Mephibosheth is the son of Jonathan and a descendant of Saul. His servant, Ziba, goes to King David and falsely presents a bad picture of Mephibosheth to David.
David has treated Jonathan's son with kindness and had him eat at his table. He's upset and accepts what Ziba says without verifying it with one or two witnesses. He pronounces judgment based on emotion and not evidence.
Mephibosheth presents his story with evidence to back it up. David has returned to Jerusalem unscathed, and the man's attitude is exemplary. Even though David gave his goods to Ziba, Mephibosheth tells the king it's fine. Ziba can have everything. He's just happy that David is safe.
Shimei is also from the family and house of Saul. He curses David in the presence of the mighty men. His statement in Verses 7 and 8 is inaccurate. He calls the king a bloodthirsty man. David was anointed by God to be a warrior and protect Israel from her enemies. Shimei also declares that the Lord has delivered the kingdom to Absalom, David's son. God did not anoint Absalom to be king.
People can and wil misunderstand what you do for the kingdom of God. You have to be confident that what you're doing is born of the call of God.
Abishai reacts and wants to kill Shimei, but David won't allow it. However, when Solomon is about to take the throne, David tells him to handle the matter and not allow Shimei to go to the grave via natural causes. Solomon tells Shimei he will not kill him as long as he doesn't set foot outside of Jerusalem. He wants to see if Shimei will submit and obey his order. After a number of days, Shimei left Jerusalem and forfeits his life.
Our submission is not evidenced by our words but by our actions. David showed mercy and gave people a chance to repent. Shimei's lack of loyalty was evidenced by his actions and eventually he paid the price.
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Zoe Christian Fellowship is located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Route 611), in Warrington, PA. We invite you to our Sunday Morning Service, which begins at 10:00 AM. Children's Services also begin at 10:00 AM. We look forward to meeting you!
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