You might be thinking, "Shimei, who is that?" Great question. Shimei is the guy who cursed David from a hilltop when David was forced out of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 16:5-14). I think it is fair to say that David was certainly having a bad day. His son, Absalom, had turned against him and now David was leaving Jerusalem before Absalom arrived. Just when he probably thought it couldn't get much worse... here comes Shimei! He yells at David, calls him names, curses him, and to top it off - throws rocks at him. Just a side note - I'm not sure it is very wise (or safe) to throw stones at the guy who defeated a giant with one stone! If David had stooped to pick up a stone Shimei might have thought twice before tossing another one.
What does David do? Does he let his men kill Shimei? Nope. Not even when one of his mighty men, Abishai, is chomping at the bit to slay this guy. David responds by trusting in God's sovereignty. This is yet another reason why we are studying this man to learn from him. I don't know about you, but I have had my share of "Shimei's" in my life and I need to learn how to respond like David did, and not like Abishai!
Join us this Sunday as we look closer at David's reponse to Shimei and apply it to our lives.
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