2 Sam. 4:4), now he is a grown man with a son of his own (2 Sam. 9:12). Thus, 10-15 years have passed since the opportunity to keep his covenant began. No excuse for forgetting.      Why the delay?
A LESSON ON KEEPING OUR PROMISES.           Eventually David did remember his covenant with Jonathan. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. David waited too long to make good on his promise, but by God’s grace he did eventually make it good!

Principle: When a godly man makes a promise, he keeps it, even if late. How easy it would have been to forget completely: The covenant made with Jonathan was only between David and Jonathan. Noone else was there to witness, to remind David of his pledge. But he did not need anyone to remind him. He was a godly man who kept his word. It is sufficient that God heard his vow.

“Let your statement be, “yes yes”, or “no, no”, anything beyond these is evil (Mt. 5:37).

Psalm 15 describes the man who will abide in the tent of God and dwell on God’s holy hill. “He swears to his own hurt and does not change.”

III. A LESSON ON UNMERITED COVENANT GRACE.

How pitiful was the remnant of Saul.

1) His name was ____________. It was Mephibosheth. “Bosheth” = shame.                Our name is shame. You cannot get a more shameful name that the name of _________________.

2) His pedegree was one of _______________. Notice David was not looking for just a descendent of Jonathan but any from the house of Saul. This shows the breadth of his mercy. It was not the house of his friend but of his enemy that he was seeking to show kindness to.

Saul was David’s enemy.

Blessing Saul’s house was _____________________.

Our pedegree is also one of hostility. Rom. 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Rom. 8:7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able.

3) His fame was being _______________. (2 Sam. 4:4).

Our fame is that we are spiritually more than lame. Far more than any physical handicap, we are spiritually handicapped: blind, deaf slaves of sin, minds are unable to function on the spiritual level, in fact, we are dead.

Rom. 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Eph. 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

How marvelous was the grace of David.
a) David initiated it all.      Is. 65:1 “I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me. I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation which did not call on My name I said, ‘Here am I, here am I’
b) David blesses Mephibosheth.

(1) The blessings given are:

restoration of all of Saul’s land (v. 7)
dine regularly at my table (v. 7)
36 servants to provided income and service ( 9-10)
treated as one of the sons of David (v. 11)

(2) Why were they given? For Jonathan’s sake.      What a picture of the grace of God. God’s blessings of salvation is not based on our merit, but on God’s mercy for Jesus’ sake. Grace is not based on the character of the one who receives it, but on the covenant of the one who gives it.

c) The humble response to grace.

(1) He fell on his face (v. 8).

(2) He humbly confess his unworthiness: “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?” (v. 8)

Has the unmerited covenant grace of God humbled your soul?