Lo-Debar is where King David found the only remaining heir ancestor of his friend Jonathan. Mephibosheth was a cripple in exhile there. While he escaped the conflict that killed his father Jonathan with his life, he was damaged badly and exhiled to a sort of no man's land of obscurity having lost all vestiges of the place of privilege of the princehood to which he was born.
Lo-Debar means "place without pasture." It's very name sounds like exhile, outpost, grim, a place without rest or comfort. King David because he wanted to honor his beloved friend Jonathan sought out Jonathan's remaining living relative to bring him to the palace. King David would provide provision, protection and restore the privileges of princehood to Jonathan's son as if he were his own son for the rest of his life.
David's men sought out Jonathan's son, they asked the villagers where he was. They asked Jonathan's son the million shekle question: Are You Jonathan's Son? The answer "YES" landed him more than a secret square.
Mephibosheth had by virtue of his circumstances such a low view of himself he called himself a "dead dog." He addressed King David stating essentially 'What could you possibly want with a dead dog such as myself.'
David offered Jonathan's son a place to live at the palace and eat at the King's table for the rest of his life not because he deserved it or merited it as a feeble banished weak cripple, but because of who he was-his identity was rooted in being a son of Prince Jonathan. That is who he forever was at his core. Jonathan was a Prince and King Saul was his father. Saul was bitterly jealous of David which bitterness cursed his heart and caused him to try to kill David numerous times. [ever have someone you love's parent try to kill the relationship? you are in great company with King David--i digress] Eventually God took his hand of protection from Saul and he perished fighting the Philistines. Jonathan protected David from his enemies (even his own father when he was trying to kill David.)
It has been well noted that this is a clear metaphor for us- we are sons and daughters of the Prince -the Prince of Peace Christ Jesus himself, and God himself is looking for us-"the Hound of Heaven", trying to find us to restore us to our proper place in the palace- not because we deserve it (we are poor, cripples, in a lost pastureless outpost of exhile) but because we are sons and daughters of the High Prince, his Son. It is this relationship that restores us. It is this relationship that causes God's mercy and love to shower blessings upon us. It is our love of Christ and adoption into his family that allows us to be restored back to the palace- to live with the King and dine with the King,God the Father, at his table forever.
All we have to do is answer the question correctly- do we acknowledge our Father? When we are asked "Are you the Prince's Son/Daughter" there is a right answer and a wrong answer. The wrong answer keeps you stuck in Lo-Debar. The right answer is YES. I am a child of the living God, God the Father through the Princehood of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son.
This is the year of break-through 2008. It is the year of deliverance out of Lo-Debar. Not because any of us deserve it, but because we let the King find us and declare that we are the sons and daughters of the Prince of Peace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UppX6vP3c4g&feature=related
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