Absalom (part 1)

Now David’s son Absalom… - 2 Samuel 13:1a  (NET)

In this way, David’s son Absalom is introduced into the Scriptural narrative.  The story of Absalom well embodies the ongoing story of Israel, founded in the exodus by which they were defined (a life and worldview practically centered upon a remembrance of the Passover) and almost always at risk of being exiled from their promised land if they failed to uphold the covenant responsibilities that had been assigned to them. 

Absalom is introduced by way of the story of the rape of his sister, Tamar.  Chapter thirteen of second Samuel begins with “Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar” (13:1a).  For some reason, Tamar is not presented as David’s daughter, but rather, as Absalom’s sister.  It is said that Amnon, another of David’s sons “fell madly in love with Tamar” (13:1b).  This “love” eventually resulted in her being raped by Amnon.  Obviously, Tamar is humiliated and disgraced.  A pall of exile (part of Israel’s own story) is cast over her life.

Afterwards, “Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom” (13:20b), and “Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar” (13:22b).  Absalom understood that Amnon, through his actions, had brought the shame of exile to his sister.  She was suffering.  In due time he planned on bringing her vindication, with this occurring through the killing of Amnon.  Absalom held a grudge against Amnon for a considerable length of time, and the story of Absalom’s revenge picks up “Two years later” (13:23a).  Absalom conceived a plan by which he could secure his revenge, and send Amnon into the exile of death.  After Amnon’s demise has been accomplished, it is reported that “This is what Absalom has talked about from the day that Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar” (13:32b). 

With Amnon’s death, Absalom most likely feels as if he has brought vindication to his sister, somehow relieving her of the shame and disgrace that she has experienced.  However, in the process of doing what he believed would bring his sister’s suffering to an end and thus providing her with something like exodus (Israel’s story constantly superimposed on individual stories), Absalom brings exile upon himself. 

Surely, Absalom calculated this as part of the risk of what he was undertaking, and would have imagined that something like this might be necessary.  It is said that “Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur” (13:37a).  Absalom’s exile brought a measure of exile to David himself, as part of him was bound up with his son, so “David grieved over his son every day” (13:37b).  Interestingly, Absalom’s self-imposed exile from his homeland lasted longer than his grudge against Amnon.  While he had plotted against Amnon for two full years, Absalom remained in Geshur for three years (13:38).  Throughout that time, “the king longed to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon” (13:39). 

Clearly then, this correlates rather well with the broad narrative scheme of the Scriptures that begins with the first exile---an exile that was truly self-imposed---which was that of Adam and Eve.  Though obviously their exile began on a different basis from that of Absalom, in that they did not commit a vengeful murder, they did in fact bring death upon themselves and upon the whole of their progeny.  It is not surprising then, to find that vengeful murder is in the heart of one of their sons, as evidenced by Cain’s jealousy-fueled murder of his brother Abel.  Having brought death, Adam and Eve were exiled from the place of the Creator God’s presence, from the Garden of Eden, and from the Creator’s good creation.  Like Absalom, fleeing from possible punishment, their exile began with their attempting to flee from the Creator God by hiding themselves in the garden. 

Only Son (part 13)

In the twenty-sixth verse of the first chapter of Genesis, after God has pronounced everything as good and established an order in this world that He so obviously loved, He takes one final step and says “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth” (Genesis 1:26). 

Yes, the Creator God loved the world, and He showed forth that love by creating a being in and as His own image that would reflect His glory into the creation and be a reminder of His creative power and His rule.  He created Adam.  He sent the one originally understood, as part of the story of the covenant people, to be His one and only son into the world to rule the creation in proxy for Him.  If this is understood, then the one that has that understanding is one step closer to appreciating the full impact of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus. 

Genesis insists that “God created humankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them” (1:27).  Furthermore, in relation to being created in and as the image of the Creator God, so as to bear that image in and for the whole of the creation, the language of covenant is employed when the author confirms that “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply!  Fill the earth and subdue it!” (1:28a)  What follows from that report is rounded off with “God saw all that He had made---and it was very good!” (1:31a) 

So humankind (Adam) is given a charge by their Creator.  It could easily be said that the covenant God of Israel loved His good creation (world).  Owing to that love, He created a son (Adam) in His own image and sent that son into the world with a specific purpose.  What was that purpose?  It was to rule and steward and subdue and represent the Creator to the world.  Ultimately though, there was something underlying all of that.  The foundation on which those purposes rested was belief.  It was trust. 

Trust in what?  “The Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (2:16-17a).  This was an obvious commandment and a test.  The Creator God loved the world and sent His one and only son into the world, and set up a perimeter to see whether or not His Son would follow the commandment as part of the charge to be reflect his Father’s glory into the world.  Would the word of the Creator be believed?  Of course, all live with the sad result of the failure associated with this relatively simple commandment, which was that it was not something to which Adam (the one originally thought of as the son of God) adhered. 

The corollary to the Creator God’s commandment to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is well known, as it was said “for when you eat from it you will surely die” (2:17b).  Genesis reports that Adam, as the divine image-bearer, had been offered up the fruit of every tree of the garden, save one.  One of those trees was the tree of life (2:9).  When Adam and Eve were exiled from the garden after violating their God’s clear commandment (thereby finding themselves outside of their God’s purpose for them), careful attention is paid to this tree of life. 

This demonstrates that the tree of life is of special concern to the Creator God, thus it is said that “When He drove the man out, He placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life” (3:24).  This is explaining in the report of the Creator saying “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever” (3:22).  Clearly then, it is being communicated that the covenant God did not want His now fallen image-bearer to live forever in a state of corruption, so He made a move to limit access to the tree of life.  Apparently, it is to be taken that the fruit of this tree was designed to render possible such an eternal existence. 

According To His Own Image (part 2 of 2)

Eve had been told that if she ate the fruit of the tree of which her and Adam had been commanded not to eat, that she would become like a divine being (Genesis 3:5).  Interestingly and with the words of the serpent in mind, it is to be noted that the very first words to be heard from human lips following the expulsion from the garden were “I have created a man just as the Lord did” (4:1b). 

Prior to reading about Adam fathering a son in his own likeness and according to his own image, one finds that “When God created humankind, He made them in the likeness of God.  He created them male and female; when they were created, He blessed them and named them ‘humankind’.” (5:1b)  This is quite the contrast to that which would come to be said of Adam.  The Creator God created humankind in His likeness and image, but Adam was said to have fathered a son in his own likeness and image.  Quite the contrast indeed. 

The being that is the first to be called the son of God (Adam - Luke 3:38), was fathered in and as the image of the Creator God.  He was reported to have been given dominion and rule.  He was given “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has seed in it” (1:29b).  The Creator said to His image-bearers that “They will be yours for food” (1:29c).  With what is an obviously very careful choice of language, as it is uttered against the backdrop of the cosmic creation mythology, it is said of the first being to be fathered by humankind, that he was fathered in his father’s (Adam) image. 

Unfortunately, due to what is put forth as a faithless rebellion against their God’s command, the dominion and rule had been forfeited.  This son would be told, in stark contrast to that which was first told to his father, that “cursed is the ground… in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, but you will eat the grain of the field.  By the sweat of your brow you will eat food until you return to the ground” (3:17b-19a). 

So it is to this day.  As the Scripture says: “This is the record of the family line of Adam” (5:1a), as generation after generation come into being and pass away, all fathered in the image and likeness of Adam.  Though today’s generations live within a world in which the kingdom of God has been established, and in which Jesus (the second Adam-Romans 5), Who is the Son of God that is the representation of God’s essence (Hebrews 1:3) and the image of the invisible God that is the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15), Who has rule and dominion because of His death and death-conquering Resurrection through which God began to set His creation to rights, all still struggle with the cursing effect of the fall, in the inaugurated but not yet consummated kingdom of God.   

Nebuchadnezzar's Fall (part 5)

As man is driven from the good and bountiful garden, which had freely yielded the fruit of the trees for his sustenance, he is informed about a different way that his food is going to come to him from that point forward.  The Creator God told Adam, “cursed is the ground thanks to you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, but you will eat the grain of the field” (Genesis 3:17b-18).  This eating of the grain of the field---of what grows from the ground---could be likened to Nebuchadnezzar’s being “fed grass like oxen,” as both are now going to be eating what grows from the ground, as they live among the wild animals, rather than having plenteous quantities of food delivered to them by their humble servants. 

Humble servants?  In Adam’s case, because he was the Creator God’s image-bearing steward over all creation, and because he had been given a responsible dominion over the works of his God’s hands, his humble servants would have been the trees of the garden.  Scripture seems to suggest that creation itself would have willingly yielded its bounty to its steward.  For Nebuchadnezzar, of course, his servants would have been those men and women over which he ruled.  This eating of grass, for both Nebuchadnezzar and Adam, as Adam (man) was now forced to till the ground to yield food (“eating grass” then serving as metaphor), would serve as a constant reminder that they had fallen from what had been intended for them.  Yes, if He truly holds the world in His hands, it is to be borne in mind that the Creator God had purposeful intentions for Nebuchadnezzar.   

As has been said, the respective falls came through pride and self-worship, as both Adam and the king of Babylon presumptuously reached for that which did not belong to them.  Each time they ate the grass of the field, they would be reminded of their having been driven from human society.  Adam would be forced to remember that he had willfully departed from what it meant to be fully human, which was living in a complete, trusting allegiance to his Creator, faithfully carrying out his divine purpose to be the bearer of the divine image.  He now lived in cursing and exile, fallen from glory, and now inhabiting a world cursed because of his faithlessness.  Nebuchadnezzar would be separated from fellowship with his fellow human beings, therefore separated from relationship with others that had been created in the image of the covenant God of Israel, and therefore even further separated from that God, in an awful state of exile and in full experience of the Creator God’s cursing upon himself.

After this pronouncement on the man that is so often thought of as an evil and idolatrous king, the story of Nebuchadnezzar takes what might be perceived as an unexpected turn.  The Creator God makes a promise to Nebuchadnezzar that this state of affairs in which he finds himself living a beastly existence, will go on for “seven periods of time” (4:32d).  So it was not going to be a permanent condition for Nebuchadnezzar.  As the story goes, he was informed that he was going to undergo this cursing and exile so that he would be made to “understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever He wishes” (4:32e). 

There is grace and mercy for Nebuchadnezzar here.  Not only is his time of insanity going to have a defined limit, but through it, the Creator God is going to enter in so as to reveal Himself to this king.  He will do this in a way that will, for Nebuchadnezzar, give real meaning and substance and conviction to his previous declaration about that God, in which he had said, “How great are His signs!  How mighty are His wonders!  His kingdom will last forever, and His authority continues from one generation to the next” (4:3).  In these words, Nebuchadnezzar had told “all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land” (4:1), that he was “delighted to tell  you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me” (4:2).  Perhaps this was nothing more than lip service following that to which he had been witness in the situation with Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the fourth man in the fiery furnace?  Perhaps not? 

David & Goliath: A Battle With Death (part 5 of 7)

Furthermore, the sheer folly of the preaching of a crucified and resurrected man had power to convince people to believe in Jesus, submit to His claims in allegiance, and be willing to go to their own deaths for holding to such a claim, was further evidence of what was believed to somehow be the case that death, though still present, had truly been overcome.  If the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ had the power to loose its claimants and adherents from the grip and hold of death, supplanting all fear and replacing it with the hope of eternal life (more than going to heaven, but participating in the ongoing process of bringing the life of the age to come to bear in the present) through a trusting allegiance to Jesus, then yes, Israel, the Creator God’s people through the covenant, had a God.

David continued and said that “all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves!” (17:47a)  Of course, it has come to be quite well known that David was armed with only a slingshot and some stones, whereas Goliath was undoubtedly out-fitted with what passed for that day’s state-of-the-art military equipment.  Those that were in a position to observe David’s going out to meet Goliath would probably have not thought very highly of David’s hopes of victory. 

Since Goliath’s issued challenge had been a man-to-man battle, with two men representing their respective peoples, in which the loser’s people would become slaves to the victor’s people, one can imagine the grumbling that would have been taking place amongst the men of Israel.  One must take the time to envision the attitude of the men of Israel’s army as David marched out with no shield, no armor, no sword, no spear, and presumable no hope.  It would not be far-fetched to see Saul’s generals and advisors pleading with him to not be so foolish as to allow this boy to determine the fate of Israel.  David however, was quite confident of the salvation and vindication that would be his at the hands of the Lord God of Israel.

Jesus, as one could also imagine, would take up similar words to those on offer from David.  He was clear and direct in His message to His people, as He would effectively, through both what He did and didn’t do (and said and didn’t say), tell them that “it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves.”  In Jesus’ day, the enemy that embodied death and that also embodied the Creator God’s continued cursing of Israel, was Rome.  As long as Israel was in continued subjection to a foreign power, which had been the case for more than half a millennium at that point, then they were still in exile from their land, regardless of the geographic location of the people. 

Subjugation to a foreign people was an ongoing implication of their God’s cursing, as outlined in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.  With this concept extended to all of mankind and all of God’s creation, subjection to death and its corrupting power implied that man, along with all of the creation which he had been charged to steward as the image of the Creator, continued to stand under the curse inflicted upon him and it by Adam’s rebellion in the Garden.  For Israel, because of this understanding of cursing, it was widely believed that a movement must take place to overthrow the Romans and to drive them from their land, so as to re-assert Israel as autonomous and independent.  This would come, many believed, through the leadership of their messiah, who would be a king in the mold of their great warrior-king David.  

Hezekiah's Prayer (part 2 of 3)

Hezekiah continues, and Isaiah reports him saying “My dwelling place is taken away from me like a shepherd’s tent.  I rolled up my life like a weaver rolls cloth; from the loom he cuts me off.  You turn day into night and end my life” (38:12).  Likewise, in this as before, it is possible to hear and see Jesus.  His physical body, the one that went to the cross, that dwelling place in which the Creator God had come to His people and struck a tent for a period of time, was taken away from Him.  It was, of course, replaced with a new body, which, when one is in union with Him (believing the Gospel and living according to the idea that Jesus is Lord of all), provides the context for a hope for the same. 

Hezekiah speaks of the turning of day into night and the end of his life, and the reader is forced to consider the darkness that crept over the land when Jesus hung upon the cross, as physical death crept over and eventually consumed Him.  Hezekiah exclaims, “I cry out until morning; like a lion he shatters all my bones; you turn day into night and end my life” (38:13).  As it is once again possible to read about the turning of day into night and the ending of life, it is also possible to reflect on the fact that the ordeal that Jesus underwent lasted from evening to morning, and continued on the through the middle of the day.  Also, though His bones were not broken, He is reported to have been scourged (a common practice for those slated to be crucified), which might very well have left Him with exposed bones---as victims of scourging were often flayed to the very bone.   

Moving on from his lamentation in regards to day and night, Hezekiah goes on to pray, “Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp, I coo like a dove; my eyes grow tired from looking up at the sky” (Isaiah 38:14a).  How often can it be imagined that Jesus, in the midst of groans and grunts and gasps of pain, casts His eyes toward the heavens?  Indeed, it must have been a weary cry when, eyes directed heavenward, as He sees the darkness rolling into the daytime sky, that Matthew reports Jesus making another one of His role-affirming plaintive cries of “Eli, Elli, lama sabachthani?  That is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46b) 

In correlation, because of his reportedly wearisome looking to the sky, Hezekiah says, “O sovereign Master, I am oppressed; help me!” (38:14b)  In humble acceptance, Hezekiah goes on to conclude, “What can I say?  He has decreed and acted” (38:15a).   Much like Jesus, in the garden before beginning His travailing ordeal, would say “My Father, let this cup pass from Me!  Yet not what I will, but what You will” (Matthew 26:39b).  Truly, Jesus is only properly heard from within and according to Israel’s narrative, which includes the works of the prophets.  It is quite probable that Jesus (and His biographers) knew well the words of Hezekiah as reported by Isaiah, thus taking up the words of one of Israel’s kings from the midst of his own suffering, is appropriate and quite suited to Jesus’ own role as Israel’s King. 

Skipping ahead to the sixteenth verse of this chapter, Isaiah continues to give voice to Hezekiah, and the king is heard speaking and saying “O sovereign Master, Your decrees can give men life; may years of health be restored to me.  Restore my health and preserve my life” (38:16).  Undoubtedly, Jesus stood resolute on this way of understanding the God of Israel.  In the role that He had come to understand was His alone, He is presented as one who trusted that His Father, His sovereign Master, could decree life.  While Hezekiah would enjoy an addition of fifteen years to his natural life, the decree of the sovereign Master towards Jesus would result in a Resurrection to an indestructible, eternal life (the life of the age to come entering into the present). 

Hezekiah experienced a restoration of health and a preservation of life, but for him, physical decay would never give up on the relentless march that would eventually take him to his grave.  For Jesus, it was so much more than a restoration and a preservation.  Jesus’ restoration was a complete renewal of His physical being, as He was given a glorified, Resurrection body, suited for the new creation of the covenant God’s eternal kingdom (now broken into the world) that had begun with His Resurrection.  Jesus did not merely have His life preserved.  He was given a new life---an eternal life.  On both counts, that of restoration and preservation in the manner experienced and enjoyed by the called Lord and Savior, those that are in union with Christ await the same. 

Eden's Desolation

Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns.  The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. – Joel 2:3  (ESV)

Whatever we might come to think about this particular verse, clearly, it does not present anything good.  The theme of destruction weighs heavily here.  It must be said that this book of the prophecy of Joel is full of interesting imagery, and that it is presented within the larger, ongoing story of Israel.  That story, of course, begins with the report of the activity of their God, the Creator. 

The story of judgment and redemption that it presents is unusual, to say the least.  We tend to forget about the strange method of judgment and like to focus on Joel 2:28, and its presentation of the pouring out of God’s Spirit on all flesh, for prophecy, for dreams, and for visions.  Along with that, we love to read about our God that is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster” (2:13). 

Before we get to those things, however, we trek through the presentation of the Lord’s army (2:11).  It is an unusual army indeed, as it consists of cutting locusts, swarming locusts, hopping locusts, and destroying locusts (1:4).  The coming of this army of locusts, according to Joel, is an element of the “day of the Lord” (2:1).  This day of the Lord is “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness!” (2:2a).  This army of locusts is so thick that it is referred to as “blackness…spread upon the mountains” (2:2b).  Most assuredly, this is not a common occurrence, as Joel writes of them as “a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations” (2:2c).  A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence for sure.

As Joel goes about describing this awesome force for destruction that has been sent forth by the hand of God, he writes the words of our text above, saying that “the land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.”  So as we can see, Israel’s narrative is always in mind.  Now, what do we think about when we read about the Garden of Eden?  Above all else, one would think that there would be two things that would spring to mind.  The first is that of perfection, of God’s good creation.  The second would naturally be the fall of man, and Scripture’s presentation of man’s marring of God’s perfect creation through Adam’s rebellion, violating the covenant that God had made with him.  If we do in fact think such things when we read of the Garden of Eden, then an analogy (limited though it may be) should spring to mind as we read this verse, in its context of these destroying locusts.

What is that limited analogy?  The analogy, as it relates to this third verse of the second chapter, is that humanity is the locust.  Man was introduced into the garden of Eden on the sixth day of God’s restoration and ordering of an earth that had come into a state of desolation and chaos (presumably, as Israel would have insisted, because of the activities of the lesser gods of the peoples that surrounded them, thus demonstrating the supremacy of Israel’s God, the entirety of the cosmos being His Temple and realm of authority).  In each previous day of ordering and restoration, the Creator God’s work was pronounced good.  The whole of creation, including mankind, was declared to be very good.  Not only was man introduced into a land like the Garden of Eden---a land of perfection---but man was placed in the Garden of Eden itself.  He was charged with dominion over God’s creation, as beings made in the image of God, and given responsibilities that included one very well known restriction.  In this restriction, man needed merely to trust God, but alas, this proved to be too difficult, resulting in what has come to be called “the fall”. 

Through his fall that is marked out as rebellion and distrust, man introduced sin (faithlessness to God’s covenant, failure to bear the divine image) into the world.  With sin, as we are told, entered death.  The effect of sin, that being death, went well beyond an effect merely on the ones who sinned, but extended to the whole of creation itself, as the failures to bear the divine image, which included the ordering and restoration of creation in care for the temple of the Creator God, would come to bear.  God’s perfect creation was now, through no fault of its own, subject to corruption and decay.  From that point on, everything that would come to life would, without fail, eventually come to death and pass away, be it plant, animal, or human. 

Yes, the land, the creation, had been delivered over to man’s dominion in perfection, “like the garden of Eden before them.”  However, through unfaithfulness, in subjection to that dominion, the land was left “behind them a desolate wilderness” and “nothing escapes them.”  Regretfully, no part of this creation escaped the corruption and locust-like destruction brought about by man’s failure to live up to his covenant responsibility.  Thankfully, God would not leave this situation alone, but would bring redemption to His image-bearers and His creation.  He would execute His grace and His mercy, establishing His faithfulness in steadfast love, and pouring out His Spirit.  Eventually, through Christ, His kingdom, His eternal life, and His Resurrection power, God would bring about a relenting of the disaster that man had wrought upon this world.   

Remaking Creation (part 1)

Paul seems to be infatuated with the idea of the new creation.  He firmly believes that the family of God---the heirs of the covenant, through their implementation of suffering-embracing-and-alleviating kingdom principles, are new creation-bringers.  In fact, he says that “the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God” (8:19).  These sons of God are not is not a special class of super-spiritual beings.  This is the justified, covenant-enfolded family of God, called into existence by belief in Jesus. 

The creation itself, long “subjected to futility” (8:20a), awaits the advance of God’s kingdom, doing so “in hope” (8:20c).  When we consider the nature of the hope of creation, it would be foolish for us to disconnect it from the cherished hope of the people of God, that being the general resurrection, so we acknowledge that God also intends to bring resurrection to His once good creation.  This is precisely the point at which Paul reaches, writing “that the creation itself will also,” along with humanity, “be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children” (8:21).  With this, Paul carries forward the words of verse fifteen, where he, speaking to the global family of God, said “you did not receive the spirit of slavery,” or bondage, “leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” 

Paul has also done something else with the words that he has here employed.  Not only has he joined together the fate of humanity and the fate of creation, with both joyously experiencing the power of the Resurrection and the new age (the creation doing so because of the kingdom principles that have been adopted and are being employed by the family of God, in wise stewardship as tenders of God’s garden, like Adam and like Jesus, who was resurrected into a garden and was even mistaken for a gardener), but he has also called to mind the exodus, which is the defining story of Israel (Passover, Israel’s most important holy day, which is the time of the crucifixion and the Resurrection, is forever and inextricably linked to the defining story of the renewed people of God, which is something to always consider).  His use of “bondage” and “the freedom of God’s children” serve to bring the experience of the exodus into the frame. 

In case we are not quite convinced that this is so, and if, for some reason, we disregard Paul’s extended effort to cause the believers to see themselves as an equal family before God, the previously defining barriers of covenant identification now removed and replaced by confession of Jesus as Lord, what comes next clinches the argument, as Paul writes “For we know that the whole creation suffers and groans together until now” (8:22).  This language is borrowed from the second chapter of Exodus.  There, we can read “During that long period of time the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites groaned because of their slave labor” (2:23a).  We note the groaning and the bondage.  We also find that “They cried out,” much like all can now cry out to God as their Father, and much like the creation itself is able to cry out, “and their desperate cry because of their slave labor went up to God.  God heard their groaning” (2:23b-24a). 

What did God do for the people on whose behalf He was going to exercise His redemptive power, and with whom He was soon going to enter into covenant?  As He has done, is doing, and will do for His new covenant people, the people who confess their trust in Him through their belief in Jesus and the fact of His Lordship, “God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, God saw the Israelites, and God understood” (2:24b-25).  He provided freedom, introducing them into a covenant-shaped life. 

Solomon & Shimei (part 3 of 3)

Apart from the fact that the machinations of power are quite interesting, and that all of the recorded events of Solomon’s life are fascinating on a number of levels, one might be curious as to why so much time and space (in the Bible) is being given to an examination of the “Shimei situation.”  On the surface, it seems like a reasonable curiosity, but in the face of that curiosity, we cannot fail to notice that Shimei makes three separate appearances within the Biblical record.  Pondering the reasons for that by exploring those appearances is altogether proper and rewarding.  At the same time, we do well to acknowledge that Shimei’s first two appearances occur in connection with the overall Scriptural theme of exile and exodus. 

Our first encounter with Shimei is conjoined with David’s exile from Jerusalem, in subjugation.  The second encounter is coupled with David’s exodus (from exile), as he returns to Jerusalem, his subjugation ended.  The third time that we happen upon Shimei, the story ends with Shimei’s own exile (his death), though he has been given the chance to live a life of exodus in Jerusalem (living within Solomon’s will).  Beyond the overt exile and exodus theme embodied by Solomon’s proceedings in regards to Shimei, we can quite profitably look even more deeply into this matter, and in doing so, discover a microcosm of one of the occurrences with which the grand Scriptural narrative began, as Shimei is demonstrated to be analogous to Adam.  Though the microcosm and analogy are limited in scope, we shall find it to be quite useful. 

Returning to the text of the first book of the Kings, we see that Solomon has summoned Shimei and instructed him to build a house in Jerusalem and live there (2:36a).  Solomon places a commanding addendum to this, saying “you may not leave there to go anywhere!” (2:36b)  Likewise, following His creative act, God summoned Adam and commanded him to tend the garden in which he had been placed, while also instructing him “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17a).  What was to happen to Shimei if he left Jerusalem---if he stepped outside of Solomon’s will and violated his command?  Solomon told him “If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die!” (2:37a).  Adam, as we well know, in regards to the fruit of the tree, was told “for when you eat from it you will surely die” (2:17b). 

The command of God, like that of Solomon, was quite clear.  Adam, like Shimei, was expected to abide within the given parameters.  Stepping outside of those parameters would result in death.  After remaining faithful to his covenant with Solomon for a period of time, Shimei was told that two of his servants had run away, so he went out after them.  Shimei knew better.  He had observed Solomon’s commandment for three years, but now fell to this temptation to assert his authority as a master.  This parallels Adam’s experience quite well.   Adam, after obeying for some period of time, fell victim to the same type of temptation.  The serpent offered Adam (and Eve, lest we forget) the opportunity to assert themselves as masters (gods) in their own right, which would be especially tempting, seeing as how the Creator had given them dominion over the earth.  The news of Shimei’s excursion beyond the boundaries delineated by the covenant came to Solomon’s attention, as would the actions of Adam.  Solomon summoned Shimei before him and reminded him of the oath along with the penalty associated with the violation of that oath.  Solomon asked: “Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?” (2:43)  The Genesis record has God calling out to Adam, along with Adam’s fearful response.  God asks Adam (as if He did not know), “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (3:11b) 

The author of the “King-ly” history does not even go so far as to provide us with an account of Shimei’s response to Solomon.  He knew he was guilty.  As we have seen, Shimei’s reward for his violation was death.  Adam, on the other hand, points the finger of blame to Eve, who in turn points the finger of blame at the serpent.  God calls each of the responsible parties to account, just as Solomon had told Shimei that he would be responsible for his own death if he over-stepped the prescribed boundaries, and draws this particular episode to a close by ultimately pronouncing a sentence of death, stating “for you are dust, and to dust you will return” (3:19b). 

Both Shimei and Adam were given the chance to live lives of exodus---enjoying the blessings of life within the boundaries of a willful covenant drafted by their respective kings.  Both Shimei and Adam were tempted beyond the boundaries of that covenant for similar reasons.  In the end, King Solomon was empowered, and Shimei’s final exile was immediate.  If there was to be further punishment for Shimei, then as we previously heard from Solomon, that was the Lord’s business.  Adam’s experience, however, was somewhat different.  According to the Genesis account, Adam lived a great deal of time in his exilic state before the exile of physical death overtook him.  He was first exiled from the garden, forced to consider the exile of creation for which he was responsible, to mourn over the exodus that he had forfeited, and to contemplate the cursing and pain which he had brought to creation.  He would even see one of his sons commit murder.  This punishment from the Lord was probably greater than the merciful death that would eventually come. 

Unexpectedly for us, though this was a likely intention in the construction and presentation of this story, there is much to be gleaned from the accounts of Shimei; for in it, through all its seemingly unrelated twists and turns, we are pointed towards God’s redemption project, and we are reminded of the providence and faithfulness of the covenant-making God.