Are You Willing to Walk the Walk of Shame?

Tikkun Global

Jerusalem, Israel

Reading 2 Samuel 15 recently, I was struck again by the picture of David leaving Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion. Here is the anointed king of Israel, rejected by his own people, crossing the Kidron Valley and going up the Mount of Olives, weeping, barefoot, and with his head covered (2 Samuel 15:23, 30). It is a powerful picture of rejection and humiliation, but what stood out to me most was David’s response.

When the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant to go with him, David told them to take it back to Jerusalem. He did not know what was going to happen or whether he would ever return. Instead, he simply placed himself in God’s hands: “If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back… But if He says, ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am; let Him do to me what seems good to Him” (2 Samuel 15:25–26). There is something remarkable in that kind of surrender.

Of course, it is difficult to read this passage without thinking about Yeshua. A thousand years later, the Son of David also crossed the Kidron Valley and went to the Mount of Olives shortly before His arrest (John 18:1; Luke 22:39). He too was rejected, betrayed, publicly humiliated, and eventually crucified. And in the midst of it, His prayer expressed the same complete surrender to the Father: “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

But I don’t think this pattern ends with David and Yeshua. Yeshua told His disciples plainly, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). The first believers experienced this almost immediately. They were threatened, beaten, imprisoned, scattered, and in some cases killed because of their faith. Following the Messiah meant being willing to identify with Him not only in His victory, but also in His rejection and suffering.

As we look toward the end times, Scripture tells us that this pattern will come again with even greater intensity. The prophets describe a time when the nations will gather against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:3; 14:2). Israel will go through tremendous pressure and suffering. At the same time, Revelation describes persecution against those who remain faithful to God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua. The dragon makes war against them (Revelation 12:17), and the beast is permitted to make war against the saints (Revelation 13:7).

Here we need to make an important distinction. God’s wrath is His judgment against evil; persecution is the attack of evil against God’s people. Scripture promises that we are not appointed to God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), but it never promises that believers will be exempt from persecution. In fact, Yeshua prepared His disciples to expect it.

Sometimes when we speak about the end times, our attention naturally goes toward the victory: Yeshua returning, Israel being saved, the nations being judged, and the Kingdom of God being established on the earth. And rightly so! This is our great hope. But what about the road that leads there?

David had to walk out of Jerusalem in humiliation before he returned as king. Yeshua endured rejection and the cross before the resurrection. The first Ecclesia learned that following Him could also mean sharing in His suffering. And Scripture prepares us for a generation at the end of the age that will once again face tremendous pressure for remaining faithful to Him.

There may be a “walk of shame” before the final victory. Are we ready for that? Preparing for the return of Yeshua is not only about understanding prophecy or looking forward to His Kingdom. It is also about becoming the kind of people who will remain faithful when following Him costs us something. David’s response gives us a beautiful picture of what that looks like: humility, trust, and complete surrender to God even when we do not know what comes next. Are we willing to walk that road with our King?