King David is going through a challenging time in his reign. His own son, Absolom, has taken up a position to challenge him and many have aligned themselves with him. David has fleed his city and has gone to the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem. After coming off the mountain we hear that David is on his way to Bahurim.it turned out to be an entertaining journey.

King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”

This isn’t the ideal way to journey. Bear in mind that he is still the king. This kind of abuse would and should not be tolerated. One of his men understands this and desires to restore honour to David.

Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”

Davids reaction to this moment is pretty startling. I would have thought he would have been in favour of sshing someone who was cursing him, but check this out.

But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, ‘Curse David,’

Amazing, but David goes even further.

David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”

How many of us would react like David? This reading was so timely for me as just this morning I read a horrible curse/comment that someone posted about my wife and I online. My reaction in that moment was not exactly like Davids! My reaction was definitely more like Abishai. Now, I’m not saying that every curse or critique we get in life is directed by the Lord although perhaps some people do believe it is. Should we reward them for their zeal, misdirected or not? What if we learnt how to meet with the Lord in the middle of the critique rather than seeking vindication and trying to “cut off our accusers head?”

This one will take a little more wrestling for me but I feel the Lord speaking to me through it. As for David, well his journey didn’t exactly get any better!

So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself. 2 Samuel 16:5-14

Interesting, three chapters later once David’s army has defeated Absolom and his troops, David and his men are making their way back to Jerusalem. Guess who met him there? Yep, Shimei….

When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.” 2 Samuel 19:18b-20

David was right to leave this one to the Lord!