Throwing Stones

II Samuel 16 – David and his entourage are fleeing for their lives from handsome Prince Absalom who has made his move to take over the kingdom. For years now, anger has been seething in the dark prince—anger at Amnon his half brother (whom he murdered as a response to that anger). Just as great or even greater anger burned toward his father the king—whom he saw as an unfair, unjust king. David had himself taken another man’s wife to satisfy his lust and then ignored a similar act against Absalom’s sister by Amnon, the crown prince. Prince Absalom nursed bitterness and rage toward his father.

Days, months, and years passed and his anger burned. And so his presidential (or king) campaign began. Little by little, he won the hearts of the king’s followers by hook and by crook, and now the day has come when the dark prince, driven by rage, leads a revolt against the palace.

The king and his closest followers escape from Jerusalem and head back to the places where he had hidden from his predecessor, King Saul. Hiding in caves had been a way of life for a part of David’s life, and now it begins again.

In his retreat, King David meets some folks of the countryside. First, he meets Ziba, a servant from the former monarch King Saul—a foreshadowing of what was to soon come. It had been that former monarch who had pursued a young, innocent David after using him for his own fame (you know, the Goliath thing).

Back to the retreat, David then meets Shimei, another relative of King Saul. He also blames David for the direction his life has gone and his own personal hardships. Shimei, too, has carried anger and rage for many years; now he has the opportunity to vent that anger. His method? Verses 6 and 13 describe it; he screams curses while throwing stones repeatedly at the vulnerable king.

I heard a pastor recently tell about a scene in the movie Forrest Gump in which Jenny goes back to her father’s house where she had been sexually abused. The horrors of those years had produced so much rage within her that she bent over and picked up a rock and hurled it at the house—then another rock; and another; until she was physically spent and dropped to the ground. Forrest, who watched silently, then spoke a line that has since become classic: “Sometimes, I guess there just aren’t enough rocks.”

I’m reminded of another rock that was thrown (or rolled) at Jesus. It was only after that huge stone was dealt with that a page was turned and new life was possible. Jesus’ enemies had succeeded in having him “stoned” but through the Holy Spirit, the rock that held him captive was rolled away, no longer to have any control over him. He was free!

Let's check our hearts to see if we have years of anger and if we are internally shouting curses and throwing stones? What rocks are holding me captive and you captive? Today, some of us threw those rocks away and turned a page.

You know, Forrest was wrong—there are enough rocks. See Psalm 118:2

The LORD is my ROCK, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my ROCK, in whom I take refuge.