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SHIMEI’S LAST ACT. I Kings 2:36-46. 03/27/2022. #7.
36 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. 37 For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your [a]blood shall be on your own head.” 38 And Shimei said to the king, “The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. 39 Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish the son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Look, your slaves are in Gath!” 40 So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41 And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back. 42 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I gave you?” 44 The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
1. Shimei and David
a. Shimei (“famous”) is name of 18 men in the Bible
a1. Shimei the Benjamite is most famous
a2. A prominent Benjamite who supported Saul
b. 2 Sam. 16 when David fled Absalom, Solemn cursed him, stating that he was being punished
c. David’s reaction to Shimei
a1. Prevents Abishai from executing Shimei, stating that God may have directed Shimei to curse him
a2. Refuses to execute Shimei when he begs for forgiveness upon David’s return
a3. Tells Solomon to avenge him upon Shimei
d. David could have had Shimei executed
a1. His implied pardon was not true forgiveness
a2. Nothing would have prevented David from executing Shimei
b1. Shimei didn’t have any real power
b2. David seemed to have pardoned him
2. Shimei and Solomon
a. Shimei’s insult stuck in David’s craw
a1. He may have felt that God used Shim. to shame him and therefore, he did not act
a2. Didn’t want Sol. to have a known enemy undermining his kingdom
b. Sol. calls Shim. to his palace
a1. Shim. surely feared execution
a2. Any leniency would be a relief
c. Solomon does not execute Shim.
a1. Shim. is commanded to build a house in Jerusalem and then never to leave the city
a2. Shim. is put under house arrest
a3. Solomon must have felt that he could not execute Shimei outright without appearing arbitrary
a4. Shimei declares that the terms were fair
3. Shimei’s doom
a. Shimei must have been a man of some means since he was an owner of slaves
b. After three years, two of Shimei’s servants run away to Gath of the Philistines
a1. Gath is where David hid from Saul
a2. Goliath was from Gath
a3. David had guards from Gath (Gittites)
c. Shim. had settled in and forgot about the terms
a1. Perhaps, he thought that Sol. would not pay any attention to him after all this time
a2. Like King Agag, Shim. thought that his danger had passed
d. Sol. calls Shim. before him
a1. Sol. reminds Shim. of their agreement
a2. Sol. had Benaiah execute Shim.
a3. Sol. states that Shimei’s blood is on him
a4. Judgment delayed is not judgment removed
e. Sol.’s throne is established as all the old enemies have been eradicated
a1. Sol. now has an opportunity to start fresh
a2. Israel understands that Sol. will execute justice and his own desires
f. Gal. 6:7-9 eventually, we will reap what we sow
a1. Shimei’s vile curses come back on him
a2. Though he seemed to have been forgiven and reprieved, his fate was up to the rulers g. It is important to know when and how to stand against what you oppose (James 3 = control tongue)