One Foolish Man

  

1 Kings 2:36-46

 

April 13, 2021

 

Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there but do not go anywhere else.   The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.”   At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,  the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die? At that time, you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’   Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing.   But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.”

Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and he died.

The kingdom was now established in Solomon’s hands.

How foolish of Shimel, to break his oath to the Lord and the king, and it cost him his life.  Why would a man be so foolhardy, did he forget the promise he made, did he believe his slaves were of greater worth than his own life?  Are was he just a man of no integrity who said word, but had no intention of acting on them, are keeping his word?

 

What kind of man are you?  A promise keeper or a man like Shimel?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice