Shimei

May 19, 2008

A few days ago in the daily readings we came across the story of Shimei. I did not use it for the devotional although their was a good story there. As David was being run out of town by his son, Shimei is standing on a road over him throwing down rocks at him and cursing him. While one of David's men wants to kill him, David says to leave him alone. God may have told Shimei to curse him, in that case, killing him would be wrong. Or it could be that God would see how wrong he has been treated and work for him.

Now, a few days later and it is time for David to cross the river on his way back into Jerusalem. Guess who is first to meet him?


2 Samuel 19:18-23 MKJV
(18) And they had crossed over the ford to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he had come over Jordan.
(19) And he said to the king, Let not my lord charge iniquity to me. Do not remember the perverse way your servant acted in the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, for the king to take it to his heart.
(20) For your servant knows that I have sinned. And, behold, I come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

Now some might say that this was an act of preservation on his part. After all, he wanted to live, he had better get on the kings good side. I tend to think of Shimei as a lot like you or me. Very often we get caught up in the thrill of the moment or in peer pressure and so not do always as we should. We let those around us influence us. We may even not act like Christians in order to look or be thought of as cool. Shimei most likely had a lot of people around him that influenced him. Why he was picked out of that group I do not know. I do know, that like us, he had to go before his king and ask forgiveness for what he had done wrong.

(21) But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah's anointed?

There will always be some around that say that you can not be forgiven and that you should die in your sins for what you have done. Sometimes the devil himself will whisper it in your ear. You should not believe it. God loves you. And David cared for Shiemi.

(22) And David said, What do I have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be my foes today? Shall there be any man put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?
(23) And the king said to Shimei, You shall not die. And the king swore to him.

David did not listen to those around him. God does not listen to those who say you have messed up too much and you can not be forgiven. Like Shimei, we need to get on our knees and pray to our King to forgive us and then swear allegiance to Him.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today
2 Samuel 19:1-21:22
Tomorrow
Psalms 5:1-12, Psalms 38:1-22, Psalms 41:1-13, Psalms 42:1-11
http://tinyurl.com/24beby for a daily reading tool