“So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.”
2 Samuel 16:13-14 ESV
When I think of throwing rocks, young children typically come to mind. When I was a young child, a neighborhood boy threw a large rock and struck me in the back. The attack was unprovoked, but I can say with certainty that it did not feel good, and left a welt across my back.
Shimei appears to be struggling to accept David as king and to let go of the past. So, while David is passing through his town, Shimei begins cursing David and throwing rocks.
The cursing continues and David allows it, stating that the Lord may look on the wrong done to him and repay him with good. I’m not quite sure what my response would be to someone calling me out and throwing rocks at me, but I hope and pray it would be similar to David’s. He had incredible faith that God was paying attention and would work it out for his good.
When David and his entourage arrive at Jordan they are completely exhausted, and rightfully so. Mentally worn out and physically sore, they refreshed themselves there. I take two things from this story: first, surround yourself with the right kind of people. The type of people who will stand with you, and try their best to shield you from assaults and attacks of the enemy. People who take a few hits themselves to keep you going.
Second, David could have easily surrendered himself to that attack and believed the lies Shimei hurled at him. Instead, he chose to refresh himself. I’m not quite sure what that looked like, but for us today it could mean taking a few moments to pray about a situation, reading some scripture, or reaching out to a friend.
Shut out the noise from all the Shimeis in your life today, and find a place of rest and refreshing.
Comments are closed.