Is Ziba genuinely loyal to David or is he disloyal to his
master, Mephibosheth, the son of David's friend, Saul's son, Jonathan? It is a knotty question and one David never
fully resolves. David, here, acts as
king and transfers all that Mephibosheth owns to Ziba for his loyal
actions. Later, the decision will be
reversed by dividing it all between the two men. Would Solomon have had greater wisdom in the
ultimate disposition of the question? Shimei
is a Benjamite, the same tribe as Saul, and he curses David for taking the
throne which he considers rightfully belonging to his tribe. David's wisdom concerning this man is similar
to that which the great rabbi Gamaliel gave the council in Acts 5 concerning the
new church, that at the moment we don't know how this is going to end, Absalom
may be the one to sit on the throne and he is David's son, so David will allow
no one to retaliate against Shimei. Absalom's
first act on entering the city, based on the wisdom of Ahitophel, was
fulfillment of the prophecy of Nathan that another would lie with David's
women. Finally, we are told that
Ahitophel's counsel was wisdom like that of one who gets it directly from
God. Later, we will see wisdom greater than
that in Solomon who will need no councilors for he has a direct link to God,
just as we do through the abiding Holy Spirit.
As Ziba has brought donkeys to the king on which his party
may ride as they go into exile, so now is a donkey provided for Jesus for the
triumphal entry into the city. Unlike Absalom,
however, this king comes not for provocation and war, not as a usurper, but as
one whose kingship is certain and comes riding on the foal of a donkey, an
animal that signifies peace. When the
owner is told that the master has need of this donkey he willingly provides it
for His service. The man must have known
who this Lord was, perhaps because he knew the disciples. As Jesus enters the city the crowds acclaim
Him as a coming king, the fulfillment of their hopes and dreams and He receives
their praise and acclaim. The entire
city must have known of this event. What
would happen next?
What is it about Paul's testimony that excites the crowd
against him? It is his mention of his
mission to the Gentiles. Up to that
point they weren't angry but when he says that the Lord give him a vision and a
word to leave Jerusalem, wisdom from on high, and to go to the Gentiles, they
become enraged. The idea that the Lord
would send anyone to the Gentiles is abhorrent to them and clearly this man is
a false prophet. The tribune believes that
flogging Paul will get at the truth but then Paul reveals, after he is
stretched out for the flogging, that he is a Roman citizen. The tribune may have purchased his own citizenship
but Paul has a greater claim than that, he is a first-class, natural born
citizen and has not been tried and found guilty by any offense. The tribune could lose his own citizenship
and position for giving this order. Paul
is a man who cannot be taken lightly but in all things he is prepared to give
witness to Jesus, his true King.
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