2 Samuel 18

And so the saga of Absalom's rebellion comes to a close. Absalom's tall stature and long hair (2 Samuel 14:25-26) results in him getting caught in a low-hanging tree branch, where he is no match for Joab's javelins. As so often happens with all of us, that which we take such pride in becomes the seeds of our downfall.

God's words to David continue to ring true: 'the sword will never depart from your house' (2 Samuel 12:10). The death toll now stands at three of David's sons - a high price to pay indeed for a few moments of pleasure with Bathsheba.

Take note also of David's 'father heart', as he mourns over the loss of his son Absalom...his rebellious, scheming, murderous son Absalom. Instead of rejoicing over the death of his wicked enemy, David is crushed by the passing of his beloved offspring. Amazingly in v. 33, he even says, 'If only I had died instead of you, my son, my son!'

Questions: 1) What is God the Father's heart for His enemies? Read Ezekiel 33:11 to see His heart for the wicked. Moreover, God in His mercy takes David's lament one step further, saying to you and me in essence, 'I did die instead of you, My son, My son!' Jesus - who was fully God - was willing to die for us, the rebellious wicked sons. Tell somebody this good news of the gospel today! 

2) In what areas is your pride setting you up to be snared? Ask God to show you where you are walking in pride, and to help you through His Spirit to walk humbly with Him.

2 Samuel 17

As in every great military battle, Absalom's insurrection against David reaches a critical point. The advice that Ahithophel and Hushai are giving him is contradictory, and he must choose one of two paths to take out his father, the king.

Unbeknownst to Absalom, however, there are spiritual forces at work. Recall that in 2 Samuel 15:31, David had prayed a fervent, timely, specific prayer as he fled the city- "O LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness." God in His grace is pleased to answer David's prayer, as Absalom values Hushai's counter-intelligence more highly than the wisdom of Ahithophel. As noted (2 Samuel 17: 14), this decision will bring disaster upon Absalom. 

Questions: 1) Are your prayers fervent? Timely? Specific? Read Philippians 4: 6-7. What is the scope of what we are called to pray about? What is the attitude we are to have? What is the promise given?

2 Samuel 16 - How to Handle Criticism

What God had ordained in Nathan's words to David (2 Samuel 12:11-12) is now coming to pass. As David originally sinned on the rooftop by lusting after Bathsheba secretly, his son Absalom lies with David's concubines on the rooftop in full view of all Israel. As prophesied, calamity has come upon David from his own household.

To (literally) add insult to injury, as David flees to safety, one of Saul's relatives does his best Ernest T. Bass impression (apologies to those who aren't Andy Griffith fans). Shimei pelts David and his men with stones, cursing David and accusing him unjustly of being responsible for Saul's blood.

With all he is encountering, David must surely be tempted to grant Abishai's request to remove Shimei's head. Watch, however, how David responds...first, with an acknowledgment that the Lord has allowed this criticism, or maybe even engendered it (v. 11). Secondly, David entrusts this ill treatment to the Lord (v.12), hoping that God in His judgment and justice may ultimately make it right. Many hundreds of years later, David's great great great etc. grandson Jesus would perfect for all time the endurance of unjust treatment in view of God's sovereign control.

Questions: 1) Read 1 Peter 2:20-23. Note Jesus' approach to unjust treatment and criticism - not only to endure it, but to do so in full knowledge that God will ultimately judge the situation justly. 2) Reflect on your last week. Are you being ill-treated, slandered, unfairly criticized? Can you entrust yourself to the sovereign God who judges justly, and endure?

2 Samuel 15

Palace intrigue rears its ugly head, as Absalom over a period of years plants the seeds  to overthrow his own father's kingdom. Notice how he 'stole the hearts of the men of Israel' (v. 6): through intercepting and ingratiating himself to visitors who sought justice from the king. Under the pretense of worshiping in Hebron, Absalom uses the city instead as a launching pad for his coup attempt - complete with co-opting David's trusted counselor Ahithophel. 

Not to be outdone, David flees from Jerusalem but sets up counter-intelligence in the person of the priests Zadok and Abiathar, as well as the 'double agent' Hushai. 

David's trust in the sovereignty of God remains, as he refuses to use the ark of God as a good luck charm, but orders it to be returned to the Lord's dwelling place in Jerusalem. David weeps as he ascends the Mount of Olives on his way out of Jerusalem. His fervent hope is that the LORD will let him return, but he ultimately entrusts his fate to his God. 

Questions: 1) Read Luke 22:39-48. See how David's great great great etc. grandson Jesus also agonized on the Mount of Olives. What was His fervent hope (Luke 22:42)? What was His attitude towards His fate?

2 Samuel 14

Remember crafty Joab from 2 Samuel 2 & 3? In an attempt to cut through David's family entanglements of murder, animosity, and bad communication, Joab arranges to send a lady from far away to pretend to seek wisdom from the king. Joab is hopeful that the king will recognize the folly of his current state of affairs by providing a solution to a similar, vicarious situation.

Once the lady fesses up, David recognizes the hand of Joab in the matter (v. 19). Absalom is allowed to come back to Jerusalem, but is in effect under house arrest. Joab has intervened, but time will tell whether his intervention turns out well. Based on his track record to date...

And what does the Bible has to say are Absalom's redeeming characteristics? Physical attractiveness (and heavy hair - v. 26). We have seen in 1 Samuel that stature and other physical characteristics are a poor indicator of leadership qualities, haven't we?

Questions: 1) How is Joab's way of confronting David with a 'back door' approach in chapter 14 similar to the one used by Nathan in chapter 12? How is it different? 2) See the gospel in the woman's comments in v. 14: "But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him." Many hundreds of years later, Jesus would come and claim to be THE way for a banished person to not be estranged from God. Praise His name for devising this way to relationship with Him through Christ!

2 Samuel 13

The consequences of David's sin continue to plague his household, as God's promise that the sword would never depart from his house (12: 10) is manifested in the story of Tamar, Amnon, and Absalom. Like his father, Amnon desires someone he cannot have, so he too concocts a scheme to gain her illicitly. The result? Rape, ruin, and revenge. David's virgin daughter is disgraced, and (ultimately) his first-born son is murdered to pay for it.

Note that David was 'furious' (v. 21)...but his fury didn't include direct intervention with his sons. Consequently, Absalom takes matters into his own hands - setting the stage for further 'reaping and sowing' in David's family.

Questions: 1) Who can take away our disgrace when we sin, or someone grievously sins against us? God's first-born son Jesus was willing to be murdered to redeem our disgrace! Take a moment to express your gratitude today.

2 Samuel 12: 15-31

David begins immediately to experience the consequences of his actions that (as we will see) will plague him from now on. Though his sins are forgiven (v. 13), the repercussions of those sins will reverberate throughout his household...starting with the death of the son from his illicit affair.

Though God has told David through Nathan that the boy will die, David beseeches God, in fasting and prayer, for His favor in the hope that He will change His mind. Note what happens when, in spite of David's fervent pleadings, his son dies. David gets up and after cleaning up, his first act is to worship the sovereign LORD. 

And one final point of grace - God is able to redeem even our worst mistakes for His glory. Though David would reap great sorrow from his actions, in due time the LORD granted him a son with Bathsheba named Solomon (v. 24)...a son that would ultimately be included in the lineage of Jesus (see Matthew 1).

Questions: 1) Read Galatians 6: 7-8. The principle of 'reaping what you sow' is just as prevalent in the New Testament as in the Old Testament. God has sovereignly crafted this universe with a 'ripple effect' from our actions. What conclusions can you draw about the long term impact of your short-term actions? 2) When the 'hard word' comes to us - cancer, job loss, abandonment - how do we respond? When we beseech the LORD to change his mind and intervene (and Scripture is filled with examples of God's people doing so), and He does not, can we too respond with worship?