2 Samuel 16:5-13

[5] And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
[6] And he cast 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.
[7] And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
[8] The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.
[9] Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
[10] And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
[11] And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
[12] It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
[13] And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

Shimei (by the favor of what he felt from Absalom being in power) went with a boldness to come against a man (David) that he saw at the time as the man who wronged him for the death of Saul (the mistakes he had made.

Often times we jump out into irrational decisions or words without reason, words with a given reason, or words followed by action. What David demonstrated by letting him alone was the great beginnings of a showing of the mercy and love of God through people. Saying the Lord might requite him is another way of saying, “I will trust the Lord with my affliction”. This is a great example of the love of God prevailing over our natural perspective or point of view (flesh). Abishai is also a great reflection of our flesh attempting to get in the way!

2 Samuel 19:16-23

[16] And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
[17] And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.
[18] And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;
[19] And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
[20] For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
[21] But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?
[22] And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?
[23] Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

Shimei had been moved to confess to David that he wronged him and wanted it to be essentially forgiven. No doubt David could have dwelled in high-mindedness and remembered what had happened prior to make him behave the same way. We could have been reading about a motive of revenge, wrath or other irrational behavior. Yet, the love of God is shown again!

John 15:17-27

[17] These things I command you, that ye love one another.
[18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
[19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
[20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
[21] But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
[22] If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
[23] He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
[24] If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
[25] But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
[26] But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
[27] And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:1-3

[1] These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
[2] They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
[3] And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

The promise of the comforter gives us the ability to not only show love but to have mercy for those that sin and do not have an intimate relationship with God.