July 19      How To Stop Fearing God and Start Loving God     II Sam 9:1-13

          In The Chronicles of Narnia, two girls, Susan and Lucy, are preparing to meet Aslan the Lion.  Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, prepare the children for the encounter. "Ooh," said Susan, “ Is he quite safe? I feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will, dearie." said Mrs. Beaver.  "Then isn't he safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you!" 

            I know a man who has had several family tragedies.  His life has been hard.  We had lunch one day and he told me that he was afraid of God.  He felt God had caused him so much pain.  Christian friends had told him that the things happening to him were the Will of God.  So he was afraid.  Like Susan and Lucy, he was afraid to stand before this King.  Have you ever felt that way?  When you look at your life, are you afraid of God?  Do you feel God has done you wrong?

            You know, it is a fearful thing to stand before the King.  The Bible tells us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.  But I want to tell you that this kind of fear is a special kind of fear.  It means honor, respect, and awe.  It should never be the fear that the King has bad intensions for us.  You see, this King has nothing but our very best in mind.  Yet many people fear God will do them harm.  When we see all that goes wrong in life and all that can go wrong in life, we do feel afraid of so many things.   That is why a central message of the Bible, repeated 365 times, one for each day of the year, is “Fear not.”  God says to us “Fear Not” because we have nothing to fear.  I am continuing our sermon series on the life of David and today we are going to meet a young man who had many fears until he heard the words, “Fear not.” 

        I want to tell you about a man named Mephobosheth. (Me-the-bo-shet) His named is something to pronounce.  Let’s all try it together…….Very nice.   Well, Mephobosheth’s life was a sad story.  I read to you from II Samuel 9, but we actually first meet him in II Samuel 4.  Mepho was only five years old when word came that his father Jonathan and his grandfather Saul were killed in battle with the Philistines.  Everyone in the palace was fleeing.   In the chaos, the five year old boy fell and was crippled.  From there, these political exiles fled to the hinterlands of Israel to a small town named Lo Debar.  The town in Hebrew literally means “No Pasture.”   It was a poor place to live with nothing much going on.  Lo Debar pretty much meant “No Where.”  These people who had been part of Saul’s palace were out living in No Where with the King Saul’s crippled grandson. 

       Now exile communities tend to keep alive the old traditions.  They like to tell about the good old days when they were somebody living somewhere grand.  I can imagine these people sitting around at night telling young Mepho about how he once lived in the palace and was once destined to be king.  And I can imagine that at the heart of those stories was the name of David who was now the King.  The name of David became a dark haunting presence that was the source of all their ills.  In their minds, it was David’s fault that the Philistines had killed the royal family.  It was David’s fault they all had to flee. It was David’s fault that Mepho fell and was crippled.  It was David’s fault they were living in No Where. 

      You know, when bad things happen to us, we tend to ask, “Why?”  People want to know a reason for the tragedy.  People often want to blame someone or something.  We are just like that.  And we blame God.  If God is in charge and all powerful, then God must be behind what has happened to us.  I hear it all the time.  Something bad happens and people say, “It must be the will of God.”  Or “God must be teaching me something.”  Or “I cannot believe God made this happen.”  When we find ourselves in exile, crippled, poor, living in No Where, we just know the King is at fault.  He must be a very bad king and one to be feared.

       The next time we meet Mepho is in chapter 9.  King David calls in his servant Ziba and asks if there is anyone left from Saul and Jonathan’s family.  Ziba tells David that there is young man, the son of Jonathan, still alive in Lo Debar.  Vs. six says, “So King David had him brought from Lo Debar.”  That means David sent someone to get him.  Probably some soldiers.  People who came riding into town on horseback and knocking on doors looking for Mepho.  

      Now in those times, when a new king took the throne, he often sought to eliminate anyone who could be a future threat, anyone related to the old king.   History is full of stories of murder and execution as people make sure they and their family will keep the throne.  So Mepho was brought to Jerusalem and brought before the King.  Surely, he expected the worse.  He expected the worse because for years he had feared the worse.  He bowed before this King in deep fear and trembling.

       But Mepho did not know that this was a different sort of King.  This was not a King like so many others who just looked after their own wealth and power.  Our world today is still filled with those kinds of political leaders.  But not David.  Look back in chapter 8, verse 15.  “David reigned over all Israel, doing what was right and just for all the people.”  And then David spoke the young man’s name.  “Mephobosheth.”  David knew him by name.  And then David says the words that we all need to hear. “Do not be afraid.  I will surely show you  kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.” 

         At some deep level, we each have to ask ourselves what we really believe about the King.  Is God one who causes bad things to happen to us?  Is God the one who is pulling all the puppet strings in the world?  Is God the source of our ills, leaving us stranded, poor, and crippled?  Some preach this message.  I was at a church in Spartanburg two years ago on a men’s retreat when the speaker said that God was in charge of everything and that even the 9-11 destruction of the World Trade Center was caused by God.  He said that straight out.   But that preacher is living in Lo Debar.  He has some warped view of the King.  Maybe his own bad experiences have left him crippled and feeling this way.  I do not know.  When Mepho bowed before David, he was sure this was the King who was to blame for all his ills.  What he discovered was that this was the King who does what is right and just for all the people.  Do not fear says this king.  I will surely treat you with kindness.

     And David does treat him with kindness.  This is not greeting card sentiment.  David gives the young man land and his servant Ziba to provide for his needs.  David tells him that he is always welcome at the King’s own table to eat.  David’s words are not mere words but are backed up by the real, actual, practical meeting of needs.  When God says to us, “Fear not,” these are not mere words.  We have nothing to fear because God will take care of us.  Even in the midst of tragedy, God is there to touch us with His love.  We do not need to be afraid.

       Now some Christians are nervous about this kind of message.  “Well, people need to be afraid.  People will just get out of hand if they are not a little afraid.  People will go wrong if you do not watch out.”   God seems willing to take that chance.   God’s love and forgiveness go on and on, far beyond all we can imagine.         There is a third story about Mepho.   Some years later, David’s Kingdom is rocked by a civil war.  In chapter 16, David has to flee his own capital city.  On the way, David meets the servant Ziba who is bringing vital supplies for David.  Ziba tells David that Mepho has remained in the city, hoping that in this civil war that he might claim the throne for himself.   It seems Mepho has betrayed David’s kindness.  David tells Ziba that when this war is over, all the property and wealth given to Mepho will belong to Ziba.     Now a few weeks later, the war is over and David returns in victory to Jerusalem.  Mepho comes to meet him.  David asks why he did not follow him out of the city.  Mepho says that he is crippled and that Ziba left him and that he could not escape on his own.   Mepho says that Ziba is lying. 

     Now one of these two men is lying to the King.  Which one?  David had first believed Ziba and had promised him a great reward.   But many believe that Mepho is telling the truth and that Ziba was just an opportunist.  But the Bible never tells us the answer as to who is right or wrong.  And David does not seek to question them farther.  David says, “Why say more?”  And he divides the wealth between them.  David accepts them both back into the city and back into his household.  David’s love and forgiveness are big enough to handle all the lies, the hypocrisy, the faithlessness, the doubt, the blame, and the anger of both these men.   He loves them, receives them, and rewards them.   They have both come to him to seek his favor and David gives it to them both.  This is the king who does what is right for all people.

        God is the king who does what is right.  This is the loving king who says to us, “Do not be afraid.  I will surely treat you with kindness.”  You can come to this King.  No matter what lies, what hypocrisy, what anger you have had.  You can come to this king.  I know some of us have been hurt by life, but we have not been hurt by God.  I love the story of Mephobosheth, the young man with the hard name.  He reminds me of the king who is to be honored and respected because God is not safe or tame.   But God is great and God is good, just like our childhood prayer always taught us.   I know some of us have been living in Lo Debar for a long time.  Life has carried us to No Where.   Well, the King is calling for you.  There is a knock on your door and the King wants to see you.   The King speaks to you by name and says, “Fear not.”   Will you hear God call?  Will you come?   Amen.