[After Absalom murdered Amnon and subsequently won the favor of the Israelites through his cunning and charm, he declared himself king in Hebron, effectively initiating a rebellion against his father, King David.] A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!” “Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster… As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The LORD is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!” “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!” “No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the LORD has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to do it. And perhaps the LORD will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David. The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River. Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel.
2 Samuel 15:13–14; 16:5–15, NLT
Seeing how confused and frustrated Abishai was, David wrote him this note later that day:
Dear Abishai,
On this tumultuous day, I feel a deep need to open my heart to you. Our recent troubles, the harsh words of Shimei, and the heartbreak caused by Absalom weigh heavily on me. I know you might be puzzled, maybe even upset, by the choices I’ve made. Through this letter, I hope to help you see the reasons behind my actions and the dedicated balance we must strike in our quest for justice in the face of evil and suffering.
Absalom’s rebellion, a thorn in my soul, was not just a son’s defiance but a quest for justice gone astray. His response to the unspeakable wrong against our dear Tamar led him down a path that only multiplied our collective agony. It was a vivid reminder, Abishai, that justice, when pursued with a heart blinded by haste and lacking in wisdom, can become a vessel for further anguish and disorder.
Then came Shimei, his curses cutting through the air like sharp stones. In his grief and misguided quest for justice, I saw a shadow of our own potential for missteps. In that moment, I realized that sometimes, true strength lies in the art of restraint. By choosing to bear his scorn, we halted the cycle of unending suffering. It was a moment to surrender to the greater plan of the Almighty, to trust in His perfect justice.
My dear friend, through these trials, I have come to understand that while evil undeniably begets suffering, our response to it – our pursuit of justice – can inadvertently weave a web of further pain if not laced with wisdom and patience. It is a delicate equilibrium, where our actions must be guided not by a thirst for retribution, but by a deeper yearning to align with God’s will and the greater good.
In these reflective moments, I am ever more aware that God’s ways soar above our own, far surpassing our earthly understanding [1]. He seeks to absorb suffering rather than to dispense it needlessly. Our role, then, is to walk in step with His divine wisdom, to act in a manner that brings healing rather than further harm.
May these words find a place in your heart as they have in mine. Together, let us seek the guidance of the Lord in all our endeavors, that our actions may be a reflection of both His justice and compassion.
In faith and brotherhood,
David
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[1] Isaiah 55:8–9 said, “’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’”
From Celeste: “Why is it important to consider God’s perspective on justice, especially in situations where evil causes suffering?”
I believe that god will not give us anymore suffering and pain we can bear. In a way I think that it is enough for us to realized our sins.
I know that when I was deep in my addiction and the dark space that occupied my life, I would get mad at why I’m like this!?!? But I now learn that the pain and suffering that I’ve been through definitely made me a better person. In many ways I’ve learned to be patient , more understanding and compassionate to people around me. I’m able to stop my wrong thinking and doing. I’m gifted with an abundance that’s tools in my life belt.
God’s perspective in justice is the right and only way to me. When I practice God’s way, I have nothing to fear, and hopefully one day I’ll be reunited with him and my family eternally.
It is important to consider God’s perspective on justice in the midst of suffering. It can be challenging for us to fully understand the evil behind the suffering. It’s natural for us to want justice. It’s human nature for us to want to take matters into our own hands. Just like Absalom’s example, we can make matters worse. David’s words in the letter reminds us to seek God first and exercise restrain. When we see things from our perspective, we just want “an eye for an eye”, but when we trust God with the situation, He is all knowing and all powerful and can be the ultimate judge. When we carry anger with us it can lead to more destruction, which can lead us further away from God. When we hand it over to God and trust Him we can have peace and experience healing.
It is important to consider God’s perspective on justice, especially in situations where evil can cause suffering. In the time of injustice, it’s easy for us to be led by our emotions and feelings. We feel like it’s unfair and we can lack self-control. Like in the case of David, if he lacked self-control, he could easily order the guards to kill Shimei. Yet David reflects Christ’s likeness, and allows those things to happen to him. Our own knowledge and wisdom won’t be enough to see everything so we might retaliate, which leads to even more suffering and destruction. But God is fair in his judgment and He is sovereign over everything. Therefore, we should persevere, and let God do his things, especially with injustice inflicted upon us. For we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. So if that injustice is a way for us to grow and to be more like Christ, let us persevere through and trust in God in everything.
It is important to consider God’s perspective on justice where evil causes suffering because it is easy to get wrapped up in our own anger and bitterness. When we are focused in our own anger and bitterness, we often make decisions that we are not proud of. Instead of acting on our sins, considering God’s perspective will allow us to demonstrate grace, patience, and love in all circumstances. This will protect our relationships and ourselves from acting in a way that can lead us down a bad path like David.
I understand King David’s decision when he chose silence instead of killing Shimei when Shimei began cursing him. We’ve all been in the same situations when people say bad or untrue stories about us or our family. Some of us try to argue back to show they are wrong. Others stay quiet, like what David did. They believe that God who knows the truth can really protect and defend us.
It is important to consider God’s perspective on justice as we want to stray away from worldly justice. Worldly justice is false, earthly and sensual. Meanwhile, Godly justice is peaceable, impartial and rejoices in truth. In situations where evil causes suffering, through God’s divine wisdom we ought to bring healing rather than further harm.
(from Charles)
It is important to consider God’s perspective on justice because He is the only one who knows what is right and wrong. Our human perspective is shortsighted and doesn’t know all of the information on a particular injustice. There are several examples in the Bible of God allowing injustice to happen to cause the Israelites to return to Him and times where God fought against injustice to rescue the Israelites as well. In the end God is in control of all things and thus we should always consider God’s perspective because He knows much better than we ever could. God’s ways are much higher than our own so we must have faith in that even when we don’t understand an injustice.
I think it’s important to think and see God’s perspective because as humans we may not understand what God is trying to show us. I think often times people when asking christians the main thing they ask if why did the Holocaust happen. To us yes the Holocaust was terrible, but God had a reasoning to it. We may not know what’s God perspective is, but we have to trust and believe there was a reasoning to it.
I find myself pondering when the cycle of sin within David’s family will come to an end. Yesterday, as I read about Absalom’s anger towards Amnon for his actions with his step-sister, I briefly thought of Absalom as a virtuous character. However, today, he has gathered people to stage a rebellion against his own father, David. I’m left perplexed by the ongoing twists in this story.
It’s natural that when we witness wrongdoing, we feel the urge to demand justice and sometimes take matters into our own hands, believing ourselves to be champions of justice. But as a Christian, demanding justice isn’t an action; it’s an exercise in self-control, a waiting for God to work in His timing.
Through times of suffering, we learn the value of being still and seeking God’s presence. We realize that God walks with us through our trials, understanding our pain, and there’s no need for us to seek vengeance. God is in control. In the midst of suffering, we must strive to cultivate forgiveness and avoid harboring bitterness, which can ultimately lead to destruction.
From Becky
It’s a normal human instinct to retaliate when someone wrongs us. However, in ( 2 Peter 2:23) “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:7-8).
When we take matters into our own hands we can say or do things we regret and cause more uproars by sinning. God knows that so he teaches us to leave the justice for him to take care of.
It’s not easy to have patience while waiting on the Lord’s justice but we know in God’s timing it will come.