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MODERN SHIMEIS

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 14, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 4.

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MODERN SHIMEIS.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

WHEN a man is unfortunate and falls, then his enemies are all made manifest. This was so with David. Absalom, his son, by fair words, had stolen the heart of the people. He succeeded in getting many to follow him against his father David. So strong was this rebellion, that David had to flee from Jerusalem to save his life. Only a few went with him, while the mass was with Absalom. This was a dark hour with David, and it looked as though he must surely fall entirely.
As David was thus fleeing from Jerusalem, Shimei came out and cursed David, and cast stones at him, and at his men, and threw dust upon them. He accused David of being a wicked, bloody man, and then mentioned the calamities which had come upon him, and seemed to delight in naming them over as an evidence that God was not with him. How trying this must have been to David in that hour of adversity! But he bore it meekly, and God soon worked for him. In the end God brought upon Shimei the just reward of his wickedness. See 2 Sam. xvi; 1 Kings ii.
The course of some, in our times, often reminds me of old Shimei. When things go well, and all is prosperous, they do very well; but when any adversity comes upon the people of God, if his servants are afflicted, if they make any mistakes, however small, if any fail to do their duty, or to live out the truth, then these men come forth and begin to curse, and throw stones and dust, like old Shimei. They will eagerly hunt up everything that they can get to find fault with. While the faithful servants of God are bearing burdens, are toiling under great discouragement and heaviness of heart, while they are mourning over the adversities of the cause and are, like Moses, earnestly pleading with God to spare his people, and have mercy upon them, and while they are sacrificing time and means to build up the cause, the modern Shimeis are casting dust, and stones, and curses upon them. They sneer at this, laugh at that, and hold up the other thing to ridicule. God pity them. Angels of God faithfully record it all. The day of triumph for God's people draws on apace. Absalom will fall. David will again return to Jerusalem, and these Shimeis will again fear and tremble for their lives, as did he of old.
O Lord, grant me a part with thy people when others despise them; let me suffer with them while they are weak and few; give me to toil, and suffer, and sacrifice with them while little, and then let me share their triumph with them. Amen.
D. M. CANRIGHT.