Who is shimei

When we cry out for a word, and the times are many, there is a story out of the Old Testament. Who is Shimei. It is the story of David and David’s sin. He saw and lusted after Bathsheba. Nathan came to pronounce Judgement. David repented (Psalm 51) and was forgiven. While there were consequences, David continued on as king. In a certain way, he got away with it. But the consequences showed up in his children. Amnon lusted for his siter Tamar. Lured her into being alone with him and raped her. Absalom, Tamar’s brother killed Amnon. David let these things go. Years later, Absalom rebelled against David and drove him out of Jerusalem. As David rode away from the throne and kingdom, there was a certain Shimei, son of Saul, Who confronted him, stood on the hill next to the road and threw rocks, dirt and filth at him, while calling out curses. One of David’s men asked, “Do you want me to go take his head off?” David replied, “No, let him be. Maybe the Lord has sent him.” In that moment David feels himself having gotten away with something and that is the worst thing that could have happened to him. He feels himself separated from God, without God’s word, without God’s law, without consequences. If your actions have no consequences, then your actions do not matter. If your actions do not matter, then you do not matter. If you do not matter, then you are separated from the eternal, insignificant and meaningless. That is to have your feet at the edge of the cliff, and over the cliff is the pit. That pit is to have the word “Meaningless” written over your actions, your life, and you, yourself. In order to not be meaningless, we must stand before God in terms of right and wrong, good and evil. Only then do our lives matter. To not matter is to be nothing. So David cries out because he needs the word of God, even if it is a word of judgement and wrath. The question, who is Shimei, is the crying out. The words of David, “Let him be” is the crying out of the ultimate need of all of mankind, to have meaning, significance, to matter.