YEAR 2, WEEK 35, Day 6, Saturday, 30 August 2025

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 30 August 2025:

2 Samuel 16:1 — When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

As David flees Jerusalem, Ziba comes with provisions. On the surface, this appears to be an act of loyalty and generosity. Yet Ziba’s heart is not pure. He seeks to use David’s vulnerability for his own advancement. This reminds us that not all apparent acts of kindness are motivated by truth or faithfulness. Jesus warns of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). Discernment is needed in times of trial, because Satan often uses deceit under the guise of service.

2 Samuel 16:2-3 — And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’”

Ziba slanders Mephibosheth, suggesting that he has betrayed David. In truth, Mephibosheth remained loyal but was hindered from joining David (2 Samuel 19:24–28). Ziba exploits the crisis to advance himself at the expense of his master. Trials expose not only true faithfulness but also the opportunism of the wicked. James 3:16 reminds us that “where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

Not everyone will return your mercy, grace, and kindness. Don’t be surprised, discouraged, or disheartened; just do what you know you are supposed to do.

2 Samuel 16:4 — Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

David makes a rash judgment, granting all of Mephibosheth’s possessions to Ziba without a full hearing. Wearied by betrayal and rebellion, David errs in judgment. Even a man after God’s own heart can misstep under pressure. This warns us not to make hasty decisions in the midst of trial, especially when we are vulnerable to deception. Proverbs 18:17 says, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”

2 Samuel 16:5-6 — When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 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.

As if betrayal and slander were not enough, David is now publicly cursed and humiliated. Shimei represents those who rejoice in the downfall of others, using harsh words and contempt to wound. Yet this humiliation is also part of God’s refining hand in David’s life. God often allows unjust criticism to test our humility and trust. Jesus Himself was reviled and mocked on the way to the cross (Matthew 27:39–44), showing us how to endure unjust cursing with patient trust in the Father.

Repeated comments from the previous chapter – Shimei cursed him and hurled stones at him, and Abishai wanted to strike the man down. David stops him, saying, “If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” (2 Samuel 16:10). This is a posture of faith, a willingness to let God’s providence unfold, even if it means receiving insult or pain. David understood that every trial – whether unjust or deserved – was an opportunity to discern what God was doing in him.

For us as Christians, the lesson is clear. When we face betrayal, slander, or opposition, our instinct is often to react defensively or to fight back in pride. But David’s example calls us to pause and ask: What is God doing here? What is He revealing in me? Sometimes what looks like an enemy’s attack may be God’s refining fire, humbling us, purifying us, and teaching us to trust Him more deeply. Instead of being consumed with self-preservation, we are called to patience, to waiting on the Lord, and to seeking His will in our response.

2 Samuel 16:7-8 — And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

Shimei accuses David falsely. Though David shed blood in battle as God’s anointed warrior, he did not murder Saul or unlawfully seize the throne. Still, David accepts this as discipline from God. In suffering unjust accusation, David points us to Christ, who “when he was reviled, he did not revile in return… but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

2 Samuel 16:9-10 — Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”

David restrains Abishai from striking Shimei, recognizing that even curses may be permitted by the Lord for his own humbling. This would apparently show remarkable growth in David’s faith. Earlier in his reign, David rashly sought vengeance (1 Samuel 25:32–33), but now he yields to God’s sovereignty. This anticipates Christ’s command to love enemies and pray for persecutors (Matthew 5:44). Having said that, as we read on, pay attention to see how David ultimately deals with Abishai – the story isn’t over.

2 Samuel 16:11-12 — And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today.”

David entrusts himself to God, believing that He can turn cursing into blessing. This is the heart of faith, to trust that God redeems even unjust suffering. Romans 8:28 declares that all things, even curses and betrayals, work together for the good of those who love God. The greater Son of David, Jesus Christ, bore the curse of sin for us (Galatians 3:13), turning the greatest injustice into our greatest redemption.

How you respond to people who hurt you reveals what you really believe about God’s Sovereignty and justice and how much you really value God’s love, mercy, and grace upon which you rely. Jesus said we reveal His love in us and our love for Him when we love our enemies –

• Luke 6:27-36 — But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
• Luke 7:47 — Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
• Matthew 6:12 — …and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors….
• Colossians 3:13b — …as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
• 1 John 4:16 — So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
• 1 John 4:12 — No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

In our readings today, David is fleeing Jerusalem in complete public humiliation due to his own son’s conspiracy against him, resulting from David’s failures as a husband, father, and leader – “…weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went.” (2 Samuel 15:30) Then, at perhaps the lowest point in his life, it gets worse:

How would you have responded to Shimei’s taunts, cursing and literal stone throwing? Perhaps your inclination would have been much like David’s men — “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” (2 Samuel 16:9) Consider the difference between David’s response to Shimei and David’s previous response to Nabal in 1 Samuel 25 — “Every man strap on his sword!… God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.” David previously responded to Nabal’s insults with hot-headed pride, but now David’s pride has been replaced with humility, and on this occasion, David’s response reflects the Beatitudes and resembles a more Christ-like reaction to persecution. Here, David acknowledges the Sovereignty of God in every situation and recognizes His complete dependence on God’s mercy and grace. In his lowly state, David pens Psalm 3 – “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’ But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:1-3) Humbly trusting in God, David doesn’t seek vengeance —

• Romans 12:17-21 — Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
• Hebrews 10:30 — For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15 — See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Pride straps on the sword, but humility and faith forgive, trust in God’s provision, and overcome evil with good. Has God placed any Shimeis in your life? Do you respond to them in pride or in humble, gracious faith? Can you see your experiences through the lenses of the Cross and Romans 8:28-29?

Unfortunately, the story of David and Shimei doesn’t end with David’s positive example in today’s readings. We will see in our future readings that David eventually directs his son Solomon to kill Shimei for what Shimei did to him — “And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.” (2 Kings 2:8, 9) David harbored resentment for the rest of his life, resentment which led to death.

Have you ever offered forgiveness but inwardly harbored resentment? Where resentment remains, pride remains, and pride hurts, destroys, and grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Galatians 5:25). In David’s case, he not only held on to his resentment but passed the consequences on to the next generation. If your forgiveness is limited or superficial, if you refuse to give grace to those who offend you, you have lost sight of the grace upon which your salvation rests, and you have made light of Christ’s sacrifice. You have become self-righteous, forgetting that apart from the grace of Christ and His righteousness credited to you, you are morally and spiritually bankrupt (Matthew 5:3). You will only truly forgive when you are truly amazed by the grace you have received through Christ, when you truly appreciate His love for you which went to the cross on your behalf though you did nothing to deserve such love and didn’t even want it, while you were still at enmity with the Almighty. You won’t fully and joyfully forgive from the depths of your heart until the love of Christ compels you (2 Corinthians 5:14-16). You won’t truly forgive others until you love Jesus so much that you care about others the way He does, until you are overwhelmed by the fact that He loves your offenders so much, He went the cross for them too. You won’t truly forgive others until you are willing to take up your cross (in your relationships) in love (love for God and for your offenders) in the hope that your offenders will come to know Jesus better (Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

• 2 Corinthians 5:14-16 — For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.
• Luke 9:23 — And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 — All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

It is one thing to forgive someone outwardly for your moral credit (“I did the right thing, and I feel good about myself, and I surely earned God’s favor….”), and it is quite another thing to truly forgive someone from your heart for their credit and for God’s glory (“I want to show this person the love of Christ so they will come to know the Savior I know the way I know Him…. Forgive this person, Lord, for he doesn’t know what he is doing.”). Self-righteous or self-serving forgiveness may appear humble and righteous, but it is prideful and situationally dependent; it is the sort of superficial self-righteousness Jesus condemned in the Pharisees. Forgiveness for the sole benefit of the recipient, at your complete expense, to God’s glory is loving and genuine.

You may be struggling to forgive someone and may be praying for the ability to forgive the way God called you too – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) If we are to learn how to forgive as Jesus did, we must consider what inspired Him to forgive as He did. How could Jesus wash the feet of the disciples (an act of humble servitude) knowing they would all abandon Him at his darkest hour and knowing one of them would turn Him in to the authorities to be crucified? Well, John 13 tells us that Jesus faced his offenders with the assurance that “the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God.” (John 13:3) We often have a hard time forgiving because we feel like we need to defend our rights or may fear losing something important to us, tangible or intangible. However, Jesus responded to His offenders with sacrificial love, in part, because His confidence rested upon the immeasurable riches and security He had in the Father. Likewise, we can respond to those who offend us with sacrificial kindness and forgiveness because of the riches and security we have in Christ. It is far easier to truly forgive when you realize you have nothing to lose and everything to gain –

• Romans 8:31-39 — What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“… [Forgive] as God in Christ forgave you…. Take up [your] cross daily and follow [Jesus].” If we are to love and forgive like Jesus, we must “[look] to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrew 12:2) Jesus’ love for the Father and for those who the Father loved was so great, the joy of reuniting others with His Father overpowered the shame of being wrongly accused, cursed, abused, and even executed. In fact, suffering for the sake of the Father and for sinners was His “joy” and His goal (“set before Him”). To truly forgive, we must truly love, and to truly love, we must abide (remain, live) in God who is Love, who is the source of all love. Apart from Christ there is no real love, no real forgiveness. If you are struggling with forgiveness in any way, draw nearer to Jesus until loving and forgiving your enemies becomes your joy and ambition.

• 1 John 4:12, 16 — No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us…. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
• Colossians 3:12-15 — Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
• Philippians 2:1-11 — So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2 Samuel 16:13-14 — 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.

David endures the cursing and continues forward, arriving weary yet refreshed by God’s sustaining grace. Trials exhaust the flesh but can refresh the spirit when borne with faith and humility. Jesus promised that those who come to Him, even under the weight of burden, will find rest (Matthew 11:28–30).

2 Samuel 16:20 — Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What shall we do?”

Absalom trusted in the counsel of a godless man rather than seeking counsel from God. Ahithophel counseled Absalom to sin greatly.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 30 August 2025: Endure unjust criticism, betrayal, or false accusation with the humility of Christ. Refuse to retaliate in anger or make rash judgments, but entrust yourself to God who judges justly. Today, if you are wronged, respond not with vengeance but with patience, prayer, and love, believing God can turn even curses into blessing.

Pray: “Father, help me to walk in humility and discernment in times of trial. Keep me from rash judgments and from retaliating when I am wronged. Teach me to entrust myself fully into Your hands, just as Christ did when He suffered unjustly. May I endure cursing with grace, respond to betrayal with faith, and continue forward weary yet refreshed by Your Spirit. Let my life reflect the humility of Jesus, who bore the curse for me, that I might walk in blessing and life. In His name I pray, Amen.”