2 Samuel 16:10b – “…If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse King David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’”
2 Samuel 15-16
Jerusalem is where King David’s palace was, the city was called the City of Peace. Yet, at that time, there was little peace there.
Leading up to the above verse we read that King David’s son Absalom had plotted to overthrow his father’s kingdom (2 Samuel 15). He had devised a plan to slowly change the loyalty of the people of the kingdom from his father King David to himself. King David had fled taking his entire household and leaving behind only ten concubines to take care of his palace. How awful for King David. Oh we know that it is all from consequences of his sins, but still, rest assured, that this man King David loved God and fellowshipped with Him in ways that even today, it is doubtful that many personally know and experience the intimacy of that fellowship. We mourn that King David hurt himself and his family because of his sin. We hurt that King David was at that moment, so filled with hurt at the treachery of his beloved son. What horrible, horrible heartache.
As King David and those going with him were preparing to leave, and as they left, the heart of King David, and his indefatigable love for God, are lights shining from dark circumstances. He did not bring his servants and officials with him to keep him safe, but to keep them safe. Such was the heart of King David. If there were some, such as Ittai the Gittite who could stay in Jerusalem, King David encouraged them to not uproot themselves to follow and support him, but to do what was best for them. People wept as King David passed them by, this great warrior who had been so powerfully used to defend Israel was not fleeing lest his own son murder him.
As King David was fleeing he also was looking out for Zadok the priest and for the Ark of God. The priests wanted to bring the Ark of God to accompany the man who had brought it to Jerusalem. How easy it would have been for King David to allow this to occur, but though a sinful man capable of doing heartless violence, King David had a humble heart. He told Zadok to “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. 26 But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.” (2 Samuel 15:25-26) During this hard time King David had the attitude that we all should have, he humbly submitted to God who King David knew was good all the time and who loved him. King David basically said that he was willing to accept the will and judgement of God, whatever that meant. King David did not call God’s goodness into question, he did not rail at God, but instead he continued to love and trust God. King David was saying to let the will of God be done and he would not doubt it. He would not doubt it! Family, we all deserve wrath, punishment and hatred from God. No matter what happens in this world, all we who walk in the grace of God, who have received it through Jesus, have received more good from God than we deserve. No hardship is above what we deserve and yet God has spared us no good thing. Praise God!
King David, while under the extreme circumstances he was in, while his life was in peril, he continued to think of others and to display great love and confidence in God. He took care of Ziba who had been faithful to him.
When Shimei, a family member of previous King Saul, came out and cursed King David and pelted him with stones, one of King David’s loyal warriors was angry that his king should be treated in such a way. He wanted to kill Shimei for what he was saying and doing. But King David stopped him and said “If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?” Once again King David trusted God. He did not doubt God or curse his circumstances, he trusted God. King David did not know if this man was doing what God wanted him to do. If he was, then to silence Shimei would be going against the will of God. David knew of his own guilt. He would rather suffer the indignities that this man was pouring upon him then to be against the will of God. David suffered the consequences of his sin as an honest and sincere man should, with humility and acceptance. He did not accuse God when God told him the penalty of his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba and he would not accuse God now. We like David know when we are under God’s correction, no matter how hard it is to go throw, we need to remember that we are not receiving the full judgement that we deserve. Yet equally important is that we know the goodness and love of God and that after the time of trial will come the peace and comfort of God. (1 Peter 5:10) Family the meaning of 1 Corinthians 10:13 is not that we will not be put through a test that is too great for us to bear in our own strength. We have been tested so that we thought we would perish under the strain, but at that point we turn to God and relinquish our fight against the trial, we succumb and say “Lord, Your will be done.” It is at the time that we find that when we trust God and give over all things to Him, we learn that there is absolutely nothing that is too big for us to handle if we are not relying on our own strength and understanding but are relying on God. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 11:28-30) It is not a matter of the size of our trial, that is of no consequence, it is the size of our God that matters.
David trusted the God that he knew and loved. He trusted in the person of God and therefore he trusted in the love of God. It is written “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) Also it is written “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) Seek God and we will know Him. If we know Him we certainly will love Him. If we love know and love Him then we will trust Him. And this is unequivocally true. If you don’t trust Him, you don’t know Him, or don’t know Him well enough.
Family, God is good and He loves us. When hard times come they reveal what is within us. Will they reveal a knowledge and great love of God? Or will hard times reveal something else. If we are lacking we only need to call out to Jesus and say, as Peter did “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30) And the only one who can, will. Yes our God is good and He loves. Let’s walk in faith in God and let His peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7) keep us, now and forever. It worked for David and it will work for us. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”