How we react in difficulty may reveal who we truly are inside. Will we retaliate/lash out in anger or endure abuse? 2 Samuel 16
David had fled Jerusalem, once more the opposition was too strong for him, but he’d live to fight another day.
The first man mentioned in 2 Samuel 16, was Ziba, Saul’s servant and his grandson, Mephibosheth’s steward. Ziba arrived with welcome supplies as David was beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives. This must have been a great encouragement for David and those accompanying him.
He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.
2 The king asked Ziba, ‘Why have you brought these?’
David was a king who questioned those who came to him; people’s motives were exposed in his presence. (When Samuel went to anoint Saul’s successor, God told him not to look on the outward appearance, for God looks at the heart) David wanted to know why people had behaved as they did, their heart motives.
The next man to appear was Shimei, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family.
His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out (he was so angry that he was cursing coming out) 6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, ‘Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul,
Ziba came with supplies to refresh those fleeing from danger and soon after Shimei came cursing, throwing stones and dirt. Jesus said, ‘let him who is without sin cast the first stone’. John 8:7 Will you and I be known in the Kingdom as those who encouraged and supplied the weary OR as stone and dirt throwers? Will we like Ziba or as Shimei? The difficult situation revealed them both. Are we seeing this playing out in the world around us now?
David the man after God’s own heart refused to allow Abishai, a leader of his troops to cut down Shimei. He made an interesting remark,
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, ‘My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjaminite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord WILL SEE MY DISTRESS AND REPAY ME WITH GOOD FOR THE CURSING I AM RECEIVING TODAY.’
David bore the curses and the humiliation alongside all his other difficulties, but he also looked to see if God would bless his forbearance. David didn’t retaliate, he just let the man curse. God may see and bless us too if we react as David did under duress.
God bless and keep you today.