1 Kings 2:36-46. Getting my things.
Shimei was an idiot. Once he cursed David, he knew his time was limited, but he didnamprsquot believe it. David didnamprsquot kill him for his curses even though Davidamprsquos men wanted to because no one curses Godamprsquos anointed and can be expected to live. But David allowed him to live for a time because David saw the curses as part of his punishment for being an irresponsible father and breaking the kingdom and as his call to repentance.
Shimei the Benjamite, respecter of Saul, thought he had gotten away with his blasphemy.
When David was about to die, he told Solomon to deal with Shimei as his wisdom guided him. When Solomon told Shimei to stay in Jerusalem on pain of death, Shimei once again thought he had escaped death and didnamprsquot take Solomonamprsquos command seriously. And, like the fool he was, he left Jerusalem to go after a couple of slaves he could easily have replaced. He was an idiot, and he was executed for being an idiot.
I am an idiot too. It would perhaps be nice to be a fool for God, but Iamprsquom not, Iamprsquom an idiot because I think I can get away with limited self-knowledge and a much more limited knowledge of God and my relationship with him. The Shimei in me doesnamprsquot really believe that Godamprsquos word to stay in my Jerusalem needs to be taken seriously. Iamprsquom a free man, I have free will, and I can make my own choices.
Sometimes the Shimei in me is so idiotic that I even deny there is a Jerusalem to stay in, which is tantamount to saying Godamprsquos word does not apply to me. And if accept that, then my spiritual community is really just a social club and I can go to worship and small group meetings when I want and stay home when I want or do something else on Sunday and Wednesday and Saturday that is more interesting or more worldly pressing, like retreiving my two slaves.
What are my two slaves? The books I need to read and the ones I want to, the essays I need to write, the rest I want to take, the places I want to visit, the offers in other countries I linger over. There is no end to my two slaves pulling me away from the Jerusalem of my worship and spiritual community. And when the idiot Shimei in me makes the wrong choice, I lose my place in Jerusalem until, by Godamprsquos grace, I repent.
Application: to add to my prayer list prayer to stay in my Jerusalem.
Lord, let my free will be sufficient to choose you and not the world. I pray your Spirit reminds me daily that my shallow, brainless Shimei is ever clamoring to chase after what I do not need. Let your Word and my community be my sufficiency.
