Session #29

II Samuel 19:1-39
“The Gracious Return” • 4.22.08 • Autonomy, Authority And The Man Of God, Session# 29
Intro.

- David has vanquished yet another enemy, this time his own son Absalom.
- It’s understandable that David was less than celebrative. However, his mourning for Absalom earned him a stinging rebuke from Joab, who told him get back to being the King or lose his men!
- David responded by getting himself back into the center of Kingdom life.
• II Samuel 19:8 : “Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, ‘There is the king, sitting in the gate.’ So all the people came before the king. For everyone of Israel had fled to his tent.”
- Before you think that it was a quick return to the way things were, we learn that not everyone was rolling out the red carpet in welcoming David back. The people of Israel, the northern tribes, had strongly endorsed Absalom’s coup.
- David had a difficult scenario to play through, but politically made the right choice to offer some representation in his cabinet.
• II Samuel 19:13,14 : “And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.’ So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: ‘Return, you and all your servants!’”
- With this key endorsement, the path to Jerusalem is cleared and David’s power is indisputable and unchallenged. He is again the highest court in the land.
- But just like any failed coup, there is some unfinished business. Some loose ends that need to be taken into consideration.
- In David’s case, these were represented by 3 different people who encountered David on his way out of Jerusalem, in a time that was especially advantageous and convenient, either to bless or to curse David. What would David’s response be toward them?
- It begs a question to our hearts: When I have the opportunity to deal with those who have wronged or blessed me, how will I choose to react?

I. Shimei : Returning Good For Evil (v.16)
II. Mephibosheth : Returning Justice For Misrepresentation (v.24,25)
III. Barzillai : Returning Good For Good (v.31,32)

Text

I. Shimei : Returning Good For Evil (v.16)

• II Samuel 19:16 : “And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hastened and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.” : Ah, this is a tasty moment. For a young man watching this scenario, there must have been a strong desire to watch a deserving execution to a loud-mouthed, ignoramus such as Shimei.
- If you have forgotten this man, let’s return to chapter 16 for a little refresher.
• II Samuel 16:5-8 : “Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: ‘Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!’”
- Here, we see Shimei making a calculated decision to run and make peace with his enemy.
- The word “hastened” is not one that we see or use very often, but it’s simply very immediate action. Shimei wasted not time in coming to meet with David.
• II Samuel 19:18-20 : “Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. Then he said to the king, ‘Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.’”
- At least one can say that Shimei was wise in taking the initiative in coming to find the King before the King could find him.
- This moment reminds me of the many “Get Smart” episodes where Max attempts to use force on a much larger and unfazed opponent, and then says, “I hope I wasn’t out of line with that karate chop!?”
- As usual, there are plenty of people around David that want to see David relieve Shimei’s shoulders of his head, including this young man, but David’s response is much more godly.
• II Samuel 19:22,23 : “And David said, ‘What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?’ Therefore the king said to Shimei, ‘You shall not die.’ And the king swore to him.”
- David did not want to give into a vengeful spirit, that could easily have been satisfied in a moment and then regretted for the rest of His life.
- How did he do this? David knew who he was! Notice the phrase, “Do I not know that today I am King over Israel.” His statement recognizes his own authority, meaning that he did not need to be told what to do with this offense.
- At the same time, He knew that he was the King. There was nothing that this man could have said or done now to change that.
˚ “David could readily forgive a man who deserved to die because he was secure, knowing that God gave him the throne. Insecurity is a great motivator for revenge and holding on to bitterness.”

Pastor David Guzik

- David could indulge that sense of revenge, but he stays his hand and promises that Shimei shall not die, in so doing, he does good to a man that deserves the exact opposite.
- Not surprisingly, there are several verses that deal with this sentiment in the New Testament.
• Romans 12:16-21 : “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
- In instructing the believers at Thessalonica to be those who live in the light and not the darkness, Paul writes
• I Thessalonians 5:14,15 : “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”
- Finally, Peter instructing the believers living in a corrupt political system and a morally vaccuous society, writes to the persecuted believers who suffered evil every day.
• I Peter 3:8-13 : “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For ‘He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?”
- There is so much to take in biblically here. For now, let’s be satisfied and convinced that when it’s in our power and there has been an offender, that good will come from us to them.
- If David is not enough for you, consider that he is only a picture or a type of the perfect man under authority, Jesus, who perfectly exemplified these principles for us.
• I Peter 1:21-23 : “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’; 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;”

II. Mephibosheth : Returning Justice For Misrepresentation (v.24,25)

• II Samuel 19:24,25 : “Now Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace. So it was, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, ‘Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?’” : Mephibosheth did not encounter David on the way out from Jerusalem that day, but his servant Ziba did.
- You will recall that Ziba reported that Mephibosheth was waiting at his home for David and Absalom to eliminate themselves, at which point he would re-assume the Kingdom that had belonged to his father, Saul.
- David had taken Ziba’s word for it at the time, granting Ziba control over Mephibosheth’s land. But here we see Mephibosheth coming to David. It soon becomes clear that Mephibosheth had lived an entirely different reality than the one Ziba had spoken of.
- It was obvious to David that Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet. This is an interesting detail, in that II Samuel 9:3 tells us that Mephibosheth was lame in his feet.
- They were likely dead appendages that needed care that most of us would not likely think to consider, due to the health of our extremities.
- He had not cared for his feet or his face, or his appearance and it had been this way for some time. In fact, since “the day.” For Mephibosheth, that was the day that his life came crashing down.
- The day had meant much more than it had meant to others.
- David greets Mephibosheth with a question of his loyalty. “Why did you not go with me?”
- You can hear David’s hurt, and the sense of betrayal that he must have felt.
• II Samuel 19:26-28 : “And he answered, ‘My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,’ because your servant is lame. And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes. For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king. Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to cry out anymore to the king?’”
- I want us to recognize that David took the time to hear the truth, the whole story.
- He valued Mephibosheth and did not let one set of negative words, or one negative experience, cut this man off from a relationship with him.
- Too often I hear of just the opposite. Too often I hear of men dropping their relationships to another man because of misunderstanding or misinformation. David did not fall prey to this.
- This is a beautiful interchange. What is not beautiful are Ziba’s actions. What is exemplary is the love that Mephibosheth has for David.
- It’s almost as if Mephibosheth has no concern for his own reputation. All he knows is that David has loved him, taking him from a defeated monarch’s line and sitting him at his own table.
- What else could matter to him? The King valued Mephibosheth and it changed all of his perspective on life. Notice what he says: Do what is good in your eyes!
- David had already promised the land to Ziba and even in trickery, it seems that David is bound by his oath. But notice Mephibosheth’s response:
• II Samuel 19:30 : “Then Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.’”
- Who cares about the land! I have you and your friendship and that is all I need.
- I wish to be more like Mephibosheth: Take the world, but give me my King!

III. Barzillai : Returning Good For Good (v.31,32)

• II Samuel 19:31,32 : “And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.” : The final man in our narrative today is Barzillai. There were those who supplied David’s needs on his way out of Jerusalem.
- In I Kings 2:7, David mentions Barzillai by name, as ones who came out to meet him during the Absalom days.
- In this verse, we are given an apt description of Barzillai. First, he was a loyal subject. He came to escort the King back into Jerusalem.
- Second, he was an aged man, at 80 years. I mention that because there is no retirement in the Kingdom. As long as you have strength, you have purpose in the Kingdom of God.
- Finally, Barzillai was a man of resources, being very rich. His loyalty was not in word only, but in action. His gifts to the King showed the depth of his loyalty.
- To this loyalty, David offers the man any request that he should desire. Barzillai responds:
• II Samuel 19:34-37 : “But Barzillai said to the king, ‘How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.’”
- Give that good blessing to Chimham. This was likely Barzillai’s son. David promises that Chimham will be blessed in whatever way Barzillai requests.
- David returned blessing for blessing, as what would a man of Barzillai’s stature, want for himself? Would there be any gift that would matter to him?
- “I know, I’ll get him this great thing.” To which Barzillai would respond, “Can I discern between the good and the bad?” “Ah, this fine imported wine!” “Can your servant taste what I eat or drink?” “Oh, this great CD…” “Can I hear any longer…”
- No the greatest desire is that his next generation would be cared for and brought up in the love and care of the King. What more could a man, a father want, than to give his sons the best future possible?
- David returned blessing for blessing and shows us that this is the best kind of relationship to enjoy on this Earth: Barzillai gave of his resources, what he could and David returned that blessing with giving what was in his capability. In a word, that is true fellowship.
- I pray that you will enjoy this with each other, being available to bless each other with what the Lord has gifted you with.

Conclusion

- Our response to one another is a key to understanding what the Lord has done in our heart.
- How we treat the Shimeis of the world reveals our understanding of God’s mercy and grace.
- How we treat Mephibosheths, reveals our understanding of God’s wisdom and patience.
- And how we treat Barzillais, reveals our understanding of God’s lavish generosity.
- It’s my hope that whichever you have to deal with, that you would deal with them with these principles in mind.