A Long Ways From Lodebar!
This expert summary is based on Bishop T.D. Jakes’ message, “A Long Ways From Lodebar!” (Second Samuel 9:3–11), which uses the story of Mephibosheth to illustrate the themes of divine destiny, overcoming shame and trauma, and the profound power of restoration. The core message emphasizes that God orchestrates life’s journey, fetching individuals out of their self-imposed or circumstance-driven “ghetto” to fulfill a royal purpose.
I. The Sovereign Orchestration of Destiny
The narrative begins with King David, who, having achieved power despite significant opposition, seeks to show “the kindness of God” to anyone remaining from the house of Saul, for the sake of his covenant brother, Jonathan.
God’s Tapestry and David’s Process
God is depicted as orchestrating lives like a grandmother weaving yarn into a pattern, bringing individuals from one point to another according to His divine purpose. David’s ascension to power was not easy; he faced contradiction, opposition, assassination attempts, and tests. This process underscores that greatness often involves enduring “a whole lot of stuff”.
Anointing Precedes Appointment
David was anointed to be king around age 15, but his position came much later. The anointing often precedes the appointment, creating a period of contradiction where an individual has a “king’s anointing” while still holding a shovel in hand. Patience is essential to navigate this process, preventing the ruin of results by rushing.
The Giant as a Portal
Adversity and affliction are frequently used by God to bring a person from obscurity to notoriety. Goliath was the tool God used to position David. The level of pain faced indicates closeness to a breakthrough: at every portal of destiny, there is a giant in front of it. The bigger the giant, the closer one is to breaking into the next dimension and kingdom.
II. The Trauma of Being Dropped: The Road to Lodebar
Mephibosheth, the grandson of King Saul and son of David’s best friend Jonathan, represents the person whose life was irreparably damaged by an event beyond their control.
The Cause of Crippling
Mephibosheth’s lameness was not due to his own mistake but was a permanent disfigurement caused by his nurse dropping him in her terror while fleeing after the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. This incident shattered his feet and disjointed his ankles, forever changing his life.
The Ghetto of Lodebar
Due to his crippling, Mephibosheth was forgotten and ended up living in Lodebar.
- Lodebar means “no communication” and is described as a ghetto—a desolate place where no grass grows, no sheep graze, and there is no commerce or economy.
- It is the place a king’s grandchild goes when no one wants a crippled child.
- Lodebar is where people move when they feel they have nowhere else to go and have to shut their mouths.
The Pain of Unfair Loss
Many people live in their own “Lodebar” due to losses that were not their fault—they were in the mess because “somebody you were laying on and somebody you were trusting in… they just dropped you”. This dropping can lead to:
- Emotional Stagnation: The body matures, but emotions stay at the age the trauma occurred.
- Self-Blame and Shame: Individuals may blame themselves, hate themselves, and struggle with low confidence and self-esteem, feeling stuck where they were dropped.
- Silence and Inability to Act: The trauma results in a coping mechanism of silence. People may want to scream or run but feel their “legs are lame,” unable to escape their situation or speak about the abuse or disappointment they endured.
III. The Divine Restoration: Fetching Out of Silence
David’s search for Mephibosheth initiates the process of restoration, demonstrating God’s relentless pursuit of the lost and afflicted.
David’s Inquiry: “Where Is He?”
David asked Ziba, Saul’s servant, “Where is he?”. God searches for the lost, much like the question “Where are you, Adam?”.
The Command to “Fetch”
David commanded, “Go and fetch him out” of Lodebar. The term “fetch” is crucial because it implies going after something that cannot walk. This means God often needs to carry grown, broken, and unstable individuals out of their situation because they cannot stand on their own two feet.
Uncomfortable Trust
The way out of Lodebar required Mephibosheth to trust again—to climb into the arms of a servant after being dropped by a caretaker. This is often traumatic because it forces the believer to trust what failed the first time. God may intentionally send believers back to the source of their defeat to finish the trip.
The Holy Ghost as the Helper
The Holy Spirit is symbolized as the Servant (Ziba) who stands alongside (like the Greek allospericlitas) to carry believers out of Lodebar when they are broke and disgusted and cannot help themselves.
IV. The Palace of Provision and the Cover of Grace
Mephibosheth’s arrival at the palace signifies a profound and complete restoration.
The Fear of the Familiar
Upon entering the palace, Mephibosheth, accustomed to the ghetto, immediately called himself a “dead dog” and fell on his face, showing reverence and shame. The hardest part of leaving Lodebar is changing the mind; familiarity with the ghetto can lead to self-sabotage when confronted with a blessing. God is fetching people into a palace even if they are “not dressed for it”.
Total Restoration
David showed Mephibosheth the kindness of God. This meant:
- Restoration of Land: David restored all the land of Saul to Mephibosheth.
- Lifetime Provision: He was given the use of servants (Ziba and his 15 sons and 20 servants) to till the land and bring in the fruits, meaning he would never have to work for it again.
- A Seat at the King’s Table: He would eat bread at the King’s table always.
This represents Operation Restoration, where God pays back everything that was stolen, compensating for every night cried in Lodebar. It is a transference of wealth and a breaking of generational curses.
Grace Covers Brokenness
Remarkably, God blessed him but never healed him. Mephibosheth still had crippled ankles and feet, but David said he would sit at the table with the King’s sons, like Absalom, who were whole and attractive. The tablecloth covers the crippling.
- Grace is Sufficient: The tablecloth symbolizes that God’s grace is sufficient.
- New Identity: From the waist up, he looked like a king’s son. God sets the lame in “heavenly places” so that they do not look like what they have been through.
- Eternal Reminder: God allows the brokenness to remain so that Mephibosheth would always know it was God who brought him there, not his own ability.