David, Mephibosheth, and the Kindness of God
读经：撒下九1~13，罗二4，弗二7，四32，多三4~5，西三12
壹 撒下九章一至十三节记载大卫以恩慈待约拿单的儿子米非波设：─引用经文
I. Second Samuel 9:1-13 is a record of David's showing kindness to Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan:
一 大卫因着约拿单的缘故，觉得有义务以恩慈待扫罗家存留的任何后裔，他问扫罗家的一个仆人说，“扫罗家还有人没有？我要以神的恩慈待他”─3节上。
A. David felt obliged to show kindness, for the sake of Jonathan, to any remaining descendant of the house of Saul and asked a servant of the house of Saul, saying, "Is there yet anyone at all of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?"—v. 3a.
二 仆人对大卫说，还有约拿单的一个儿子米非波设，是两腿残废的─3节下。
B. The servant told David that there was still a son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, who was crippled in his feet—v. 3b.
三 大卫告诉米非波设，他必因他父亲约拿单的缘故，以恩慈待他，并应许米非波设，要将他祖父一切的地都归还他，并且米非波设可以常在王的席上吃饭─7、13节。
C. David told Mephibosheth that he would show kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan his father and promised Mephibosheth that he would restore to him all the land of his grandfather and that he would eat at the king's table continually—vv. 7, 13.
四 大卫王保存他的性命，归还他一切的产业，并邀请他同席吃饭─7、9节。
D. King David preserved his life, restored to him all his inheritance, and invited him to feast with him at the same table—vv. 7, 9.
五 大卫将原属扫罗和他全家的一切产业，都赐给米非波设；米非波设常在王的席上吃饭，“他两腿都是瘸的”─9、13节。
E. David gave to Mephibosheth all that belonged to Saul and to all his house; Mephibosheth ate at the king's table continually, and "he was crippled in both his feet"—vv. 9, 13.
贰 米非波设无一点立场可以得恩，但是他竟然得着了；关于我们与神也是一样：
II. Mephibosheth had no ground to receive grace, yet he received it; the same is true with regard to us and God:
一 米非波设在大卫面前，一点地位也没有─1~6节：
A. Mephibosheth had no position at all before David—vv. 1-6:
1 他的蒙恩不是因着自己，乃是因着另一个人─7节。
1. He received kindness not because of himself but because of another person—v. 7.
2 一个罪人在神面前，也是如此─罗二4。
2. This is true for a sinner before God—Rom. 2:4.
二 米非波设住的地方“罗底巴（Lo-debar）”，是希伯来字，意思是“没有草，没有草场的地方”；今天的世界就是“罗底巴”─撒下九4：
B. Lo-debar, the place where Mephibosheth lived, is a Hebrew word that means "a place without grass, without pasture"; the world today is a "Lo-debar"—2 Sam. 9:4:
1 逃离大卫的米非波设，是住在无草之地，没有任何生命的供应─4节。
1. Mephibosheth, who ran away from David, was living in a place without grass, without any life supply—v. 4.
2 一个远离神的罪人，也是住在无草之地。
2. A sinner far away from God is also living in a place without grass.
三 不是米非波设去找大卫，乃是大卫打发人去把米非波设接来─4~5节。
C. Mephibosheth did not seek after David, but David sent men to fetch Mephibosheth—vv. 4-5.
四 大卫说“米非波设”时，心里有一种怜恤的感觉，声音里有令人喜悦的声调─6~7节：
D. When David said, "Mephibosheth," there was a compassionate feeling in his heart, and there was a pleasant tone in his voice—vv. 6-7:
1 在这句话的深处，有一个心表明神的心是如何─撒上十六7。
1. Underneath this word was a heart that expressed God's heart—1 Sam. 16:7.
2 大卫的心满有恩慈和怜恤─二十14~15。
2. David's heart was full of kindness and compassion—20:14-15.
叁 就属灵一面说，我们都像扫罗王的孙子（撒下四4）两腿残废的米非波设一样：─引用经文
III. Spiritually speaking, we all are like Mephibosheth, the grandson of King Saul (2 Sam. 4:4), who was crippled in his feet:
一 米非波设虽然常与王同席吃饭，但他的两腿仍是瘸的─九7。
A. Although Mephibosheth dined with the king often, his two feet still remained lame—9:7.
二 米非波设蒙大卫恩待之后，他只看大卫桌上的丰富，而不看桌下自己的瘸腿。
B. After Mephibosheth received grace from David, he looked only at the riches on David's table; he did not look at his crippled feet underneath the table.
三 我们像米非波设一样，虽然仍是瘸腿的，却能在王的席上吃饭─13节：
C. Like Mephibosheth, we can dine at the King's table even though we are still crippled—v. 13:
1 我们的两腿虽瘸，不过是“在桌下”。
1. Our two feet are lame, but they are under the table.
2 我们得救以后，应当忘掉我们“瘸了的双腿”，而坐在我们的王耶稣基督的席上，享受祂─7节，罗十四17，尼八10：
2. After we have been saved, we should forget about our "crippled feet" and sit at the table of our King, Jesus Christ, to enjoy Him—v. 7; Rom. 14:17; Neh. 8:10:
a 每当我们看自己，发现自己是瘸腿的，我们就沮丧─歌二8~三5。
a. Whenever we look at ourselves, we discover that we are lame, and we become discouraged—cf. S. S. 2:8—3:5.
b 我们只当看主桌上的丰富，并享受这些丰富─弗三8。
b. We should look only at the riches on the Lord's table and enjoy them—Eph. 3:8.
3 神为我们摆在这里的，不知有多好，有多丰富，有多甘甜；我们只管吃─约六50~51、53~57，太八11，二二2，启十九9。
3. What God has spread out for us is wonderful, rich, and sweet; we simply need to eat—John 6:50-51, 53-57; Matt. 8:11; 22:2; Rev. 19:9.
四 我们该从我们的内顾自己转离，并且望断以及于主─来十二2，二9。
D. We need to turn away from self-introspection and look away unto the Lord—Heb. 12:2; 2:9.
五 我们只看神所摆在我们面前的丰富和恩典，我们就会有平安，我们的心就会得着满足─太五6，十四20。
E. When we look only at the riches and the grace that God has spread before us, we will be peaceful, and our hearts will be satisfied—Matt. 5:6; 14:20.
肆 大卫对米非波设的恩慈表征神的恩慈─撒下九3，罗二4，弗二7，多三4~5：
IV. David's kindness to Mephibosheth signifies the kindness of God—2 Sam. 9:3; Rom. 2:4; Eph. 2:7; Titus 3:4-5:
一 恩慈是一种仁慈的良善，出自神的怜悯和爱─弗二4、7。
A. Kindness is a benevolent goodness that issues out of the mercy and love of God—Eph. 2:4, 7.
二 乃是我们救主神的恩慈和爱拯救了我们，使我们与人有别─多三4：
B. It is the kindness and the love of our Savior God that saved us and made us different from others—Titus 3:4:
1 神的恩典将救恩带给人；我们因主的恩典得救─二11，三7。
1. The grace of God brings salvation to man; we have been saved by the grace of the Lord—2:11; 3:7.
2 提多书三章五节说，神救了我们，乃是照着祂的怜悯：─引用经文
2. Titus 3:5 says that according to His mercy God saved us:
a 神的怜悯比神的恩典够得更远─罗九15~16、18、23，来四16。
a. God's mercy reaches farther than His grace—Rom. 9:15-16, 18, 23; Heb. 4:16.
b 我们可怜的光景造成了我们与神恩典之间广阔的缺隙。
b. Our pitiful condition created a wide gap between us and God's grace.
c 神的怜悯乃是横跨这缺隙的桥梁，把我们带到祂恩典的救恩里─罗二4，九23。
c. It was God's mercy that bridged this gap and brought us to His salvation of grace—Rom. 2:4; 9:23.
3 在提多书三章四至五节，保罗不是说到恩典，乃是说到恩慈、爱和怜悯：─引用经文
3. In Titus 3:4 and 5 Paul speaks not of grace but of kindness, love, and mercy:
a 爱是恩典的源头；在约翰一书我们摸着父神的爱作恩典的源头─三1，四9~10。
a. Love is the source of grace; in 1 John we touch the love of God the Father as the source of grace—3:1; 4:9-10.
b 父神的心里有爱，这爱借着子彰显出来时，就成了恩典─约一14、16~17。
b. In the heart of God the Father there is love; when this love is expressed through the Son, it becomes grace—John 1:14, 16-17.
c 恩慈是神赐恩典给我们的态度─弗二7。
c. Kindness is God's attitude in giving us grace—Eph. 2:7.
d 我们有怜悯、爱和恩慈，自然就会有恩典─多三4~5、7。
d. When we have mercy, love, and kindness, we automatically have grace—Titus 3:4-5, 7.
e 我们的神与父已向我们显示爱、怜悯和恩慈；祂借此拯救我们─4~5节。
e. Our God and Father has shown us love, mercy, and kindness; it is by this that He saves us—vv. 4-5.
三 在要来的诸世代─千年国时代和将来的永远─中，神要显示“祂在基督耶稣里，向我们所施恩慈中恩典超越的丰富”─弗二7：
C. In the ages to come—the ages of the millennium and eternity future—God will display "the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus"—Eph. 2:7:
1 神的恩典是在神的恩慈中赐给我们的─8节。
1. It is in God's kindness that the grace of God is given to us—v. 8.
2 神恩慈中恩典的丰富，超越各样的限制─7节：
2. The riches of God's grace in His kindness surpass every limit—v. 7:
a 这些是神自己的丰富，作我们的享受─三8。
a. These are the riches of God Himself for our enjoyment—3:8.
b 神恩慈中恩典的这些丰富要公开显示出来，直到永远─二7。
b. The riches of God's grace in kindness will be publicly displayed for eternity—2:7.
四 那灵的果子其中的一项是恩慈─加五22：
D. One item of the fruit of the Spirit is kindness—Gal. 5:22:
1 我们既已穿上了新人（西三10），是神的选民，圣别蒙爱的人，就需要穿上怜恤的心肠和恩慈（12）。─引用经文
1. Having put on the new man (Col. 3:10), as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, we need to put on inward parts of compassion and kindness (v. 12).
2 使徒保罗以恩慈作神的执事，并且他嘱咐我们要常留在神的恩慈中─林后六4、6，罗十一22。
2. The apostle Paul was a minister of God in kindness, and he charged us to continue in the kindness of God—2 Cor. 6:4, 6; Rom. 11:22.
3 爱是有恩慈（林前十三4），我们要以恩慈相待，心存慈怜，彼此饶恕，正如神在基督里饶恕了我们一样（弗四32）。─引用经文
3. Love is kind (1 Cor. 13:4), and we need to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ also forgave us (Eph. 4:32).