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| The Nuba people hiding in caves from the Sudan government. |
It seems like David spent an unhealthy majority of his life hiding in caves. First with Saul, and now with Absalom. I can't imagine how hopeless he felt at this moment in his life. Failure as a father. Failure as a king. Failure as a friend. Failure to follow God's leading. I'm sure he had a lot of weight on his shoulders, a lot of whispers in his ear reminding him of why he should just give up. After all, all of the reasons why he wasn't good enough were true-- he had done some truly terrible things, and not pursued justice for other people's crimes against his family.
But despite his torment and misgivings, Chapter 16 tells us David's company "traveled on":
5 They traveled on. When David reached Bahurim, one of Saul’s family, Shimei, the son of Gera, came out of his house and cursed David constantly there in the road, 6 throwing stones at him and at his servants even though David’s soldiers were all around, supporting him.
Shimei (shouting abuse): 7 Go on! Get out, you man of blood! You worthless man! 8 The Eternal One has finally punished you for taking the kingdom from Saul, for shedding the blood of his family and subjects and reigning in his place. That's why the Eternal One has taken the kingdom from your bloody hands and given it into the hands of your son Absalom.
2 Samuel 16
Wow. I'm sure this man's words just added salt to David's wounds. Talk about wanting to go hide in a cave! The worst part of it is that Shimei uses God to defend his words. David knew he deserved punishment from the LORD. He knew he had no real justification, except that he was made king by God himself, and that now the kingship was being threatened. How was he to know that God had not decided to throw in the towel on him?
And this man, this Shimei, followed them for miles shouting insults at David in the name of God. How exhausting and demeaning. It makes me think of all the times I've thought I was better than other people. That somehow my sins were less. That somehow I had the right to judge the actions of other people (Christian or not) and self-righteously think that they had to change themselves before they could be fully loved and forgiven. Again-- how exhausting.
But God provided for David and his men. He provided in a tangible, loving, healing way-- from the hands of three men:
27 When David arrived in Mahanaim, Shobi (the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites), Machir (the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar), and Barzillai the Gileadite (from Rogelim) 28 brought beds, basins, earthenware, wheat, barley, meal, parched seeds and grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, butter, sheep, and local cheese for David and his men to eat; for they knew the men were hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the wilderness.
2 Samuel 17
It reminds me of what James said, played out hundreds of years before:
14 Brothers and sisters, it doesn’t make any sense to say you have faith and act in a way that denies that faith. Mere talk never gets you very far, and a commitment to Jesus only in words will not save you. 15 It would be like seeing a brother or sister without any clothes out in the cold and begging for food, and 16 saying, “Shalom, friend, you should get inside where it’s warm and eat something,” but doing nothing about his needs—leaving him cold and alone on the street. What good would your words alone do? 17 The same is true with faith. Without actions, faith is useless. By itself, it’s as good as dead. 18 I know what you’re thinking: “OK, you have faith. And I have actions. Now let’s see your faith without works, and I’ll show you a faith that works.
James 2
Even when God is silent, even when people have brought about the consequences of their sin on their own heads, we can still love them. God loves them through us.
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