A Heart Of Mercy

Q: What does the Bible say about coming to God for mercy?

The Bible teaches that coming to God for mercy requires a humble and contrite heart, much like the publican in Luke 18 who cried out for mercy as a sinner. The Scriptures emphasize that those who approach God must do so recognizing their unworthiness and need for mercy, as illustrated in the parable of the publican and the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14. The publican, who humbly asked for mercy, was justified before God, contrasting sharply with the self-righteous Pharisee. Similarly, Isaiah 57:15 highlights that God dwells with the contrite and humble spirit, pointing to the reality that true repentance and acknowledgment of sin open the door for God's grace and forgiveness.

Q: How do we know God's mercy is available to sinners?

God's mercy is available to sinners who seek Him with a humble heart and acknowledge their sins, as seen through the story of Shimei and David. The availability of God's mercy to sinners is rooted in the character of God as gracious and forgiving. Throughout Scripture, we see that those who cry out to God for mercy are not turned away. In the account of Shimei, who had previously cursed David, we see a clear illustration of seeking mercy. Shimei approached David in humility, not presuming on his past actions, and was met with grace instead of condemnation. This mirrors the gospel message that through Christ, God offers forgiveness and mercy to all who acknowledge their sin and turn to Him. Moreover, the prophetic assurance in Romans 8:33-34 reassures us that it is God who justifies, and thus no one can condemn those whom He has chosen. This demonstrates that regardless of our past, if we come to Him seeking mercy, He will not remember our sins against us as far as the east is from the west.

Q: Why is humility important for Christians?

Humility is crucial for Christians as it positions us to receive God's grace and mercy and helps us acknowledge our sin before Him. Humility is fundamental in the Christian faith, as it is the disposition that aligns our hearts with the truth of the gospel. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes God's favor towards the humble, as seen in James 4:6, which tells us that 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' The heart that is willing to humble itself recognizes its need for God, as exemplified by the publican in Luke 18 who beat his breast and asked for mercy. When we come to God in humility, acknowledging our failings and unworthiness, we open ourselves to receive His abundant grace and mercy. Additionally, Isaiah 57:15 states that God dwells with those who are of a contrite and humble spirit. This speaks to the very nature of our relationship with God, which is built on dependence and acknowledgment of our complete need for His grace. A humble spirit does not seek to justify itself but instead rests in the sufficiency of Christ's righteousness for acceptance before God.

Q: How does the story of Shimei relate to God's forgiveness?

Shimei's story exemplifies God's willingness to forgive those who approach Him in humility and acknowledgment of their sins. In the narrative of Shimei approaching David, we see a profound illustration of how God interacts with sinners seeking forgiveness. Shimei, who had previously insulted David, returns in a state of humility and desperation, echoing the sentiment of a sinner in need of mercy. His plea, asking David not to remember his past wrongdoing, is reflective of our own dire need for God's forgiveness for our sins. This action of coming forward in repentance is the key to receiving mercy, as shown when David, representing God's forgiving nature, chooses not to punish Shimei but instead shows him grace. This parallels the gospel message where Christ, representing the ultimate King, offers forgiveness to all who approach Him sincerely. Just as David's response to Shimei reflects God's incredible mercy, we are assured in Romans 8:1 that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God does not impose the penalty for our sins on us when we receive His grace through true repentance.

All right, we're going to be in 2 Samuel chapter 19 this evening. Our text will begin in verse 15, and we're just going to look at verse 15 through 23. But from here on to a good portion while the rest of this chapter concerns David, It's like a refreshing of his rule here. He's coming back now to Jerusalem as the rightful king. It's clear that the Lord has blessed him and established him as the king, and what we're going to see tonight and probably in the next message as well is we get to see a picture of the heart of David who is merciful to those who come to him seeking mercy and those who seek forgiveness. We see a heart in David that is a reflection of the heart of our God towards sinners and so we're going to look at it in that light as well as we're seeing this picture here that's brought to us by the man Shimei, who comes to David here.

And so, Shimei, you'll recall, and we'll see this if you don't remember, but Shimei sinned against David. He came out against David when David was coming out of Jerusalem, fleeing from before Absalom, who wanted to take his life, and Shimei had some really terrible things to say to the king. Things that were treasonous, things that were worthy of death if you have a king. You can't speak against him in this manner, but David didn't put him to death at that time.

But it's clear now that David is the king of Israel, and so this man now comes to David in a new spirit. He comes in a right spirit. He's been humbled, and he comes in a right spirit. Now, what does it look like to come to the Lord in a right spirit?

Well, the Lord gives us a parable that shows us one who comes to the Lord in a wrong spirit and one who comes to the Lord in a right spirit. And there are many examples. I mean, we saw recently with Moses, last week and the week, two weeks before that, how that Moses came to the Lord and worded things in a way that he probably shouldn't, well, shouldn't have worded them that way, but the Lord was very gracious. to Moses, but our Lord Jesus Christ gives us a parable that shows us what the wrong spirit is to come to the Lord in, and it's a spirit of self-righteousness. It's a spirit of thinking that we're something when we're nothing, and I'm taking this from the parable he gave us in Luke 18. If you want to turn there, Luke 18, and we'll read from verse 9 through 14 there, so this is Coming to the Lord in a wrong spirit and coming to the Lord in a right spirit. It says there in verse 9, our Lord spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.

You come to the Lord in a self-righteous spirit, you're going to get nowhere. That's not how God doesn't play those games where we put on a show and pretend like we're something special, that we're holy and righteous, even though the reality is that we're not. None of us are perfect. None of us are perfect before the all-seeing, all-knowing God.

He tells us that two men went up into the temple to pray. So they're both there to seek the Lord. They're there praying in the temple, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. Now the Pharisee is the religious one. He's the religious one. He's the one who's dedicated his life and made a profession of God that he's gonna serve God.

And then there's the publican who is a public servant working for the Roman government. And so he goes to the people of Israel to collect taxes from them, to give them to the Roman government. And if the people of Israel, of whom he's born by nature, he's a Jew by nature, well, he has no mercy, no grace, no kindness, no patience for them, typically. And so they were hated of the people. And here's this publican, a known sinner, hated, despised by the people. But the Pharisee, who's dedicated his life to God, stood and prayed thus with himself. All alone. God didn't hear him. God wasn't honoring his prayer. God didn't hear this man's prayer. This man wasn't speaking to God. He prayed thus with himself.

God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or, and he sees this publican over there, or even as this publican, Right, wow, he's so, anyway, yeah, he just throws him under the bus. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And so this religious man is very confident in himself. This is the spirit that none of us wants to come to God in. God is not impressed with the self-righteous.

And the publican, that man who's a sinner, the man who is the chief of sinners as far as the people are concerned, the worst of the worst of the worst, this publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

And that right there is all he prayed. But God heard his prayer. That there is the prayer that God receives, that God rejoices to receive, that God is glad to hear, glad to receive of the sinner, right? That one who comes to God begging mercy, confessing he's a sinner, right?

And many have pointed out that it's not a sinner but the sinner. That publican came saying, have mercy on me, the sinner. I'm the chief of sinners. I'm the worst of the worst. Lord, would you be merciful to me? Please be merciful to me. Without your mercy, I'm a dead man.

And our Lord says, I tell you, this man, this publican, this hated man, this sinner, went down to his house, justified, blessed of God, forgiven by God, God showed him mercy, he went home justified rather than the other, the Pharisee, the self-righteous one. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

And so the Lord is showing us that's the right spirit, that's the right spirit to come to the Lord. If the Lord shows us what we are, if he shows you you're a sinner, it's troubling, it's disturbing, it'll trouble you, it'll stir you up and make you fear, make you afraid. But I have a whole lot more hope when the Lord shows a man that he's a sinner. When he shows me my sin, when he troubles a man, that's a good place to be. Because that's when you're crying out to the Lord for mercy, rather than standing here boasting of your works and your righteousness and your goodness, of why God should do something for you. That's coming to God in an entitled spirit, thinking God owes you something because you did something for him. That's not how we come to God.

Now, the Lord tells us by the prophet Isaiah, He says in Isaiah 57 verse 15 and 16, He says, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." That's who the Lord dwells with, the one who is contrite, that is sorrowful and grieves for their sin, sees what they are, is troubled by the fact of things they've done, things they've said, things they've thought, what they are. They're troubled by that and they're made contrite by that, they're grieved by it, they're troubled by it, they're sorrowful for what they are and who they are, right? They're just troubled by it. But that's who the Lord says he dwells with, that one who is contrite and has a humble spirit, because the Lord is pleased to revive that one, the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. for I will not contend forever, neither will I always be wroth, for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made."

The Lord will show you your sin, he'll stir your heart, he'll bring to your remembrance things that trouble us and bother us to drive us to himself. If your sin drives you away from God, that is bad. If it hardens you and seals you up and makes you think, well, forget it, or you begin to think that you're not the sinner that you thought you were and you can find peace in this world, that's a terrible place to be. But if you're troubled because of your sin and it drives you to Christ, that's the Lord. That's the Spirit of God. working in you to drive you to Christ, to humble you, and to bring you broken to the Lord, because the Lord delights in the contrite, humble spirit.

He delights in that one. He loves those. He's not looking for fakes and phonies. He calls us to honesty. So, this is the picture here of Shimei, and I'm not saying Shimei is a Christian, a believer, a child of God, not at all, but it is a picture It is a picture here how he comes to David, gives us a view of how we, how the believer comes to God. And the mercy shown by David to this man is a picture of the mercy that God shows sinners who cry out to him for mercy.

The Lord will never turn away those who come to him for mercy. It never happened, never happened. that the Lord turned one who came to him for mercy. He never turned them away and sent them away empty. You will not find it in this book. He is merciful and gracious to all who came to him seeking mercy. And it is most evidently seen when Christ came in the flesh. So we begin with Shimei here in verse 15. Let's read from 15 to 17.

So the king returned and came to Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king to conduct the king over Jordan. So he had crossed the river Jordan, and now they're coming to help him get back over Jordan. All his family, whatever he needs, they're going to make sure he gets over safely and cleanly over the river Jordan to get back to Jerusalem. And Shimei, the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Behurim, the city where David was staying, hasted, he hurried up and he came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and his 15 sons and his 20 servants with him, and they went over Jordan before the king. So this Shimei and a thousand Benjamites and Ziba Because there's going to be some things for Ziba to, you know, some things that we'll see in probably the next message a little bit with Ziba, but he's hastening to get ahead of David here on the other side of the river. And this is because David has won the day. He is the victorious king. He's won the day. He is the king. He's the king standing. Absalom has been put down. He's now dead.

And you think about what Absalom had done. He turned a lot of hearts in Israel to him so that many people in Israel, many people, people you wouldn't think would turn against David, forgot about David and were willing and ready to put him to death. They were gonna put him to death and make Absalom their king and just forget about David. And that's, a lot of hearts were turned against David, but now the rebellion's over. Absalom's dead, he's been put down, David is king, and the people are bringing David back to Jerusalem.

And so you can imagine there's gonna be a reconciliation, right? There's gonna be an accounting of some things now, of things that have happened here. And so Shimei, who had mocked David as he was coming out of Jerusalem, he spoke against the crown, it's treason, it was worthy of death, and he wasn't put to death at that time, but now David's coming back and now he might just put him to death.

He's confident now, he's the king. He might just execute justice upon him for his treason against the crown. Now the picture of this in the gospel is, think about our Lord Jesus Christ. Think about when he came. He is clearly, demonstrably, the Son of God. No man could do the things which Christ did except God were with him.

He was raising people from the dead. He was giving sight to people that were born blind. He was healing people of their infirmities. If your hand was crippled or messed up, he would say, stretch forth thine hand, and it would stretch forth. And you needed ligaments or bones or whatever, it would grow back. Eyes would come into the sockets that weren't there before. He could do all those things. He could raise the dead. And so he could walk on water. He could still the storm and the seas. He could feed 5,000 out of a couple loaves and a couple fishes. He could do things that only God can do. Only God can do. And so it's clear, but what did they do?

They rejected him. The people of God who should have received him rejected him. They refused him and they mocked him and turned him over to be crucified. that crucified the Lord of glory, the anointed one of God. So that we read in Acts 4, 26 through 28, they summarized, the people were praying and they summarized this from Psalm 2, the kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, that with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together, right? So you have all of the world, all the children of Adam, Jew and Gentile, all of them were united together against God and his Christ for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And so all God did was allow them to do what was in their heart. their hatred and enmity against God, against his Christ, his anointed.

They said, we will not have that man to rule over us. And so they refused him, they rejected him, and they crucified him, they put him to death. But yet God raised him from the dead, declaring that he is both Lord and Christ. And to this day, To this day, people still fearlessly mock Jesus Christ. They still mock Him and persecute our Lord's people, His church.

They still come against Him, but when God reveals himself, when he reveals Christ to the heart of a sinner, when he makes you to see what you are in yourselves, when he makes you to see your sin and how you are an offense to holy God by your actions, your words, your thoughts, your deeds, your ways, your manner, your whole life from beginning to end is nothing but an offense to God.

When God stirs you up and shows you that, that's when men begin to tremble and realize, what have I done? Like this shimmy-eye who realizes, what have I done? I mocked the king. He's going to put me to death. Well, that's what the Lord does in his people. He stirs us up to make us see what sinners we really are. And so he comes before him. And that's what our Lord shows us. He makes us to see that's the one whom you are to fear.

Don't fear man. Don't fear this world. Don't serve this world. They can't do anything for you. You fear him, who after he hath killed you, hath power to also cast your soul into hell. That's who you fear. That's who we are to serve. And when he gives that light, that understanding, that wisdom, there's hope for that one. There's hope for that sinner because now they're trouble. Now they have no refuge to flee to.

And if God stirs the heart, he's going to show you the refuge is Jesus Christ. And he's gonna move you to fly to Christ, and he's gonna give you wind at your back to send you to Christ. You're gonna go to Christ, and you're gonna find him. And the Lord's doing it. If he purposes to save you, he's gonna save you.

And so he stirs that sinner up, and they come desiring peace. They want peace now with the king. Before the king comes to judge, he's gonna go to the king and say, king, have mercy on me. I want peace. Please give me peace. Give me rest. Please have mercy on me. Please forgive me for my sin. Lord, I'm sorry. Have mercy on me." That's what he does for his people here. The whole world's going to wait until they stand before him in judgment. But to you who are his people, he troubles you now. that he might make peace with you, in order to make peace, to give you that peace.

And so we're told that Shimei came with 1,000 men of Benjamin. And some think that maybe it was a token of him saying, I've helped round up some of the people, 1,000 Benjamites, who were foresaw, we're now here. I got these people. We're all here to serve you, King. We're all here to do whatever you need to be done.

But it doesn't really say why they're there, but in a metaphorical light, if we look at Chimei there with a thousand Benjamites ready to serve David, in a metaphorical light, in a picture of what we know to be true of us, is when we as sinners come to the Lord for grace and mercy, we come in a great cloud of witnesses. We come with all our brethren who have come in this like manner, stirred up as sinners, troubled because of our sin, going to God asking for forgiveness, asking for mercy for Christ's sake. There's none who are cleansed of their sin, who have not gone to the Lord seeking grace and mercy and found it. Psalm 110, verse 1 through 3, reminds us of this, of the victory and what the Lord works in the heart. Psalm 110, verse 1, says, Lord, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

You've done what I sent you to do. The Father speaking to the Son. You've done what I sent you to do. You've accomplished. Redemption, you sit, you rest while I make your enemies your footstool. I'll bring them to be subdued under you. They'll obey you. They're going to come and bow before you. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion.

Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. How did he do that? In sending out the gospel out of Zion, right? He sent out the gospel out of Jerusalem, a picture of him sending forth his spirit and his word, all his blessings being poured down from heaven upon us. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. And isn't that true? When God moves, when he pours out his power, that's when we're delivered from death. Like that picture of our Lord when it says in Luke 24, then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. That's a picture of thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. When he opens our understanding, then we understand. Then we see our Lord. Then we hear the gospel. Then we believe and rejoice in the gospel when he gives his power to do so. And so we read now in verse 18, 2 Samuel 19, 18.

And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. Whatever they needed to do, they got him over the river. And Shimei, the son of Gera, fell down before the king as he was come over Jordan. And so he's doing obeisance to the king. He's bowing. He's worshiping. He's acknowledging, you're the king. You're the king. You're the sovereign king, and I'm your servant. I'm your servant, and I acknowledge this fully.

And what he's doing is he's confessing his sin. He's confessing his error. He's saying, I am a fool. I was foolish. I was ignorant, and I sinned against you. So he's acknowledging, I'm completely wrong. I'm completely wrong. in this to speak so horribly of you.

Look back, if you're there with me in 2 Samuel, look back in chapter 16 verse 5. 16 verse 5, we're told that when David was coming out of Jerusalem to Behurim, behold From there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gerah.

He came forth and cursed still as he came. He was cursing David. And verse 6 says he cast stones at David. Verse 7 says that he cursed him saying, Come out, come out thou bloody man, thou man of Belial. He's calling him a man of the devil. And he's cursing, he's saying, yup, you're being driven from Jerusalem because you're a child of the devil. Now get out, get out. And he's speaking very boldly there.

But now Shimei is humbled because God has restored David. He restored David to his throne. God had chastened David. The Lord was chastening David, but not to destroy him. He was chastening David because David is his child, and he was correcting his child, even severely. He was correcting his child, and David was humbled by the Lord.

The chastening was made profitable. It's a good thing when someone is being chastened. Don't turn your back on someone who's being chastened of the Lord. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. If someone's being chastened, don't you heap it on them and turn your back against them. Stand with them. Help them as best you can. Because when a man sins, if the Lord is dealing with that one, that's a good thing. That's a good thing.

The Lord chastens those whom he loves. And so, you and I, we don't know what's going on in the heart, but we can trust God. He knows what's going on in the heart because, like with David, God desireth truth in the inward parts. And he's gonna have it. And he's gonna chasten whom he loves until he has it. He's going to chasten them, chasten them, chasten them until he has truth in their heart. And he has their heart and he recovers them from that sin. And it's good to stand with brethren and trust the Lord as he's doing that. But Shimei, he presumed, I'm just going to write David off. You're done, David. You're out of here. You're out of here, David. And so he went off condemning David as a child of the devil. And he condemned him severely, not considering God's way.

Just as we sang the hymn opening tonight's service, that teach me thy way, O Lord. Teach me thy way. That's the way of the Lord. He's going to humble his people because he desires truth in the inward parts, and he's going to have it. And so Shimei didn't know that, but maybe now he's getting it. Maybe now he sees it. And he's going to learn something himself about the mercy and forgiveness of God and what David does.

Verse 19, 2 Samuel 19, 19. And Shimei 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. And so, again, we know Shimei is put to death by Solomon later. But here, this is a picture of how sinners come to the Lord, seeking grace and mercy.

This is the humility that he works in our hearts. If you're Christ's, then you are redeemed by his blood. It's not waiting to wash you until you believe. If you're Christ, you are redeemed. And in the day of His grace, He's going to bring that salvation to your heart. He's going to reveal Himself in light and in power and in grace. And when He does, He's going to make you know, I'm the sinner. I'm the sinner. And something that Shimei says tells us something about our salvation.

He says, let not my Lord impute iniquity or sin in inequality. I'm not measuring up. Don't impute that to me. Don't charge me and hold me to account for that sin. Don't charge me with that sin, David. That's what he's asking here. And so to impute sin is to charge you with sin. And Shimei is asking, David, don't impute it to me. Don't charge me with that sin.

Well, before the Lord, If our sin is imputed to us, if we're charged with that sin, we cannot be saved. If we stand with our sin on us before God, we won't stand. God cannot endure iniquity. He won't look upon that iniquity. He won't endure that iniquity. We must be sinless. Sinless, without sin, without spot, without blemish, without wrinkle, without stain, we must be perfect to stand and dwell with the living God forever and ever.

Even for a fraction of a moment, we must be perfect. And so, we've got a problem because in Adam, Sin is imputed to us. We all sinned in Adam. And then we come forth, and we all sin. We're all sinners. We all show that we're sinners. We show that we are dead in trespasses and sins, spiritually dead, not knowing God, hateful and hating one another. Our way is wickedness by nature. So God must provide a way. If he has a people that he will dwell with, that he will bless forever and ever, then he must provide a way for us to be delivered from the charge of our sin. He must not impute sin unto us. Well, how can this be?

Well, this is why the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world. This is exactly why Christ came into the world, because when Christ came into the world, he came as the Lamb of God. to whom God the Father imputed the sin of his people to the Son. He charged him with the sin of his people. He laid it upon him as the Lamb of God, imputing the sin of the people of Christ.

As Paul said, for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5, 21. Our Lord was charged with it and punished for those sins that we had committed, but our Lord did not impute them to us, but He put them on His Son and punished Him so that His wrath is propitiated against us.

It's put away, it's satisfied. He's not angry with us. There's no more sin. There's nothing to charge us with. We're blessed, as David said. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute, will not charge with sin. Blessed is that man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

And Romans 8, 33 and 34 says, In Christ, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

And so, when Shimei said, don't even remember my sin, put it out of your mind. Now, as a man, David, couldn't put it out of his mind. But God, he does. He remembers our sin no more. It's forever gone. It's forever purged from his people. It's gone forever in the Lord Jesus Christ to carry that off into the wilderness forever. Forever it's gone.

So the Lord, then because he's done this, it now pleases him to bring life, to bring salvation to you, to reveal, to call you and to reveal to you what he's done. This glorious liberty of the saints, this glorious good news of what God has done for us by his darling son, Jesus Christ.

And so we see this life here in Shimei speaking. He says, 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. He didn't wait to get there a week from now. He got there first. He wanted David to know, I'm sorry. I was wrong, and I acknowledge it. I've sinned. I was perverse in how I sinned. It was terrible. It was terrible. It was awful. And I acknowledge it.

And so it is that when a sinner confesses to God that he's a sinner, there's great hope there. Because if it's true, it's the Lord that has done that. If you're a sinner, and you need grace and mercy, and you're going to God for his mercy and forgiveness, that's of the Lord. That's of the Lord, that's of his grace and mercy, and it demonstrates God's power in you. It shows, it testifies that by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. And he works all these things in us.

And so now David assures Shimei that he will not put him to death. Look here. in verse 21 through 23. 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? And David said, what have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day, this day, this day of my triumph and glory, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me. You're tempting me. You're trying to get me to make this a bad day.

I'm going to start putting to death people who betrayed me. Think of how that would affect all the country that turned against David. They'd be fearful. Uh-oh, David's now coming after all those who went out against him. if he put Shimei to death, but David didn't even want to do that for that reason.

He just, he didn't have a heart to want to just start slaying people and killing people. He was very thankful. He was humbled by what the Lord had done, what the Lord had taught him, and he wanted it to be a good day, a good day, not a day of death and having reconciliation in that sense of people dying for their sins and their betrayal of him. And so he says, you're tempting me to be, you're an adversary of 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? God's made it clear. I don't need to prove nothing to nobody. I know that God has made me king.

Therefore the king said unto Shimei, thou shalt not die. And the king swear unto him." That is, David would not put him to death for what he had done to him. And even when Solomon puts him to death, that's not why he puts him to death. It's because Solomon gave him a charge and he broke that. He told them, this is how you'll live. Don't break this, and you'll live. But if you break it, you'll die. But he didn't put him to death for what he did to David there.

And it's a beautiful picture here of what the Lord does for his people, what he does for us, and how he defends us against our accuser who comes in the night, or whenever he comes and accuses us of sin, Christ is there to defend us. and to purge us of that guilt and that stain that we would feel. He defends us and shows us his handprints and his side. He reveals to us what he's done for us. And so the devil doesn't want to see mercy shown to God's people. He wants God's creation destroyed. He wants to see everything ruined and everything destroyed.

But our Savior crushed the head of the serpent. He silenced the serpent's accusing voice and comforts us by the gospel, and comforts us with words of assurance, you shall not die. And the king said unto Shimei, thou shalt not die. And the king swear unto him.

And it's a picture, right, of what our Lord does for us. David couldn't eternally justify Shimei, but it does open to our view of the gospel. It does show us what our Lord has done for us. It reminds us, we see even the mercy that was wrought in David's heart. David was shown mercy, and David's showing the very same mercy that was shown to him.

If you remember, when Nathan came to David, and laid out his sin before him, what did David say? I have sinned. And Nathan said, I know. And the Lord has said, you shall not die. And that's exactly what we see with Shimei. Shimei says, David, I've sinned. And David said, you shall not die. The very same mercy that God showed to him, he showed to Shimei.

It's a beautiful picture of the grace and power that God works in his people. That's the spirit that we want to have. If someone does something grievous to you, if you can, show them mercy. If you have an opportunity, show them mercy, that same mercy that God has shown to you. and may the Lord bless it, bless it to break their heart and give them a contrite heart to rejoice in the mercy that you've shown them. And so this is a happy day where David's restored as the king, Shimei is not gonna be put to death, and it sends a clear message to all who had gone with Absalom and their heart was turned, it says to them, Well, if David had mercy on the chief of sinners, the one who cursed him to his face, who threw rocks at him, who should have been put to death, if David forgave him, then surely he'll forgive us for what we've done. in turning and supporting Absalom against David, who never did anything wrong against us. He was a good king to us. And so it is that we, brethren, declare, we are blessed to declare the good news of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, that through this man, the Lord Jesus Christ is the forgiveness of sins preached to you. all who believe Him, all who confess Him, all who bow down to Him, seeking Him for grace and mercy.

It's a testimony of God's stirring you and working in you. Go to Him, believe Him, cry out to Him, trust Him, follow Him all the days of your life. He's a merciful, gracious God. Trust Him. He will never turn from you. Just like we see with David, He will be merciful to you all the days of your life. and He will bless you for all eternity. And I pray that the Lord keep our hearts right there, ever looking to Him who's only done us good, only done us good. Pray He bless that.

A Heart Of Mercy

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about coming to God for mercy?

How do we know God's mercy is available to sinners?

Why is humility important for Christians?

How does the story of Shimei relate to God's forgiveness?

Sermon Transcript

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A Heart Of Mercy

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about coming to God for mercy?

How do we know God's mercy is available to sinners?

Why is humility important for Christians?

How does the story of Shimei relate to God's forgiveness?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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