Do Not Hold Me Guilty

DO NOT HOLD ME GUILTY

a prayer to open

My Lord, my God, show me your heart. Ground me in your presence.

Draw me near and hold me close.

And throughout all the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, “The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country. Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?”

Then King David sent Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to say to the elders of Judah, “Why are you the last ones to welcome back the king into his palace? For I have heard that all Israel is ready. You are my relatives, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to welcome back the king?” And David told them to tell Amasa, “Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place.”

Then Amasa convinced all the men of Judah, and they responded unanimously . . . , “Return to us, and bring back all who are with you.”

So the king started back to Jerusalem. And when he arrived at the Jordan River, the people of Judah came . . . to meet him and escort him across the river. Shimei son of Gera . . . hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David. A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him. . . . They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king. They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king’s household across the river, helping him in every way they could.

As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him. “My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king.”

Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shimei should die, for he cursed the LORD’s anointed king!”

“Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah!” David exclaimed. “Why have you become my adversary today? This is not a day for execution, for today I am once again the king of Israel!” Then, turning to Shimei, David vowed, “Your life will be spared.”

Although Absalom had been killed and his coup defeated, the battle between his and David’s supporters continued. Once David was welcomed back to Jerusalem as king, Shimei was the first to greet him and beg David’s forgiveness for his extreme disloyalty during the coup. David spared Shimei’s life again, despite cries from David’s supporters to have him executed. Notably, however, David did not forgive Shimei. In fact, years later, on his deathbed, David ordered that Shimei be killed. As we see in David, even when we seek after God, vengeance and bitterness can bury themselves deeply in our hearts.

• Why did David spare Shimei’s life a second time?
• What’s the difference between withholding vengeance in the face of wrongdoing and forgiving a person for his or her wrongdoing?
• When have you withheld vengeance but not actually forgiven someone for a wrongdoing? What would forgiveness in that situation have looked like? How might you take a step toward forgiveness even now?

Father, thank you that you not only withhold your vengeance from me but also forgive me through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Help me remember this fact as I move through my life and experience hurt, betrayal, and criticism. Grow in me a desire and ability to forgive when I have been wronged and to turn from any thoughts of vengeance. Amen.