"Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself unto Him who judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:23).
Having dwelt at length upon the bitter hatred of man against God's anointed, we feel it is not amiss to point out the lovely contrast shown in David's Christlike kindness of heart towards his enemies. David is the most beautiful type of Christ "the Beloved," (as also Joseph is typical of "the Son of His love"). Such types point to "the Man of My counsel" (Isa. 46:11 margin), God's beloved Son. David is spoken of as "a man after His own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14), one God delighted to honor.
The Scriptures present but one David, who is named about 1120 times (!); and we like to speak of David's Greater Son, "David's son" and "David's Lord," "the root and offspring of David." David wrote about 75 psalms and is spoken of as "the sweet psalmist of Israel." While a "youth" David's skill with his harp (and perhaps his singing) charmed king Saul at times when his spirit was troubled, so that Saul "loved him greatly" (1 Sam. 16:21).
We have already noticed how that twice David spared Saul's life when he could have killed him (1 Sam. 24:4 and 26:5). Instead of rejoicing at Saul's death, David ordered the news bearer to be slain, and then lamented most touchingly, "Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant... Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul" (2 Sam. 1). Again when two had slain Saul's son Ish-bosheth and then taken his head to David and said, "Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, thine enemy which sought thy life;" instead of rejoicing, "David commanded his young men and they slew them" (2 Sam. 4).
One of the sweetest stories of God's grace in the Old Testament is that of David's earnest desire to show God's kindness to Saul's grandson Mephibosheth (meaning "a breathing shame") who was lame on both his feet. David sent and fetched him to his home, where he became as one of the royal family, and David restored all of the land of Saul to him. How faithful was David to the covenant of love made with Jonathan, Mephibosheth's father! (1 Sam. 18:5; 20:17).
Another "of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei," cursed David, "cast stones at David" and called David a "man of Behar (meaning "worthlessness"); but instead of resenting or retaliating he meekly submitted to it saying, "So let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, curse David... It may be that...the Lord will requite me good for his cursing" (2 Sam. 16:5-7, 10, 12)
When the news came of the death of his ambitious, rivalrous and rebellious son Absalom, David "was moved and went up to the chamber... and wept; and... said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Sam. 18:33; 19:1, 4). Then further on in 2 Sam. 19 we see David accepting the repentance of Shimei who had cursed and stoned him —David forgave him and assured him that he would not die (2 Sam. 19:23).