Returning to David’s re-entrance to Jerusalem, with his crossing of the Jordan (exodus), we look again at his encounter with Shimei, the man who had uttered curses against him when he had previously fled from Jerusalem in the other direction (exile). One of David’s trusted soldiers, a man named Abishai, said “should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!” (2 Samuel 19:21b) When Shimei had originally cursed David, David’s response was to say, “If he curses because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David!’ who can say to him, ‘Why have you done this?’” (16:10b) This was uttered in the context of David having previously said, in reference to the Ark of the Covenant and Jerusalem, “If I find favor in the Lord’s sight He will bring me back and enable me to see both it and His dwelling place again” (15:25b).
Abishai did not share David’s mindset at the time of Shimei’s cursing, in that he said “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!” (16:9b) David had not only responded with an insistence that the cursing might be inspired by the Lord, but he went on to say, “My own son, my very own flesh and blood, is trying to take my life”---which, along with his previous statement of “Come on! Let’s escape! Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword” (15:14b), was a questionable statement from David at that time), “So also now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that he can curse, for the Lord has spoken to him. Perhaps the Lord will notice my affliction and this day grant me good in place of his curse” (16:11b-12).
Shimei took David’s words as a green light to continue his cursing, as he “kept going along the side of the hill opposite him, yelling curses as he threw stones and dirt at them” (16:13b). Perhaps the stones that were being thrown at David served as a not-so-subtle reminder, if indeed the Lord had spoken to Shimei, that David had deserved to be stoned for both his adultery and the murder (injustice and oppression) that he had perpetrated?
So, returning to the nineteenth chapter, and to David’s dealing with Shimei, there is a certain symmetry revealed in that Abishai is there repeating the words that he had previously spoken and saying, “For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the Lord’s anointed!” David’s response is to say “What do we have in common…? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t you realize that today I am king over Israel?” (19:22) Following that, David told Shimei, “You won’t die,”, and “vowed an oath concerning this” (19:23). You see, David took it seriously when he said what he said about Shimei and his cursing. He took it quite seriously when he spoke about the Ark and Jerusalem and the finding of the Lord’s favor. At that time, he did not necessarily consider himself to be the Lord’s anointed. How could he? He knew what he had done. He knew that he stood in gross violation of his responsibilities before his God and to the people of God. David knew that God could have stripped the throne from him just as he had stripped the throne from Saul, for in reality, in the light of what was expected of Israel’s king, David had fared no better than Saul. For that reason, David could very well have considered Absalom to be the Lord’s anointed, which as has been said, would not have violated, in the least bit, the Lord’s covenantal promise to David in regards to setting his family on the throne in perpetuity.
As Shimei knelt before David, pledging his loyalty and begging for mercy, David knows that he is king. When curser has turned supplicant, looking for blessings, then David truly knows that he is, once again, the Lord’s anointed. Had Shimei not repented of his cursing, then David would have been justified in delivering the curse of death upon him. However, Shimei has confessed and repented and submitted to David. Therefore, it is David’s obligation to extend blessing? Is this not the Abrahamic covenant? Did Abraham not receive the promise that whoever cursed him (as the Lord’s anointed) would be cursed, and that whoever blessed him would be blessed, and that he and his descendants were to be the Lord’s instruments of blessing? It is for this reason, but not this reason alone, that David withholds retribution and stays Abishai’s eager sword.
In addition to this, we must remember when it was that Absalom reached the turning point and started down the path that led to failure and death. That point was when he reached out his hand, or at least agreed to reach out his hand and took steps to that end, against David. Remember, the point has been made that Absalom had taken the throne by peaceful means. Blood had not been shed. This should have been a clear sign, to Absalom, of the Lord’s favor upon his kingship. So when Absalom consented to the idea that David needed to be killed, that is the point, it seems, at which the Lord removed His approval from Absalom. Absalom’s agreement to have David killed, as was said, would have been akin to Israel turning and striking down Pharaoh after being granted exodus. David would have recognized that favor left Absalom and returned upon him when bloodshed, in an effort to seal the throne, was contemplated. So it is possible that it was in that light that David does not allow Shimei to be struck down, but rather, says, “Should anyone be put to death in Israel today?” (19:22b), knowing that such would not serve the plans and purposes of the merciful God that had returned the anointing to David and was returning him to the throne.
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