One Seat for di King Table

One man dey limp slowly enter di throne room, and e fall down for ground before di king. Im whole life, e don dey expect dis day. Di day wey di king go find am.

Many years before, Saul na king of Israel, and im son Jonathan na David closest friend. Di two young men make promise to each other before God. Whatever happen, David go show kindness to Jonathan family, forever. Then dem kill Saul and Jonathan for battle for Mount Gilboa. When di news reach Saul house, one nurse carry Jonathan son wey be five years, run. As she dey hurry, she drop am. Im two legs injure, and e no ever waka well again. Im name na Mephibosheth.

Now David don be king. Di wars don quiet. And one day e ask one question wey nobody expect. Anybody still remain from di house of Saul, make I show am kindness because of Jonathan? Dat time, new king go usually want make di family of di old king disappear. So di question just hang for air. Then somebody remember Ziba, one man wey be servant for Saul house before. Dem bring Ziba come. One son of Jonathan still dey, e talk. E no fit waka with im two legs. Where e dey? David ask. For di house of Machir, for Lo-debar. Lo-debar dey di other side of di Jordan, far from people eye. Good place for person to hide imself.

David send for am. Imagine di long journey go Jerusalem, every step dey pain, every mile dey bring am near one king wey fit want am dead. Mephibosheth reach, e fall for im face. Mephibosheth, David talk. Your servant dey here, e answer, im voice dey shake.

No fear. I go surely show you kindness because of your papa Jonathan. I go give you back all di land wey be your grandpapa Saul own. And you go dey chop for my table always.

Mephibosheth no fit believe am. E bow again. Who be your servant, wey you go notice dead dog like me? Na so e see imself low. No be prince. No be danger to anybody. Just nobody wey come from nowhere. But David no change im mind. E call Ziba back and put am, im fifteen sons and im twenty servants to work, make dem farm Saul land for Mephibosheth. And from dat day, Mephibosheth live for Jerusalem. Morning and evening, when di king household sidon to chop, place dey for am. E dey chop for David table, di Bible talk, like one of di king sons. And under di table, nobody fit see im legs.

To chop for di king table na real honour for di old world, and honour wey dey last. Later for di Bible, David ask Solomon make e allow di sons of im loyal friend Barzillai chop for di royal table. And for di very end of di books of Kings, dem give Jehoiachin, di king of Judah wey dem capture, daily food for di table of di king of Babylon. Archaeologists wey dey work for Babylon find clay tablets of food ration wey list oil wey dem give Jehoiachin, king of Judah, and im sons.

Di story of Mephibosheth dey for Second Samuel, chapter nine. David keep im promise to one friend wey don die, and e keep am for person wey no fit give am anything back. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who you fit make space for for your table dis week?