Shemei asks for forgiveness

Following Absalom's death, David returns to his throne. Of course, those who had sided with Absalom during his rebellion had much to fear, especially Shemei, who, in 2 Samuel 16, openly mocked David.

But when David returns to power, Shemei humbles himself before David and says (2 Samuel 19:20, KJV),

Thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day ... to meet my lord the king.

And David, showing great mercy, forgave him.

Now, to be sure, Shemei's story is a complicated one. David eventually advises Solomon to execute Shemei in 1 Kings 2, which draws into question Shemei's sincerity. But it is not David's job to judge sincerity. That's God's role. Rather, David's job is to show mercy, which he does.

Of course, David, himself, would need such mercy on multiple occasions. And God was willing to forgive David because David had shown mercy to others.

The lesson for us, then, is to be merciful, because we undoubtedly also need mercy!