The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 5 September 2026 – ‘The Weakness Of An Oath’
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TOPIC — ‘The Weakness Of An Oath’
READ: 1 Kings 2:36-46
36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.
37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.
38 And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.
42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the Lord, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.
43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?
44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;
45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever.
46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
THE MESSAGE:
An oath typically signifies a promise or commitment made in earnest – a bond meant to ensure honesty toward others or God. When Solomon became king, he gave a directive to Shimei – ‘Stay in Jerusalem or face death’ – a command that allowed Shimei to redeem himself while keeping him under watch. Shimei was initially a supporter of King Saul but turned against David during his flight from Absalom (2 Kings 16:5-14). Shimei’s decision to pursue his fleeing servants shows how easily one can succumb to personal desire over loyalty, and how individuals fail under pressure.
The concern here is how that Shimei did not remember the consequence of his action, which was a death penalty. The reason for this may be natural or divine; however, we have lessons to learn. First, we need to know that while we may have resolutions or plans, we do not have the power to execute them (Prov. 16:9; 19:21). The power belongs to God. Second, we always need to meditate before we act. We should learn to hold back ourselves and wait on the Lord so that we do not react without thinking. We must be slow to speak and slow to anger (James 1:19-20). Finally, it may appear that Shimei was divinely set up to die, as a result of past deeds. Let us know that the arm of justice is long enough to catch up with every evildoer, regardless of the time.
PRAYER: Lord, show me mercy and give me power to keep the promises I make in your name.
