David's patience
In the face of accusations and insults, how would you respond?
With great power at your disposal, what would you do?
Abishai, the mighty warrior, would take the man’s head off. For what right has he to curse our king? (2 Sam 16:9)
Yet King David showed us the better way.
In the face of great distress, as his son Absalom usurped his throne, and with no time to deliberate, David and his men had to leave Jerusalem in haste.
Shimei, a Benjaminite from the same tribe as King Saul, said he deserved it for taking Saul's throne; it was retribution for the blood he had spilt.
But David chose not to act, allowing Shimei to continue cursing him (2 Sam 16:7-8, 10). At this time, he knew what had happened to him was because of what he had done in secret when he slept with Bathsheba and killed Uriah to cover up the grave sins he had committed.
He asked the Lord to look upon his plight and be merciful to him, saying, “It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day.” (2 Sam 16:12)
What King David showed us was waiting upon the Lord for His vengeance in the face of injustice. Though vested with great power and surrounded by mighty warriors, he did not yield it to “solve” the problem. He waited for the Lord, and God was his defence against wicked people.
Psalm 7 is “A Meditation of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite”. Here, David cried out to the Lord, “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart.” (Ps 7:9-10)
Learning from Jesus
We also see this through Jesus. In the face of His accusers, Jesus answered not a word. In fact, what Jesus did went against human nature's inclination to retaliate; He rose above to pray for His accuser. He told His Father to forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
Jesus has shown us the better way. As His children, when faced with insults and accusations, are we able to rise above and choose not to retaliate, allowing others to see the life of Jesus Christ in us?
Reflection questions
In our daily lives—whether at school, work, or home—how does our innate reaction look like when someone insults or unfairly accuses us? Why do we find it so hard to follow David’s example of restraint instead of Abishai’s urge for immediate retaliation?
Jesus urges us to "rise above" and allow others to see His life through us. How can we, as a family, support each other in choosing to pray for those who hurt us rather than speaking ill of them? What is one specific situation where we need to ask God for the grace to remain silent and put our trust in Him and His our defence?
