All readers of the Bible know that there are many stories that describe human frailty that are truly sad. I think one of the most regrettable scenes in history was that of King David running away from his own son, Absalom. This promised to be the disaster of his life And David went up the slope of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up, with his head covered and barefoot; and all the people who were with him covered each his head, and went up crying as they went up. “ 2 Saturdays 15:30. The only hope David seemed to have was his prayer that God would “turn the council of Ahithophel,” his chief adviser, “into madness,” because as a conspirator, he would be Absalom’s chief adviser.

Several of David’s friends joined him on the way, but he sent a few, including Hushai and the priests Zadok and Abiathar in an apparent effort to counter the conspiracy and stay informed of Absalom’s movements, as he continued his pursuit. small army. and the people. A short distance beyond the Mount of Olives, a servant of Mephibosheth approached him with a pair of donkeys laden with food and thus, in his great and bitter misfortune, he had some comfort and encouragement.

David had just arrived in Bahurim on his flight when “A man of the family came out of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, son of Gera.” 2 Sam 16: 5. It is here that the scene of sympathy changed and instead of comforting the king and wishing him success in the end, this man walked down the hillside and cursed the king in his pain and disgrace. More than that, he threw stones at David and his retinue of servants and followers; being himself in a safe place where the returning stones would be hindered, and knowing that David was in a hurry.

Shimei, whose youth brought early promise,

Of jealousy towards God and hatred towards his king;

He wisely refrained from costly sins,

And he never broke the Sabbath except to earn money.

From John Dryden’s (1631-1700) satire of Absalom and Achitophel.

Shimei desecrated David by calling him a devil, a murderer, and accused him of usurping Saul’s crown. To add insult to injury, he harshly told the king that Absalom’s turning against him was just retribution for his role in destroying Saul’s house. The LORD has paid you for all the blood that you shed in the house of Saul, where you have reigned. The LORD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood! ” 2 Samuel 16: 8. We do not know how long he continued to rebuke David and his friends.

Abishai proposed to go and kill Shimei, but David, who was a kind man in his pain and misfortune, as well as in joy and prosperity, discouraged him and said instead: “Let him curse, because the LORD has told him.” 2 Samuel 16: 11b. In David’s mind, if God sent this painful episode down the road, then he must submit, and then he turned to hope for the situation and commented to his friends: “It may be that the LORD sees my anguish and repays me with good for the curse I am receiving today.” 2 Samuel 16:12.

David argued that his own son was seeking his life, and how much more could Shimei curse, stone, and throw dust on him. In other words, he perceived the whole predicament theologically as a projective providence and left the solution of his mystery to God. In his magnanimity, he forgave Shimei when he returned victorious over his son Absalom. Submission to the will of God in misfortune, generous mercy to his enemies in victory, this was a kind and haughty David, and we know that he would have forgiven Absalom, the arch traitor, especially if he had had the opportunity.

But the weakest creature in the group of his enemies and pursuers this time around was Shimei. His demeanor was the very base of all cowardice and meanness, throwing stones, throwing dust, cursing when he thought he was safe himself. But he became a pathetic, miserable, submissive human being at David’s feet when David returned victorious from the bloody field of Ephraim.

This is always the case with the coward and the enemy who will take advantage of our misfortunes and insult and hurt us, seeking to gain dominion over us. It must have been a well-known fact that God had deposed Saul and his house and exalted David to the throne and scepter of Israel. David had been exceptionally kind to Saul and his family, although Saul, in his lifetime, had sought every means that jealousy and envy could devise to destroy David. Even when Saul and Jonathan fell to the bloody heights of Gilboa, slain by their own hands, David gave free rein, with the noblest generosity of spirit ever written, to the pain and appreciation of his own heart. However, the descendants of Simei and Saul, like Saul himself, still harbored the spirit of malice and revenge towards “the man after God’s own heart.”

Jealousy and envy, smallness and cowardice in man are always blind to God’s purposes and human generosity cannot transform cowardice and jealousy into goodness and honor. These negative qualities of human nature are always at war with all that is good and elevated above them, and when misfortune or affliction comes to the objects of their envy or revenge, they are always at hand to compound the offense.

David had been kind to Shimei and his family. He forgave him for the wrong done in Bahurim, but we suspect that Shimei would have repeated his despicable drama the next day, had he been given the opportunity. Shimei was the personified character to whom Shakespeare spoke when he said:

You are the hare of whom the saying goes,

Whose courage plucks dead lions from their beards.

We learn that David’s miseries turned to joy, and the insults of his enemies fell back on their own heads, because God was with him. He acted like Christ on this occasion and indeed, in all this misfortune, he seemed like a type of Christ. Say what you want, Christ teaches the only remedy for the cure of evil and for the conquest of enmity and pettiness: forgive your enemies, do good to those who mistreat you, bless the cursed and heap coals of fire on the heads of those who would harm you.

In all circumstances we must love and forgive our enemies. But always be aware of them. David ordered his heir Solomon to punish Shimei (I Kings 2: 8-9). Consequently, Solomon ordered Shimei to settle in Jerusalem, forbidding him, under pain of death, to leave the city (I Kings 2: 36-38). However, three years later, Shimei traveled to Gat to bring back two of his runaway slaves; upon his return, Solomon had him killed (I Kings 2: 39-46).

Shimei of the world will throw stones, curse, and then run and hide. But we are more than conquerors through the One who loves us so much.