When word reached the palace that Saul and Jonathan had been killed by the Philistines, panic broke out in the palace. Everyone’s life was suddenly in danger as the tradition of the time was for the new king to kill all heirs to the old king in order to avoid uprisings.
Even though Mephibosheth was only 5-years-old, he was still at risk. His nurse sprang into action. She grabbed his little hand and ordered him to follow her.
In her panic mode and in her eagerness to escape, she may have forgotten that his legs weren’t as long as hers. Or maybe he wasn’t looking where she was leading, and he didn’t see an obstacle in their way. Whatever the reason, Mephibosheth took a nasty tumble, causing injury to both of his feet or ankles.
The nurse swooped him up in her arms and carried him away to safety. Once hidden away she probably discovered that he was in bad shape, but what could she do? She couldn’t call for the local doctor or else word might escape that an heir was still alive. I’m sure she bandaged up his ankles the best she could and prayed for a miracle, but Mephibosheth was forever crippled by the fall. I can only imagine how she must have blamed herself for her carelessness.
But the heroic efforts of Mephibosheth’s nurse saved the young son of Jonathan, and because of her courage in grabbing him and hiding him away, he was later able to take his rightful place at the king’s table with David.
His nurse never got to witness the fruits of her effort. But God used her to save an heir to the kingdom.
Read about Mephibosheth’s nurse in Scripture: 2 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 9
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