In the Refreshment room of in our church building, we have magazines from Voice of the Martyrs. In them you can read stories of what is happening all over the world to the Church of Christ. One of the stories that comes out of the Voice of the Martyrs is about Tanmay, a Christian in India. He is a prominent Christen in his village, who would gather with another family to pray at their house. One night, while they were having their prayer meeting, a Hindu extremist group set fire to Tanmay’s house and shop. The families escaped with only the clothes on their backs, but everything else was destroyed. Due to this, Tanmay and his family had to move in with his brother’s family. With the help of believers from around the world, they are in the process of rebuilding Tanmay’s house and shop. When interviewed about the situation, Tanmay expressed his desire to start up, not just a prayer meeting, but a fellowship of believers in his new home.
It’s this type of attitude in the midst of suffering, that brings us back to our series, where we’ll pick it back up in Chapter 16 of Second Samuel. And as we open up to Second Samuel 16:1-14, let’s remind ourselves where we are so far.
The section we’ve termed, the Dark Days of David, began when David let his eyes wander, which led to his adultery with Bathsheba, the death of Uriah, the death one of David’s sons, then the violation of one if his daughters by a different son, then the death of that son by another son, and eventually that son rebelling against him. Through all of this we understood that, God calls us to not allow sin to fester, because it will grow and destroy as much as it can, yet we cannot reconcile relationships ahead of God’s direction. The antidote to sin festering in our lives, is through the blood of Jesus, we can confession, repent and seek his cleansing. This type of attitude keeps us from allowing sin to take back control and continue to destroy our lives.
Yet, as we saw last week, David was growing as a follower of God. Though he isn’t perfect, and has done immense damage to his family, we see that he still seeks to be faithful. His act in sending the ark of the covenant back shows that growth. Its that action where we understood that, God is calling us to a faith that doesn’t stay stagnant, but grows in trust and obedience. Even when we falter in our faith, God is calling us to continue to grow, because growth in trusting and obeying him, proves that the work of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection power has been and is doing work in us.
With that in mind, let’s read together, Second Samuel 16:1-14.
1 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” 3 And the king said, “And where is your master's son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” 4 Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”
5 When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. 14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.
David encounters two people as he is leaving Jerusalem: Ziba, and Shimei; the blesser and the curser.
v.1-4
Ziba is a servant of Mephibosheth, who is the grandson of Saul and the one whom David took into his house and provided for back in chapter 9. Here, we find out that Ziba is doing this out of his own desire to support David, because Mephibosheth believes that, with David leaving the city, the people of Israel will make him king and restate his family as rulers.
Back in Chapter 3 we talked about how, even when we try to live righteously, wicked people will do wicked things, and there are times, when the righteous will be hurt by it. It’s a wonder how Mephibosheth, who, in any other kingdom would have been killed, because he was both crippled and the grandson of a previous dynasty. Yet, David showed mercy upon him, and now it’s revealed that Mephibosheth didn’t honor David as David had honored him.
So in response to Ziba’s loyalty, David decides that he will give all that he had given to Mephibosheth, to this servant, because of the honor one had, where the other didn’t.
This also shows us that not everyone was out to get David. He still had loyal people in the land.
v.5-14
But the honor quickly goes away as David encounters Shimei, a family member of Saul. Shimei believes that David usurped Saul’s throne, and that God was now punishing David for his treachery. However, we know the behind the scenes reality. We know that God took the kingdom from Saul because of his pride. We know that God gave Saul many chances to repent, but he didn’t and acted as if he were the true king of Israel, when in reality he was an underling to the true King. We know how David avoided killing Saul, though he had at least two situations where he could have. And we know how David honored Saul and his family, even after his death.
In addition to this, we know why David is in the plight he’s in. David caused his own problems through his own sin. It is divine judgment that David’s experiencing, but it’s not like Saul’s judgment. Though David has sinned, he, unlike Saul, is repentant, and so his kingdom will not be taken away, but will continue.
But Shimei doesn’t know any of this. Shimei only sees David as a threat to his own family, and begins cursing the king.
In response, we see again, the growth of David. We’re told that David’s men are on all side of Shimei. The king could easily had the man killed. But David doesn’t go that route. Instead, when given the option to silence the curser, David says, “Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today. (v.11-12)”
David understood that this could be from God, so he allows it, because if the curse is from God, then God is right to have sent it. However, if this is a wrongful curse, then David trusts that the Lord will repay him for the evil. That’s an immense amount of growth by David.
It incapsulates Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:38-39, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
This is why God chose David when others wouldn’t, because David, though he was a sinner just like his predecessor, he would grow in his faith. And one of the hardest areas for the follower of Jesus to grow in, is the area of suffering. Repaying evil for evil is one of the easiest things we can do. It’s so natural in our fallen state to respond to the evil people throw on us, that once we enter into the new life of Christ, its one of the hardest areas of our old self to leave in the grave.
We talk about our rights, but our rights are nothing compared to the obedience Christ calls us to. And so we must learn this lesson, as followers of Christ, we are the best people to suffer, because we follow the suffering Jesus.
Peter is a great example of a man who didn’t get this lesson, until he did. He was the one who stood between Jesus and the cross (see Matt. 16:23; Mk. 8:33), and it was Peter, who cut the ear off the guard who came to arrest Jesus (Jn. 18:10). Peter knows what it means to fight against suffering, but then, after years of following the risen Jesus in his suffering, Peter wrote this in his first letter, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For ‘Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. (1 Pet. 3:8-17)”
Suffering is one of those issues that none of us wants to experience, yet what both David and Peter understood is the lesson God has for us: God is calling us to be content in our circumstance, good or bad, finding our satisfaction in him alone.
Our Lord suffered to bring the gift of salvation to humanity. The King of the universe descended to the muck and mire of our world, so that we could be raised to his glorious life. We have all eternity a head in his blessed new perfect creation. So all the suffering on our part now is a drop in the bucket compared to his, and what is to come.
So my challenge this week is to write down the areas where you are suffering. It could be financially, physically, relationally, emotional, mentally, or another area. Write it down, and then write next to it, “Lord let me see the blessing through this.” The Lord doesn’t allow his people to suffer willy-nelly, he has purpose in it. Sometimes the purpose is to teach or correct us, and sometimes its to teach others. Either way, his purposes and glory will be seen in his children who suffer with their eyes on him.
Let us be a people who suffer, and count that suffering as our Lord did, as joy. Amen.
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