10/11/2010 9:03:28 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My
Worship Time Focus: God honors David’s submission
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: 2Samuel 16:5-14
Message of the verses: “5 ¶
When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man
of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he
came out cursing continually as he came. 6
He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all
the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left.
7 Thus Shimei said when he cursed,
"Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! 8 "The LORD has returned upon you all the
bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD
has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are
taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!" 9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the
king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now
and cut off his head." 10 But the
king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses,
and if the LORD has told him, ’Curse David,’ then who shall say, ’Why have you
done so?’" 11 Then David said to
Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son who came out from me
seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him
curse, for the LORD has told him. 12
"Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me
instead of his cursing this day." 13
So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the
hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw
dust at him. 14 The king and all the
people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there.”
I
suppose that there is a question as to why the Lord allowed David to live after
all that he had done and for all the sins that he committed in committing
adultery and murder, in breaking four of the Ten Commandments in the
process. I don’t know all of the reasons
why but I do know of two good reasons why the Lord did not have David killed
for his sins, and maybe even three reasons why.
God is gracious and merciful for one reason, and God had made a covenant
with David to be the one whom the Messiah would be born from. The next reason could be that David was being
conformed to the image of Jesus Christ through all of the distress that he was
suffering at this time in his life. Peter writes this about Jesus Christ: “23
who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He
did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Here is a picture of what David did when
Shimei began to throw stones and dirt at him and David did not retaliate when
he had every reason to do so for this man was breaking the Law and could have
been killed for what he was doing. In
the case of Jesus Christ He said that he could have called many angels to
protect Him, but it was in the will of the Father to have Him crushed for my
sins and all others who would believe in Him.
There is one more thing that is similar and that is where David when for
like Jesus he crossed the Kidron and went up to the Mount of Olives. So these are a number of reasons why the Lord
did not have David slain and I suppose that because all of these things will
bring honor and glory to God is probably the best of all of these good reasons.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I suppose that if I am to think about why the
Lord has not slain me for my many sins that some of these same reasons may be
valid in my own life. There seems to be
a black cloud hanging over my head ever since shortly after my retirement and I
know that part of the reason is because of my greed that I did not truly know
existed before all of this happened.
Part of the problem is that I was trusting in the gifts that the Father
had given to me and not the Giver of those gifts. Lately we have had to leave our church for
what we thought were very valid reasons and because of this decision there is
somewhat of a division between us and certain people in our family who do not
see things as we did, and along with that I was let go from a job that I truly
enjoyed doing as it was a great deal a ministry to me. Having to go through the great disappointment
of a terrible surgery that was done to my wife is also part of this dark
cloud. In saying all of this I can say
that I truly relate with what David was going through and my prayer is that all
of this will make me more like my Savior Jesus Christ who instead of condemning
me has taken my judgment that I deserved in His own body on the cross and has
given me His righteousness, something that I could ever deserve or earn.
Today
we set here in Ohio waiting for a job that may never come to pass, and praying
that the Lord will make His will known to us and give us His peace as we wait
upon the Lord.
My
Steps of Faith for Today:
1. May
my heart become more like David’s heart as he went through the troubles that
are described in these chapters of 2Samuel.
May all that we are going through bring glory to the Lord.
10/11/2010 9:50:22 AM
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