Free Bible lesson for kids · The Kings
Kindness to Mephibosheth
When David was king, he remembered his promise to his friend Jonathan and asked, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” He found Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was lame on both his feet, and brought him to the palace. David said, “Fear not,” gave him back all the land of Saul, and Mephibosheth ate at the king’s table continually, as one of the king’s sons.
- Bible passage
- 2 Samuel 9:1–13
- Big idea
- God has been kind to us, and He wants us to show His kindness to others.
- Memory verse
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
When David was king, he asked, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). Jonathan had loved David as his own soul (1 Samuel 20:17). Ziba, Saul’s servant, said that Jonathan had a son who was lame on his feet, so David sent for him and brought him from Lodebar (2 Samuel 9:2–5).
Mephibosheth bowed low before the king, but David said, “Fear not.” He promised him all the land of Saul, “and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually” (2 Samuel 9:6–7). Mephibosheth said he was not worthy of such kindness (2 Samuel 9:8). But David said he would eat at the table “as one of the king’s sons” (2 Samuel 9:11). So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem and ate at the king’s table every day (2 Samuel 9:13).
Read it in the Bible: 2 Samuel 9:1–13 (KJV)
1And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 4And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. 5Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. 6Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 8And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 9Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. 10Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. 12And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
Questions to ask
Why did David want to show kindness to someone from Saul’s house?
For Jonathan’s sake, because Jonathan was his friend (2 Samuel 9:1).
Who was Mephibosheth?
The son of Jonathan, who was lame on his feet (2 Samuel 9:3, 6).
Where did Mephibosheth eat every day?
At the king’s table, continually (2 Samuel 9:13).
What this story teaches
- God’s kindness reaches people who feel small and unworthy (2 Samuel 9:3, 8).
- True friends keep showing love to each other’s families (2 Samuel 9:1, 7).
- Real kindness shows itself in what we give and do (2 Samuel 9:7, 9).
- Kindness can welcome someone who feels left out (2 Samuel 9:11, 13).
- We can be kind and forgiving because God forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).
Jesus Makes Us God’s Children
David welcomed Mephibosheth to his table like a son. Through Jesus, God welcomes everyone who believes into His family as His children.
John 1:12
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God for His kindness to us, and ask Him to show us someone we can be kind to this week. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God has been kind to us, and He wants us to show His kindness to others.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Ephesians 4:32 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes
Room at the Table
You need: Chairs, music
- Play musical chairs, but nobody is ever out.
- Each round, take away a chair, and everyone must still find a place, by sharing, squishing together or helping someone sit.
- Keep going until it’s hilarious.
David brought Mephibosheth to eat at the king’s table like one of his sons. Jesus makes room for us at His table.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 20 minutes
Who Sits Alone?
You need: Nothing
- Talk about who gets left out at your schools.
- Role-play how to invite someone to sit with you, without making it awkward.
- Each person names one person they will include this week.
David went looking for someone forgotten. Be the one who goes looking.
Pray
Thank God for His kindness to us, and ask Him to show us someone we can be kind to this week.