Mourning for the King's Return

When David returned from his exile to his throne at Jerusalem, he found that Mephibosheth had been mourning for his return every day since he was driven forth.

In that act of loyalty and aching desire for his King, Mephibosheth portrays the Saints in their sorrow over the Savior's death.

Christ foretold his disciples that they would weep and mourn for him, and the world would rejoice. And so it happened: the wicked world rejoiced, as had Absolom's followers all those years before; but the Saints wept bitter tears of sorrow at the loss of their Messiah. All their hopes for the redemption of Israel seemed to be destroyed in a moment at Calvary.

But there were two key differences between Mephibosheth's sorrow and the sorrow of the Saints:

1. David's exile across Kidron was for no good purpose. No salvation was wrought for his people. But the Savior's death wrought the supreme victory for the Saints! Our Lord Jesus delivered us for eternity, even as the Saints grieved and mourned!

2. Mephibosheth had no promise of David's restoration, but the Saints had Jesus' promise Himself: "I will see you again, and your joy no man can take from you!" Thus the Saints ought to have sorrowed in hope.

Indeed, Mephibosheth's joy upon David's return was but a passing thing, for David grew old and died. But our Joy in our Redeemer can never fail, for He ever lives to save us, Hallelujah!

We ought to mourn when Christ is rejected by the world. We ought to sorrow when we wander from His presence.

But we ought to long for that day when we see Him exalted upon the Throne. Oh that the Saint's longing for Christ's return would dominate our hearts and minds!