Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Have you ever been guilty but got away with something, then later been punished for something you are innocent of ? We are studying David on Mondays and Tuesdays, and next week’s lesson is about the rebellion of his beloved son Absalom. There is a very bizarre story in the middle of the main story found in 2Kings 16:5. David is fleeing from a very deceitful, very ambitious Absalom when some obnoxious character named Shimei came out of nowhere and began cursing David without letup. Shimei also threw rocks at David and accused David of heinous crimes of which David was quite innocent .
Now the humorous part is David had a small army with him and with one word this mans head would have been lopped off. David instead chose to take the abuse considering it to be from God saying,”my son who came out from me seeks my life, how much more now this Benjamite? Let him curse for the Lord has told him. Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day”.
I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in this wild story. I think definitely David believed that suffering unjustly without paying evil for evil would be rewarded by God. I also think on some level David felt guilty for this whole situation. David was innocent of Shimei’s charges but none of this would be happening at all if it wasn’t for his bigger crime of adultery and murder. It may have seemed to outsiders that David got away with adultery and murder since he continued being king and never faced charges—plus he got to marry the beautiful Bathsheba. David knew better that all this misery was a part of the bigger picture, and that God had a plan not only to bring retribution to David but to bring about His eternal purposes. Therefore we can observe in this story:
- David actually comforted himself with the thought his sins deserved worse chastisement than he was receiving.
- He looked beyond the cursing to the righteous hand of God.
- He considered the minor affliction of Shimei unworthy of consideration in view of the major trial of the revolt of Absalom.
- He exercised faith that God would yet bring good out of evil.
I challenge you to read this seemingly out of place and strange story found in 2Kings 16:5-14 and help me add to this list.
