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The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul’s family is because here in 2 Samuel 16, we read of how Saul’s family wants to kick David when he’s down. The words of Ziba regarding Mephibosheth will turn out to be a lie, but David and his men still faced the harsh ridicule of Shimei. Amazingly, with David still being king, he chooses to walk by peacefully. This is similar to the attitude Jesus, the King of Kings, demonstrated when he was ridiculed.
“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. 7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:5-7 HCSB
David was open to the possibility that God had allowed Shimei to curse him. I was struck at how incredibly difficult this kind of response must have been. In our current era, most people can’t even scroll their social media feed without being offended by something. David’s behavior showed that he was humble. Again, I know I have written this a lot over the past several chapters, but David was content to allow God to sort out the details. He didn’t need to take matters into his own hands because he trusted the Lord would defend him.
I am not going to pretend like I have mastered this trait. It is not easy. But when we look at the examples in Scripture, we see many men and women who followed after Jesus and allowed pain and suffering to wash over them all while continuing to praise God.
“When, through the treachery of Judas, the bitter cup came to the lips of our Lord, he said, ‘It is the cup that my Father hath given me to drink.’ Pain and sorrow, treachery and hard speeches, may be devised against us by the malignity of an Ahithophel, a Shimei, or a Judas; but by the time these have passed, through the permissive will of God, we may receive them as the strokes of His chastening rod, that we may partake of His holiness. We are not the sport of chance or human caprice. God deals with us as with sons.”
F.B. Meyer