NOT GUILTY

Can I pray for you in any way?

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In Christ, Mark

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Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes. Throughout the tribes of Israel, the people were all arguing with each other, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies; he is the one who rescued us from the hand of the Philistines. But now he has fled the country because of Absalom; and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?"

King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: "Ask the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters? You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring back the king?' And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab.'"

He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. They sent word to the king, "Return, you and all your men."

Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan.

Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal to go out and meet the king and bring him across the Jordan. Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul's household and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan where the king was. They crossed at the ford to take the king's household over and to do whatever he wished.

When Shimei, son of Gera, crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king and said to him, "May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. For I your servant know that I have sinned but today I have come here as the first of the whole house of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king."

Then Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the Lord's anointed."

David replied, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?"

So the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king promised him on oath.

2 Samuel 19:8b-23

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the first part of 2 Samuel, chapter 19, we saw where Joab had to jostle David out of his attitude of mourning to show gratitude and appreciation towards the men who had fought so valiantly on his behalf in the battle against Absalom and the Israelites who chose to follow him. And so David followed Joab’s counsel, emerged from his sequestered mourning, and presented himself to the people.

Meanwhile, we read where those who had decided to align themselves with Absalom and his attempted coup to kill and unseat David, “fled to their homes” and arguments began to arise “throughout the tribes of Israel”. Those tribes were saying to one another:

“The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies; he is the one who rescued us from the hand of the Philistines. But now he has fled the country because of Absalom; and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?"

While this argument was occurring, the scriptures tell us that David decided to send the following message to the elders of Judah through his priests Zadok and Abiathar:

"Ask the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters? You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring back the king?' And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab.'"

Note here that there are two parts of David’s appeal.

First, he was seeking to have the elders of Judah bring him back to Jerusalem as king now that Absalom was dead, fortifying his request by reminding the elders that they were David’s “own flesh and blood”.

Secondly, David also had decided to replace Joab with Amasa, his blood relative and Absalom’s army commander. In regard to this, we’re not told that David was angry at Joab for killing his son against his orders but his actions sure send a message that Joab had fallen out of favor with the king. Unfortunately, we will soon see where Joab once again will take authority into his own hands, choosing to take out Amasa.

Back to the scriptures where we see how David’s words were effective as he “won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man” and they sent the following word to him:

"Return, you and all your men."

And so that’s just what happened as David began to go back to the holy capital city of Jerusalem (ironically referred to as the “city of David), going as far as the Jordan.

Meanwhile, “the men of Judah” went to Gilgal so they could “meet the king and bring him across the Jordan” and they were joined by “Shimei…the Benjamite from Bahurim” who “hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David” along with “a thousand Benjamites”. “Ziba, the steward of Saul's household” was in their company as well along with “his fifteen sons and twenty servants”.

What an encouraging sight this must have been for David as he approached the Jordan and saw such a large welcome party! Truly, it was a king’s welcome as the crowd “rushed to the Jordan” and “crossed at the ford to take the king's household over and to do whatever he wished”.

Well, one of those who did so, Shimei, “fell prostrate before” David and said to him:

"May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first of the whole house of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king."

For some context here, we need to rewind to chapter 16. There you may recall that as David fled Jerusalem with his people after learning of Absalom’s rebellion, he encountered a man named Shimei as he approached Bahurim. You’ll recall how Shimei, a man from the same clan as Saul, came out and cursed David and his men, pelting them with rocks and showering them with dirt. Because of this, Abishai wanted to kill him for his actions but David chastised him, feeling that the Lord had a reason for him to be cursed. And so he let Shimei continue his actions as he walked away from him and Bahurim (2 Samuel 16:5-14).

Well, as we see in today’s passage, Abishai hadn’t forgotten what Shimei had done and still held a grudge against him as he bowed down before Israel’s king hoping for mercy. After all, most any other king wouldn’t have hesitates to execute any man who cursed him let alone throw rocks and dirt as well.

Unfortunately, Abishai forgot one thing for David wasn’t just any king. He was a king who was after God’s own heart…a God who was defined by mercy and forgiveness and grace. And so David once again rejected Abishai’s recommendation, sparing Shimei’s life with an oath while essentially telling Abishai that they now were adversaries who shared nothing in common. His pardon sent a message that was loud and clear to Shimei and anyone who would say he deserved death.

That message?

I find him not guilty.

In this passage, a sinner bowed down before David and pleaded for compassion through clemency that would provide a new lease on life. And through a man after God’s own heart, Shimei received just that…a amnesty from his sinful behavior.

Now fast forward to us today.

For we all stand guilty of sin before God, our heavenly King. We all deserve death because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and day is coming when we will have to give an account for the way we lived. It will be a day of judgment where God will issue one of two verdicts as our eternal future hangs in the balance of Heaven and Hell. We, like Shimei, will be bowed down before the King, seeking His forgiveness and mercy and grace…and whether or not we receive His pardon…like Shimei received from David…will depend on the answer to one question:

Did we choose to believe in Jesus, His Son, as our Savior?

God’s very Word makes it clear that Jesus alone is the only One who can stand with us at the point of judgment and tell the Father:

“This man or woman is not guilty…for I have paid the penalty for their sins on the cross at Calvary. Their name is written in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15).”

With that confirmation of justification from Jesus, that person’s passage to eternal life is sealed…saved by the atoning blood of the precious Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29)…the only One through which anyone can come to God the Father (John 14:6).

And what about those who chose to not believe in Jesus?

Well, they would have lost their opportunity to gain Heaven and any hope of eternal life there passed away at their death. Their name will not be written in the Book of Life and there will be no intercession by Jesus on the day of judgment. And so God will render a guilty verdict, therefore condemning that person to a life of everlasting darkness, torment, and damnation.

Given this, there is always urgency for Christians to do everything they can to share the Gospel with those who are unsaved. Today, that number is approximately six billion people…three fourths of the earth’s population. That’s six billion people who are standing on the precipice of Hell because they either haven’t heard the gospel before or have heard it and decided to reject it.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the bottom line is that we simply can’t rest…and Jesus certainly wouldn’t permit us to do so…until every single man and woman in this world can stand before God, their King, at life’s end hear Him declare them “not guilty”.

How will you answer the call found in Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) today?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.