2 Samuel 16:1-14
Will Rogers was known for his laughter, but he also knew
how to weep. One day he was entertaining at the Milton
H. Berry Institute in Los Angeles, a hospital that
specialized in rehabilitating polio victims and people with
broken backs and other extreme physical handicaps. Of
course, Rogers had everybody laughing, even patients in
really bad condition; but then he suddenly left the
platform and went to the rest room. Milton Berry followed
him to give him a towel; and when he opened the door,
he saw Will Rogers leaning against the wall, sobbing like
a child. He closed the door, and in a few minutes, Rogers
appeared back on the platform, as jovial as before.
If you want to learn what a person is really like, ask three
questions:
What makes him laugh?
What makes him angry?
What makes him weep?
These are fairly good tests of character that are
especially appropriate for Christian leaders. I hear people
saying,
“We need angry leaders today!” or “The time has
come to practice militant Christianity!” Perhaps, but “the
wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God”
(James 1:20).
What we need today is not anger but anguish, the kind of
anguish that Moses displayed when he broke the two
tablets of the law and then climbed the mountain to
intercede for his people, or that Jesus displayed when He
cleansed the temple and then wept over the city.
The difference between anger and anguish is a
broken heart. It’s easy to get angry, especially at
somebody else’s sins; but it’s not easy to look at sin, our
own included, and weep over it.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, pp.
75-76.
Last week as we looked at David’s dysfunctional family,
we read about Absalom undermining David’s authority in
the kingdom. He worked for four years developing
relationships with the king’s subjects then he lied to the
king so he could go out and start his attempt to steal the
throne from David.
This week we are going to see David’s Christlike
Character shine in the midst of adversity.
David displays Christlike character and exercises
restraint in the face of adversity.
2 Samuel 16:1-4
David Deceived by Ziba
Shortly after passing the summit, David encounters Ziba.
You might be familiar with Ziba from 2 Samuel 9. He was
the one who alerted David of Mephibosheth, the son of
Jonathan. He was lame from the age of 5.
David ended up making Ziba the manager of all of the
fields and tasked Ziba and his sons and servants with
tilling the land and bringing the produce to
Mephibosheth.
Ziba was also a servant of the house of Saul. And we all
know how Saul felt about David.
Ziba ran into David just past the summit of the Mount of
Olives.
David noticed that Ziba brought some donkeys and a
great deal of food and wine with him.
David asks Ziba two questions which showcase his
deceitfulness.
Why have you brought these?
Apparent Generosity
Ziba explains that the donkeys are for David and his men
to ride, the food is for the men to eat and the wine is for
the people who will grow tired in the wilderness.
Ziba is deceiving David to see the gift as a display of his
generosity. It seems like a kind gesture, but let’s
remember who all these things belonged to.
David granted all the land and produce to Mephibosheth.
His next question is obvious.
Where is your master’s son?
Apparent Loyalty
Ziba tells David that Mephibosheth is still in Jerusalem,
which is true but his next statement was full of deceit.
In an attempt to appear loyal to king David, Ziba tells
him that Mephibosheth isn’t coming because he is hoping
that Absalom will give him back the kingdom of his
father.
If you fast forward to chapter 19 you will see that
Mephobisheth reveals to David that Ziba deceived him
and told him he was going by himself because
Mephibosheth was lame.
After hearing Ziba’s answers to these two questions,
David determines to give Ziba everything that belonged
to Mephibosheth.
Ziba pays homage to David and asks that he might
always find favor in his sight. But it’s lip service, because
he is a deceiver.
2 Samuel 16:5-14
Shimei’s interaction with David is much more direct than
Ziba’s.
Shimei is also a servant in the house of Saul, the son of
Gera.
David Cursed by Shimei
He came up to David cursing and throwing stones at him
and his mighty men.
Shimei confronted David with three lies.
3 Lies of Shimei
1. The Lord is avenging you of the blood of the house of
Saul, and he also accuses him of stealing the throne
from Saul.
2. The Lord is giving the throne to Absalom
3. David is evil and a man of blood.
Let’s discuss these three lies:
David was a man of war. He was implicit in the murder of
Uriah, but this is not what Simiei is accusing David of.
He is implying that David is responsible for the death of
Saul.
Think back to how David handled Saul when he had the
chance to kill him in the cave. He would not allow his
servant to strike him, nor did he harm him. David knew it
was right to harm a servant of the Lord.
God is not giving Absalon the throne. In fact, God
promised that David’s reign on the throne will never end.
Also, remember whose idea it was for Absalom to take
over the kingdom? Absalom’s!
Finally, Shimei calls David a man of blood and a worthless
man.
You might recall that God would not allow David to build
his temple because of the blood on his hands. God is
referring to all the victories that David accomplished with
the Lord’s help.
Shimei is calling him a murderer. That was simply not
David’s character.
In verse 9 we see Abishai offering to take the head off of
Shimei.
Abishai is the brother of Joab, who is David’s commander.
He is certainly capable of decapitating Shimei, but David
will not allow it.
David knows this is a fleshly response to adversity.
David’s responses highlight his Christlike character.
David’s Christlike Character
David Refused to Retaliate
Just like David would not lay a finger on Saul, he refused
to allow his mighty men to take out this threat who was
antagonizing and accusing him of things he didn’t do. He
remembered that vengeance belongs to the Lord.
David Saw a Potential Blessing
Maybe he was still not confident that God had put away
his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. Or maybe he was still
feeling guilt and not worthy of God’s mercy and grace.
Whatever the reason, David was hopeful that God would
repay him with good for what he was having to deal with.
David Endured the Cursing
He didn’t take a different route or turn around and go a
different way. David simply kept on going despite the
cursing and the stones being thrown at him.
David was walking on the road and Shimei is on a hill
beside the road cursing him and throwing rocks down at
him and flinging dust at him.
It must have been miserable for David,
But he endured.
We have to remember that the Lord told David that the
sword would never depart from his house and that He
would raise up evil against him out of his own house.
David is enduring God’s discipline.
APPLICATION
What is the Lord teaching us this morning from David’s
dysfunctional family?
Remain Christlike in the Face of Adversity
When Jesus was on the cross He asked the Father to
forgive His enemies.
When we are suffering at the hands of evil men, we
should be like Christ and extend forgiveness.
We should seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show
us how we should respond and to give us words that
glorify our Father in heaven.