2 Samuel 16

Jim Butler2 Samuel 16

When David flees Jerusalem, he encounters three enemies — Ziba the manipulator, Shimei the curser, and Ahithophel the treacherous counselor — yet his response to each reveals a man who trusts the sovereign hand of God rather than the sword of his own men. This study of 2 Samuel 16 traces how David's suffering under divine chastisement, provoked by his own sin in 2 Samuel 11–12, fulfills Nathan's prophetic word and demonstrates a practical faith in God's comprehensive sovereignty over the wicked acts of men. David's refusal to retaliate against Shimei and his hope that God might 'repay him with good' prefigures Christ, who when reviled did not revile in return but committed himself to him who judges righteously. The study closes by urging believers to read the Psalms in light of their historical background, to embrace God's sovereignty over trials, and to cast themselves upon divine mercy when waves of affliction come together.