2 Samuel 16:12 “It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
With all the talk in the news about the lack of appreciation for the United States of America, even among Americans, so many have lost sight of the benefits that the United States brings to its citizens and residents. As I have traveled around the world and read about even more countries and cultures, I have come to conclude that we have it pretty good here. Not perfect, but pretty good.
We have more prosperity and freedoms than most of the rest of the planet. We have tried down through the years to pass along that prosperity to others. We paid, in large part, for the recovery efforts in both Germany and Japan after WWII. We have given trillions of dollars in aide to better peoples through economic growth and well-being programs.
And about all we have asked in return is that those countries not try to kill us! Not too much to ask.
Today, less than 40% of our population voiced in a recent survey expressed pride in their country. Now, I know that polls get the answers they are designed to receive, and that they can word the questions very differently depending on the results they want. But I think so many people have no clue about the benefits we have.
In our text for today, we see King David recognizing the benefit that he and the nation of Israel had received because of the covenant faithfulness of the LORD. As he is fleeing from his son, Absalom, he pauses and recognizes that the grace he has received is just that: grace. He hasn’t deserved it. It was freely given.
Having served a career in the US Military, I recognize the sacrifices that have been made so that the 99% who haven’t served can enjoy the freedoms paid for by those who did serve. Regardless of your opinions about the wars that have been fought, men and women were willing to put their own lives on the line, even if they didn’t believe in the just cause of the conflict. I recognize that sacrifice in myself and others.
Freedom isn’t free, or so the saying goes. David recognized the cost paid by the LORD. He had been the One to fight the battles. He had raised David up to be King. He had protected him from Saul’s murderous threats and actual actions. David saw the grace.
As David is is leaving Jerusalem, he is both blessed and cursed. Ziba blesses David and the others leaving the city with provisions for their journey. Ziba is the steward of the late King Saul, and the protector of his only surviving grandson who has betrayed David’s favor. He recognizes the blessing on David as King and blesses David it return.
The curse comes from a relative of Saul, Shimei. He starts to throw stones at David and his men and hurls accusations of “Murderer!” at him. It is during these curses that our verse appears. One of the men accompanying him away from Jerusalem wants to take matters into his own hand and silence Shimei.
David stops Shimei in his tracks. It is the LORD who raises up and brings down rulers. Maybe Shimei is cursing me because the LORD told him to curse me. My son, Absalom, is trying to kill me, so this guy isn’t doing anything worse than that. Maybe the LORD will come to my rescue.
When the LORD looks favorably on someone, the blessing follows. This is what David knows. He has been blessed, and at times he has tried to pass along that blessing to the whole nation.
We need more leaders who are willing to pass along the blessing, rather than hording it for themselves.
The Arnold Journey 