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DAVID and SHIMEI. II Samuel 19:18-23. 11/14/2021. #45.
18 Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good.
Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. 19 Then he said to the king, “Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. 20 For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” 22 And David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” 23 Therefore the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore to him.
- Shimei grovels
- Shimei had cursed David when he fled Jerusalem
- David’s victory puts him in a precarious spot
- Shimei would have done well to stay quiet
- Shimei tries to make amends by greeting David
- He profusely begs for forgiveness, stating that he had sinned by castigating the king
- Both Shimei and David know that Shimei’s apology is out of fear and not sincerity
- Seeking forgiveness for fear of consequences or because one is afraid or forced to do so is not genuine
- Shimei declares that he is the 1st of the house of Joseph to greet David (not a Benjamite, but of Ephraim or Manasseh)
- Shimei had cursed David when he fled Jerusalem
- Abishai’s ready sword
- When Shimei had initially cursed David, Abishai wanted to lop off the “donkey’s” head
- Again, Abishai offers to rid the kingdom of this dog
- Shimei had cursed the Lord’s anointed
- Shimei deserved to die
- David stays Abishai’s hand
- David is again unwilling to execute justice
- This is a day of celebration; not death
- Saul had made the same declaration after he defeated the Ammonites who threatened Jabesh-Gilead
- David asks what he is to do with the sons of Zeruiah
- Joab had killed Abner and Absalom
- Abishai harps to take off people’s heads
- Asahel was killed by refusing to turn from Abner
- The sons of Zeruiah (David’s sister) were powerful and popular (too strong for David to move against)
- David declares that being restored to his throne was cause for celebration and not judgment
- David makes a promise to Shimei
- David had initially prevented Abishai from killing Shimei, saying, “who knows if God had not commanded Shimei to curse David this day?”
- Now David swears to Shimei that he will not die
- It appears that Shimei’s danger had passed
- Shimei assumes that the king had forgiven him and had put the incident behind him
- 2 Kings 2:8-9
- 8 “And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.”
- Twenty years later David tells Solomon to kill Shimei
- David had sworn the he would not kill Shimei, but he never stated that someone else would not do so
- David apparently held a grudge against Shimei
- David had not forgiven Shimei at all
- David sought personal revenge against both Joab and Shimei
- David had not dealt with either man
- David makes Solomon his executioner
- It is disappointing that David seems to have neither the capacity to judge properly or forgive totally
- Effective leadership requires decisive proper actions