Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, "Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head."
But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' "
David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."
So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
2 Samuel 16:5-14
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
David and his people had already encountered two people as they fled Jerusalem, first meeting Hushai the Arkite and then Mephibosheth’s steward, Ziba. And in both, we saw where David gained benefit even if Ziba’s motives were shady.
Well, David and his people weren’t finished meeting others as they journeyed but as they would see, not everyone was happy to see them.
A perfect example is found in our passage as we find David approaching the town of Bahurim. There we read where a “man from the same clan as Saul's family”, Shimei, came out and met David and his people, pelting “David and all the king's officials with stones” while cursing:
“Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"
Shimei’s words were bold given that “all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left”. Upset and annoyed at the Benjamite’s actions, Abishai asks David why he should allow “this dead dog” to “curse my lord the king” and seeks permission to “go over and cut off his head”.
Now, it would have been so easy for David to grant Abishai permission to kill Shimei. After all, he was the king and kings had killed men who had been less disrespectful than Shimei. And no one in David’s entourage would have even questioned his move. In fact, they probably would have felt relieved from being cursed at and being struck by stones.
Yes, it would have been so easy.
But what the Lord often tries to teach us in life is that the easy thing to do isn’t always the right thing to do. In fact, the easy thing to do is often the wrong thing to do…a response or reaction to a temptation that Satan sends to try and entice us to sin.
Back to the scriptures where we see David respond to Abishai with words that had to surprise him. For David said, “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' "
In the past, we have seen David make the mistake of not relying on the Lord to guide him in what to do. But here we get a sense that David is growing spiritually and, in doing so, seeks to feel if it’s the Lord’s will for him to kill Shimei. Obviously, David doesn’t feel it is because he feels the Lord might be driving Shimei to curse him…and if that was indeed happening, then who could question the Lord.
Abishai and David’s people had to be thinking, “The Lord authorizing cursing and stone throwing? Huh? Are you serious David?”
Indeed, the worldly attitude would say just that. Just kill him and get it over with. He cursed you and threw stones at the king! He deserved exactly what he got.
But as we have seen, David didn’t always let the world control his decisions. And as he matures in the Lord, we see him truly becoming a man after God’s own heart…mostly because he chose to seek God’s heart first…just as we should.
And so David told “Abishai and all his officials” to leave Shimei alone and “let him curse”.
Why?
Because “the Lord has told him to” do so.
David saw Shimei’s challenge as a test from the Lord. He was being placed in a position where he had a decision to make: either kill Shimei or spare him. David felt the Lord wished for him to spare Shimei and endure his attacks, even feeling that “the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today”.
In other words, there might be a chance that the Lord was testing David then to bless him later for enduring Shimei’s cursing.
Friends, during the course of our lives, we are going to encounter some Shimeis along the way, people who are going to seem to do what they can to rub us the wrong way. We might get cursed by them and/or pelted with insults or comments or gossip like the stones that struck David and his men…and like David, we will have a choice to make. Do we retaliate and get even, seeking to harm our attacker just as they have tried to harm us? Or do we, like David, seek the Lord and accept that we might need to endure the persecution we are going through for a greater good yet seen?
God’s word helps answer this question:
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
David stood the test because as he and “his men continued along the road”, “Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him”, continuing to curse “as he went” while “throwing stones…and showering him with dirt”. But the trial didn’t last forever and David and “all the people with him arrived at their destination”. Exhausted from the journey after standing the test, they now had a chance to rest and refresh.
Yes, life is a test with many different parts in which the Lord is assessing how obedient we stay to Him and His word. And although many parts of this test come during times of trial, what a wonderful assurance to know that we have a Lord who walks along with us…always there to comfort us…always there to guide us…always there to make sure we do the right thing, even if it is the hard thing to do.
David did it…and so can you and I.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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