Question
The Lord Will Look Upon My Misery
2 Samuel 16:1-23
Key Verse 12
“It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me
his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
Read verses 1-4. Who is Ziba and what does he have for David? (1-2) What does he tell David about Mephibosheth? (3) What does David say? (4)
Read verses 5-14. Who is Shimei and what does he do to David and his men? (5–8) What does Abishai say to David? (9) What does David say about Shimei? (10-11) Why does he accept Shimei’s actions toward him? (12-14) What do you think can be learned from what David says in verse 12?
Read verses 15-19. What does Hushai say when Absalom comes to Jerusalem? (15-16) What does Absalom say to Hushai? (17) How does Hushai answer? (18-19)
Read verses 20-23. What does Ahithophel advise Absalom to do? (20–22) How does this fulfill the prophecy the Lord told David through Nathan the prophet? (12:11–12) Think about the consequence of David’s sins. How is Ahithophel’s advice regarded? (23)
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Message
His Covenant Blessing
2 Samuel 16:1-23
Key Verse 12 “It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
There is a saying, “May you live in interesting times.” What does it mean? It means, “May you experience much disorder and trouble in your life.” It sounds cruel. Last week we have an explosion in Mahattan’s East Harlem. People are trying hard to locate missing airplane 370. Ukcraine and Venezuela are still in trouble. Lately Shep. Peter Angelo in So. Sudan was killed by rebel militants. So like it or not we live in interesting times. Don’t you agree? People in each generation may argue that they are living in the most difficult times. Who knows? David may say the same thing. As a background for this passage David’s family is falling apart. Why? Though there’s instant forgiveness for his sins, there’s the consequences of his sins. After 9 year thorough preparation, his son Absalom is now taking over and David is fleeing the city of Jerusalem. In today’s passage we will see several names but David. They’ve something in common. They’re opportunists in that they are pursuing their own cursed desires according to the situations. He is pursuing God’s covenant blessings. This is the main point I’ll elaborate on.
I can summarize this passage with the phrase: “cheated by Ziba, cursed by Shimei, and shamed by Absalom” First, Cheated by Ziba. Look at v 1. “When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.” Ziba was a servant of Saul when he was alive. Ziba has prepared a pretty impressive gift for David and his followers. The king is little suspicious. Look at v 2 and 3. “The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.” 3The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?” Ziba said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’” We may wonder if he is telling the truth. However we will find out later that he is lying to David about Mephibosheth. We don’t know if David knows he is lying. However he just takes him at his word and believes him.
Look at v. 4 ‘“Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” “I humbly bow,” Ziba said. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”’You can just hear Ziba saying, “Yes!” Ziba got all that he’d wanted because the king gave him Saul’s entire estate. In such a deceptive way David was cheated by Ziba. Interestingly the meaning of Ziba is “fight, army or strength.” He knows how to survive as a wealthy man at all times using craftiness. He behaves according to his greed rather than eternal truth of God. How about David? Although he was suspicious about Ziba who brought such extravagant gifts out of nowhere, David welcomed him. It seemed to me that Ziba got away with, shrewdly deceiving David. However this reminds me of 1Cor 6:7b-9 which read, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?” Although these two passages have different backgrounds, I think that there is something in common in terms of so called Christian ethics. In this world, it’s common to want to fight back, especially when you are cheated and wronged by others. The Corinthians were just like us, Americans fixated to their own "rights." But according to apostle Paul’s saying here, in clinging to their rights so fiercely, they had already shown utter failure. It would be better to let yourselves be cheated than to defend your own "rights" at the expense of God's glory and the higher good of His kingdom. So no one who accepts wrong for the sake of God's glory will be a loser for we put our deep trust in our living judge, God. Therefore Paul is also speaking strongly to the brother who did the wrong. "Don't you realize how serious your sin is? The only thing you may 'gain' from cheating your brother is eternal ramification to not inherit the kingdom of God!” What else is there more dreadful consequence than this? How great is God's destiny for redeemed men and women like each of us! We will be His saints and gloriously have a part in judging the world and even angels. So by faith we can take a loss like David here on earth by Ziba like people who are constantly cheating us shrewdly. But we will never lose our eternal value and continue to serve the kingdom of God in our earthly journeys. Amen.
Second, “Cursed by Shimei.” Look at v. 5 “As 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.” There is another crazy man from Saul’s relative. His name was Shimei. Now this man begins to curse David. Look at v 6-8. “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. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 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!” Here what Shimei tells is true? No way, in short he came up with three lies. #1. The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul. Has David shed one drop of the blood of the household of Saul? No. One day he had a chance in the cave when he cut his garment and he was even conscience-stricken. The 2nd time when Saul was sleeping, Abishai wants to kill him right there but David says, “No. We do not touch the Lord’s anointed.” The Amalekite comes down with the crown of Saul, saying that he slew him on the mountain. But David condemned him and executed him on the spot. Later when Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son running the civil war was assassinated by two men, David also executed them. In this way, he has never shed a drop of blood from anyone in Saul’s family. #2. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. No, The Lord had nothing to do with this. #3. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood. Obviously David is not.
Now look at v. 9. “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.” Abishai is always the same. A long time ago, he suggested the same thing when he and David was in a cave and he volunteered to kill Saul for David. Abishai is the Clint Eastwood of the Old testament. He has his gun pointed right at you, saying “Go ahead. Make my day.” That is Abishai. Still we may think that David should’ve done something against this mean guy, Shimei. Have you heard about the “TFT strategy?” This is an abbreviation for “tit for tat,” which means ‘equivalent retaliation’ and is used frequently in social science, economic competition, or even war. When there was a sharp conflict between America and Russia in the matter of Ukraine, TFT was also used. There are 3 stages in it. First, it’s started with nice cooperation. Second, it comes with immediate retaliation for those who move provocatively. Finally as a last step, it is forgiving as the competitor make a cooperative move. Individuals who employ the TFT strategy are usually considered tough but fair. At least David could use this strategy. But he did not. Why?
Look at v. 10-12. “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,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’” 11 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. 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” One of the greatest compliments you may get from a friend would be, you are making good progress. David in his younger years, had a a hot temper. Remember when Nabal denied him hospitality rights without him back anything, he said to 400 of his men, ‘Get your swords. We will wipe out the house of Nabal by sunset tomorrow!’ If Abigail had not stepped out on time, all would have happened that way. However today it is quite different. David demonstrates his maturity and remarked something beautiful. It’s a mark of his growth and godliness. David now sees in everything that is happening to him through the hand of God. David says, “Let him curse because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David.’” It indicates that David must have known where he’s at now. In other words he put trust in the Lord for God knows exactly what David needs. He has so called “a divine curriculum” to hasten the work of God in making him like the Person of Christ. Like David in the same way in our lives I would say safely that your progress toward maturity is hinged upon you personally accepting and responding well to the curriculum God has designed. Even though you do not understand it thoroughly you are trusting the Lord. Quite frankly there are two things that the Lord never answers, He never gives you dates. Nor does He give you reasons, or at least maybe not always up front. So all we can do now is to trust Him. As long as you are asking why, you have not submitted to what He has permitted and you are still fighting it. It’s like when you tell your kids to do the dishes & they say “Why?” They are in fact rebelling against you. Likewise as God’s precious children we better change all our “Why’s” to “What’s” and then we have no problem to submit ourselves to the divine curriculum anytime. Then we won’t let what’s happening affect our faith. May the Lord help us understand what we’re going through and put trust in Him.
Once again look at today’s key verse 12 “It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” Here David shows his personal faith further. He points out, “Maybe the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” We can learn from what he said here by mentioning God’s covenant blessing. The meaning of covenant is a formal sealed agreement or binding contract, which stands thin or thick. Where can we find the clue in his life to repeat these words, “covenant blessing?” As you know, I’m reminded that it is mentioned in his personal prayer in 7:27-29. “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.” I think that at this greatly troubled time, David must’ve looked up to his Lord God and remembered both what God had promised for him and how he’d prayed by faith. He truly put his hope and faith in God’s unconditional covenant blessings rather than anything else. Usually when someone is blessed with honor, wealth, or position, he tends to forget God who is the source of blessing. But David here never forget what is the source of his blessings. Also he knows that he should not merely insist on keeping his blessing no matter how valuable it look. So he is truly free from any visible blessing but to trust in his personal God. How? It is by holding firmly God’s trustworthy covenant of promise. So this is the bottom line for David. No matter what happens, he never forgets the words of God. His faith was not based on blessing or situation or people, rather based on what God has told him personally through His words of covenant. So he humbly prayed to his God who is sovereign by saying, “it may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.” In the same way it reminds me of Genesis 12:2-3. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Abram, as an old man, used to live a life of no meaning and purpose. Just like others he used to sell idols and delayed to serve God. But thanks to God’s love & calling, Abram found the word of covenant and became a channel of God’s blessing by simply believing God’s word of covenant no matter what happened to him. “I will bless those who bless you” “Whoever curses you I will curse” Take notice here the difference between “those” and “whoever.” It is for God to make sure that God will deal with each person who would become a stumbling block for Abram. It is very dreadful statement and at the same time it is a great assurance for Abram to be blessed and be protected under God’s special care and provision. God further set him as a sample of blessing. So it is not limited to the life of Abram, but to anyone who have faith in the covenant blessing by accepting God’s promise personally. I was also wandering in the darkness without knowing absolute meaning & purpose of my life. Since I personally engaged in a personal Bible study when I was a freshman on college, God blessed me in the same way. Since then no matter what happened to me, still God’s blessings overflows according to his covenant blessings. Since then God helped me to learn of God’s compassionate heart toward many young students wandering in the darkness. Their souls are perishing without knowing the living word of God. They are looking for the meaning and purpose of their lives. Thankfully we have God’s covenant blessing from our creator shown in the Bible. He teaches us with the way we should live as His creature. It’s like “manufacture’s recommendation.” When we live according to the instruction manual for life, we have inherent, built-in blessing in Him. This is a great thing to remember when we go out fishing and serving God’s flocks through studying the Bible. May the Lord help us to invite 30 new comers for our upcoming conference so that they can become more familiar with God’s “user’s manual” for our lives.
For further reading, I highly recommend reading Deuteronomy 28-30 to your own convenience about how Moses renewed the covenant with the Israelities before he passed away. I can not cover them all due to time limit. But let’s read 30:19-20 as a key point together. “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Likewise now it is David’s turn at this passage. David firmly hold God’s covenant of promise as his only hope no matter what happens, especially when he’s cursed by Shimei. Simply history repeats and it is now our turn. May the Lord help us to choose life and blessings instead of curse and death.
Look at v 13. “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. Here David’s life foreshadows that of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though David had to suffer for the consequence of his own sins, it was again God’s plan for him to be sanctified to be like Jesus and to participate in Jesus’ glory. So going further here let us think about how our Savior Jesus redeemed us. Galatians 3:13-14 read, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Jesus Christ redeemed us from the cursed lives. He was often misunderstood, insulted and rejected. In this way he became a curse for us and redeemed us from cursed lives. We are now allowed to have access to this blessing by faith in him. So what then is the meaning when we are becoming the objects of curse in serving the Lord? Frankly, it is not easy to continue our believing life when we’re not welcomed by our friends and family members. We may become sentimental and lose our faith. But at that time we better look at our Lord Jesus Christ. After we’re forgiven like David, our suffering has different perspective or meaning. In 1Peter 2:21-23, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. In saying, “To this you were called,” Peter affirms that suffering for doing good is a part of new life in Him. He uses all things to work for the good of his people. Everything is in God’s hands. So when we suffer, we can entrust our soul to God knowing that as we continue to do good he will turn all our sufferings to glory. When we know the meaning of suffering, we are not afraid of it. Rather, we can welcome it, embrace it, and rejoice in it. In this way we can overcome the world (Jn 16:33) and be sanctified according to God’s will and ultimately become coheirs with Jesus Christ, the King of kings. What a vision and a great blessing this is in our Lord Jesus Christ!
Just as we are called to suffer, our God who knows us is merciful and gives us refreshment in times of great need. Let’s see how King David experienced such mercy from God in his escape from Jerusalem. So what happens next. Look at v14. The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.” Despite Shimei’s curse and even stoning on the way, David and his companion arrived at their destination. Please take notice of the last phrase. “And there he refreshed himself.” David must have emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. What do you do when you are like that? What he did was that he refreshed himself in the Lord his God. The reason so many people fall apart, is that they have not developed enough of a personal relationship with the Lord to get refreshed when things are really tough. So they get depressed and they fall apart. But David refreshed himself in the Lord.
Third, Shamed by Absalom. Well, the camera is now switched back to Jerusalem now. Look at verse 15, 16. “Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.16 Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” Here we can take notice of two names. Remember Ahithophel? He was David’s chief confidant. But as grandfather to Bathsheba, he betrayed. Remember Hushai? He was the very person in 15 that wanted to go with him and David says, “Go back and frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel. Be my friend but be part of my secret intelligence. So he goes back and waits for Absalom. Look at v.17-19. “Absalom said to Hushai, “So this is the love you show your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?” 18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him. 19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.” Here notice that Absalom did not call David as his fathher at all. He is saying here that he is not my father. But he is your friend. What a remark it is from a son! Anyway after this great declaration of loyalty “Just as I served your father, so I will serve you,” Absalom received Hushai. Absalom then turned to Ahithophel. Look at v. 20. “Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?” Ahithophel, filled with bitterness inside, just oozing out of him. Look at v. 21. “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” As we remember as a backdrop for a background, let us look at 2 Sam12:11,12. “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.” David and Bathsheba were meeting privately in the dark. But now part of the consequences are going to be somebody in your own house is going to sleep with your wives in the broad daylight. That being said, they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.(22) In such a way Absolom crossed the line. Look at the last v. 23. “Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.” This chapter ends with a word about Ahithophel and how his advice is highly regarded by both David and Absalom. However Ahithophel’s wise thoughts were used by Satan to bring shame to David.
In conclusion) We have seen David CHEATED, CURSED, and SHAMED. But that’s not all. There is a real spiritual fight instead of physical fight. Now as a poet David wrote Psalm 3 at this time. I am encouraged by his prayer showing his faith. We can learn further from him about how to depend on the Lord at such a low point in his life. Let us read this poem responsively. “Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. 4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. 7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.” In conjunction with this Psalm, we see how much pressure David is under from his enemies. David is somewhat emotional. He asked God to break their teeth and strike their jaws. My wife will know how serious this remark is for she is a dentist. What an aggressive prayer this is! We seldom hear this kind of prayer from David. But look at the last v. again. “From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.” Our opponents keep saying, "God will not deliver us.(2) But God chooses us. He calls us by his grace. He guides us with his Spirit, and keeps us by his power. So we can confess anytime like David, “May your blessing be on your people." Consider God’s love and own interest in the salvation of his own people. May the Lord help us to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author of our faith. Help us to have David’s faith today in trusting in God for our salvation and trust in the word of covenant blessing. May the Lord help us to build up such faith in Him and win great victory and never lose our sight on Jesus, doing God’s work in America and around the world. Amen. One word: His Covenant Blessing!
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