David and Ziba

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. —2 Samuel 16:1

Just over the crest of the hill, David met Ziba, the servant of Saul, whom he had appointed to care for Mephibosheth. David had some questions.

Noticing the supplies being brought, he asked two questions: “What meanest thou by these? . . . And where is thy master’s son [Mephibosheth]?” (2 Samuel 16:2, 3).

Ziba’s answer to the first question seemed logical enough.

“The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink” (v. 2). Cunningly, Ziba sought this moment to curry favor with David, and it cost him little to bestow on David the property of Mephibosheth. The answer to David’s second question was so implausible that David should have recognized the lie. “Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father” (v. 3).

“Mephibosheth was a cripple and had little to gain from Absalom’s revolt. Even if that revolt had proved successful, it would not have given the throne to the seed of Saul, for Absalom wanted the throne for himself. Ziba had probably invented the tale in order to secure certain concessions from David.” Rashly, David believed the slander Ziba had perpetrated upon his master. As a reward for his loyalty, “then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king” (v. 4). David had based his decision on only one side of an unsubstantiated story.

It was clearly unfair to Mephibosheth to have his property given away in such a hasty and impulsive manner. Ziba had obtained his master’s inheritance through deceit. He had proven himself to be a grasping individual who would stoop so low as to deprive a cripple of every comfort. David had fallen for the lie, believing even Mephibosheth had turned against him. Beware the schemer bearing gifts and promising friendship.