A bitter ending

In Psalm 5, David reveals his attitude toward Absalom and makes it clear that he did not want Absalom’s life spared, but believed that it was God’s responsibility and not his own to punish Absalom for his wicked deeds. In reference to Absalom’s deceitful tactics, David said, “Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: The LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man” (Psalm 5:6).

David was able to differentiate between the feelings he had for his son and the contempt he felt for the man that stole the hearts of David’s followers. Although David loved his son Absalom, he did not want God to go easy on him. David prayed, “Destroy thou them, O God: Let them fall by their own counsel; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee” (Psalm 5:10).

I believe the reason David commanded that Absalom’s life be spared (2 Samuel 18:5) was so that he would have the opportunity to confront Absalom as Nathan the prophet had confronted him(2 Samuel 12:7). It is possible that Absalom would have repented and restored his relationship with his father. The conflict between the two men was never resolved and as a result of Joab killing Absalom, David didn’t get the chance to tell his son how he felt about him (2 Samuel 18:33).

Family conflicts are complicated because of the feelings that are involved in intimate relationships. Although David probably didn’t fully understand why Absalom rebelled, he knew that the young man was angry about how his sister’s rape was handled. Absalom loved his sister Tamar and had tried to honor her by killing the man that had raped her. Unfortunately, David’s leniency toward Absalom’s act of revenge opened the door for him to gain an advantage and attempt to dethrone the king.

He will lighten my darkness

During a battle with the Philistines, it is recorded that “David waxed faint” (2 Samuel 21:15). Although it isn’t exactly clear what this phrase means, it is probably a metaphor that refers to David being weak and unable to fight as he once was. At this point in David’s military career, he was probably in his 50s, maybe over 60 years of age, so it makes sense that he would be losing his strength, except that there were other men, such as Caleb, that were fighting battles after they had reached the age of 80 (Joshua 14:10).

One explanation for David’s loss of strength is spiritual warfare. Sometimes the unseen battle we are engaged in as believers takes more of a toll on us than physical warfare. An indicator that David’s problem was spiritual rather than physical is the definition of the word translated faint. The Hebrew word ‘ûwph (oof) means to cover (5774). It is associated with dimness or the covering up of a light.

In response to David’s weakness, it says in 2 Samuel 21:17, “Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shoult go not more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.” David’s men believed that keeping David alive was a matter of national security. So fragile was the peace that, it appeared the nation of Israel might crumble if David was to die.

What David’s men failed to realize was that God was the one that provided the light. Spiritual strength comes as a result of connection to God. Rather than trying to keep David alive, the people needed to turn to God and worship him as David did. In David’s psalm of praise, it says, “For thou art my lamp, O LORD: And the LORD will lighten my darkness” (2 Samuel 22:29). The word translated lamp is this verse is the same word translated light in 2 Samuel 21:17.

When David said, “the LORD will lighten my darkness” (2 Samuel 22:29), I believe he was talking about the LORD fighting David’s spiritual battles for him. Darkness is used figuratively to represent misery, destruction, sorrow, and wickedness (2822). Evil and darkness are often contrasted with goodness and light in order to portray the spiritual realm where warfare determines future events. In David’s time, Satan had not yet been defeated and the battle for control of the world was still being fought.

David’s attempt to establish peace in Israel was the first step toward conquering Satan. In the same way that the lamps in the tabernacle were to burn continually as a sign of God’s presence, so David’s life became a symbol of God’s presence in the nation of Israel. Until the Messiah came, the LORD would not let David’s light be extinguished. At the time of Solomon’s death the LORD spoke these words through the prophet Ahijah. “And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there” (1 Kings 11:36).

Power gone sour

Power is a force that can be used for good or evil. Typically, power can be obtained from a position that is held or a relationship that entitles an individual to use another’s power. In an effort to obtain power, some are willing to kill or usurp the power that belongs to another. The easiest way to get power is to develop a relationship with someone that already has it, for instance a relationship with Jesus Christ entitles you to use the authority of his name to conquer the devil (Acts 4:7).

Joab, the commander of David’s army, had power because of the position he held and because of his relationship with David. After Absalom revolted against David, Joab killed Absalom even though David had commanded him not to. As a result, David replaced Joab as the captain of his host (2 Samuel 19:13). Because of the power he had as the commander of the Israelite army, Joab was able to retain his position in spite of David’s attempt to replace him. Joab did so by killing Amasa, the new commander (2 Samuel 20:10).

In this situation, it could be said that Joab had too much power. Although he worked for David, David was unable to fire him. At the root of the problem was the conspiracy between David and Joab to kill Uriah. When Uriah refused to have sex with his wife after being brought home from the battle field, David wrote a letter to Joab. “And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die” (2 Samuel 11:15).

David used his power over Joab to force him to commit murder. Joab was merely following David’s command when he retreated and left Uriah to die. Therefore, his decision to kill Absalom was in a way a sign that he no longer trusted David’s judgement and he would decide for himself who should live or die by his sword.

Although it may have been better for Joab to follow his own conscience, he did not have the right to use the power of his position as commander of the army to undermine David’s authority. When Joab killed Amasa, he was attempting to come between David and the LORD, who was ultimately responsible for David’s actions, suggesting that David was not fit to be king. David’s position as king made him more powerful than Joab. David could have had Joab killed in order to remove him from his position, but he didn’t. David let Joab alone and didn’t attempt to replace him again.

Divine intervention

“And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man: so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants” (2 Samuel 19:14). David’s return to Jerusalem after the death of Absalom was the result of a sovereign act of God. The word translated bowed, nâtâh (naw – taw´) means to stretch or spread out (5186). It is a picture of God extending his hand in order to accomplish something.

God does not always intervene in the lives of men, but he does control the outcome of events over time. God’s involvement in the affairs of men is a sign of his power (5186). As the creator of the universe, he does not just watch or oversee what is going on, he engages in activity that keeps the process going until a particular goal is achieved.

David’s return to Jerusalem was a sign that all was well again. The conflict was over. The word translated return, shûwb (shoob) means to turn back. “The basic meaning of the verb is a movement back to the point of departure” (7725). Although it is clear that David was returning to the city he had left sometime earlier, the significance of his return was greater. I believe his return signaled a return or restoration of his life from the point in time when he sinned against Uriah (2 Samuel 11:15).

The death of Absalom marked the end of a chapter in David’s life that had caused conflict in his family and in his country. Even though things had not reach the point of chaos, there was a great disturbance when Absalom attempted to take the throne from his father. The people of Israel lost confidence in David and were unsure of God’s will for their nation (2 Samuel 19:9-10). God’s involvement was necessary to restore order.

It says in 2 Samuel 19:9 that, “all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel.” The word translated strife, dûwn (doon) means to rule (1777). This word is comparable to the words adon and adonay which mean sovereign, Lord, and master (113, 136). If you think of strife in terms of conflict or a fight amongst people, it marks the point when an umpire is needed to settle the dispute. In Israel’s case, it marked the point when God needed to step in and make it clear that David was still his chosen leader of their nation.

Unfortunately, only the tribe of Judah was given the opportunity to welcome David back into the country and the other tribes of Israel did not appreciate being left out. “And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king?” (2 Samuel 19:43). In spite of David’s return to the throne, there was not a complete restoration of peace to the nation of Israel. The damage that was done by Absalom’s revolt left a permanent mark on David’s reputation as king and a crack in the foundation of Israel as a nation. The peace the nation experienced when David was at the peak of his career (2 Samuel 10:19), seemed to be lost when Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel (2 Samuel 15:6).

Lead me to the Rock

Waiting rooms are sometimes associated with difficult circumstances. One place everyone would like to avoid, but we usually all end up in is a hospital waiting room. If you have ever been in one, it might have seemed like an ominous place, one that you felt was shrouded in darkness. David said, “When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).

The word translated overwhelmed, ‘âtaph (aw – taf´) means to shroud, as with darkness (5848). The feeling of being overwhelmed comes when we are dealing with the unknown or are uncertain about our future. It can be related to a holding pattern that we have to control over and seems as if it will never end.

God’s waiting rooms may be more pleasant, but not necessarily any easier to deal with. David said, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation” (Psalm 62:1) and “My soul, wait thou only upon God: for my expectation is from him” (Psalm 62:5). The concept of waiting from God’s perspective may be nothing more than silence, not hearing anything from him or getting a response to your prayer.

Along with silence, when we are waiting on God, there may be a need for stillness, to not do anything. Although doing nothing is easy for some, king David was a man of action. He was regularly engaged in warfare and was not afraid to risk his life; but, when his army went out against Absalom, David found himself on the sideline, waiting to see how things turned out.

Expectation is important because often what we expect actually happens. Expecting a good outcome makes waiting easier, or at least not as stressful, and it is a sign of faith. David said, “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him: and all the upright in heart shall glory” (Psalm 64:10). A righteous person is someone who has been made right with God. The Hebrew word for righteous, tsâdaq (tsaw – dak´) is also translated as justified. “This word is used of man as regarded as having obtained deliverance from condemnation, and as being thus entitled to a certain inheritance” (6663).

One of the things David inherited from the LORD was the throne of Israel. Nathan the prophet told David, “Thine house and thy kingdom shall be stablished for ever before thee: thy throne shall be stablished for ever” (2 Samuel 7:16). Unlike Saul who was killed for his disobedience, the LORD assured David that his future was secure. “But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee” (2 Samuel 7:15).

When David said, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2), he may have been referring to Jesus. David said in Psalm 62, “He only is my rock and my salvation” (Psalm 62:2). The word translated salvation, yeshuw’ah means deliverance (3444). Jesus is a Greek form of the word yeshu’ah and in 1 Corinthians it says of the rock that the Israelites drank from in the wilderness, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ.”

What do you expect?

David’s life serves as an example of what a person committed to the LORD can expect in this world. David said, “Many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man that maketh the LORD his trust” (Psalm 40:3-4). David felt that he had a responsibility to tell people about his experience. David said, “I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation” (Psalm 40:10).

The message David’s life conveyed was primarily about forgiveness. God’s lovingkindness toward David and tender mercies were evident in the continual deliverance David had from his enemies. David said, “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up: They are moe than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me” (Psalm 40:12).

David’s life was not easy, and yet he spoke positively about the way God dealt with him. David had a way of seeing things that made the worst of circumstances look pleasant. David said, “But I am poor and needy; yet the LORD thinketh upon me” (Psalm 40:17). The words poor and needy depict someone without resources who has become depressed (34, 6041). The word translated thinketh, châshab (khaw – shab´) “signifies a mental process whereby some course is planned or conceived” (2803).

David had many troubles that he had to deal with and there were times when he felt trapped, unable to escape a very difficult circumstance. In those times, David cried out to the LORD and discovered that God was paying attention and always had a plan of escape waiting for him.

If you asked David, Why has the LORD has been so hard on you?, he would probably say, “So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous” (Psalm 58:11). The word translated reward, periy means fruit and also the product or result of an action (6529). For the most part, we think of a reward as a good thing. What David was implying was that people would see through his life the result of godly actions.

David’s actions did not always produce good results. Especially when he sinned, David’s actions produced bad results. He received punishment for his bad behavior. In the context of sowing and reaping, David’s life was consistent. When he did the right thing, he got a good result and when he did the wrong thing, he got a bad result. This is what a person committed to the LORD should expect in this world.

I trust him

“But as for me, I will walk in my integrity: Redeem me and be merciful to me” (Psalm 26:11). The integrity that David claimed for himself was that he did not intend to sin. David did everything he could to keep himself from sinning and when he did sin, he confessed and repented of it.

David asked the LORD to redeem him and be merciful to him because he knew that in spite of his best effort, he could not save himself. The word translated redeem, pâdâh (paw – daw´) means to sever. “Padah indicates that some intervening or substitutionary action effects a release from an undesirable condition (6299).

At the time David wrote Psalm 26, he did not know how the situation with Absalom was going to turn out. David was confident that the LORD was on his side, but he did not assume that God would make it possible for him to return to Jerusalem. The only way that David could resume his responsibilities as king was for Absalom to be killed, and yet, David charged his men not to harm him.

David expected that if it was the LORD’s will for him to return to the throne, the LORD would take Absalom’s life through some divine action. David prayed, “Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men” (Psalm 26:9). The word translated gather, acaph means to take away (622), indicating David believed that God could take Absalom’s life if he wanted to.

David differentiated himself from those who deserve to be punished. It is clear in Psalm 26 that David believed he was innocent and warranted God’s protection. David’s attitude was not arrogant, and yet, he spoke as a man that had never committed a sin.

David’s relationship with the LORD was such that he could speak of himself in a way that most people, even Christians, would not dare to. In spite of the fact that David had committed two of the worst sins imaginable, adultery and murder, David saw himself as a righteous man. He said, “Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity” (Psalm 26:1).

The key to understanding David’s confidence is what he said about the source of his righteousness. After David said, “I have walked in my integrity,” he said, “I have trusted also in the LORD” (Psalm 26:1). The word translated trusted, bâtach (baw – takh´) means security or secure (982). David was secure in his relationship with the LORD. No matter what David did, he knew if he sinned, God would forgive him, because he already had.

Good news, bad news

On the day David was told that Absalom was dead, two messengers greeted him. The first messenger said, “All is well” (2 Samuel 18:28). The word translated well is shalom which means peace (7965), indicating that peace had been restored to David’s kingdom. This was good news for David.

When the second messenger arrived, David was told, “the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee” (2 Samuel 18:31). And when asked specifically about Absalom, the messenger said, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is” (2 Samuel 18:32).

David’s reaction to the second message indicates he perceived it to be bad news. “And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept” (2 Samuel 18:33). The word translated moved, râgaz (raw – gaz´) means “to quiver (with any violent emotion, especially anger or fear)” (7264).

Although it is possible that David was deeply saddened by Absalom’s death, it is more likely that David was angered by the news  because Joab had disobeyed his order. In 2 Samuel 18:5, it says, “And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.”

The good news that peace had been restored to David’s kingdom was overshadowed by the bad news that David’s army was no longer under his command. Joab’s disobedience was the equivalent of treason and a sign that David’s authority had been greatly undermined by Absalom’s rebellion. Corruption was beginning to permeate David’s kingdom and there was little he could do to turn the tide.

In a state of despair, David said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom: would God I had died for thee” (2 Samuel 18:33). David may have been saying that he wished things had gone the other way, that Absalom had prevailed and taken his place as king, or David may have been expressing a desire to sacrifice himself, so that Absalom’s sins could be forgiven.

Because God had pardoned David when he sinned with Bath-sheba and killed her husband Uriah, everyone probably perceived that he got away with murder. David deserved to die for his sins like everyone else, but he didn’t, therefore, the people of Israel began to test the limits of the boundaries God had established for them, and like Joab, they were willing to sin because they thought the end justified the means.

In the New Testament of the Bible, a good message, or what was referred to in 2 Samuel 18:22 as tidings, is the word gospel (2098). When Jesus said he came to preach the gospel, it meant that he had good news to share with God’s people. The good news being that the Messiah had come and salvation was available to everyone.

 

Don’t listen

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom (2 Samuel 17:14)

The LORD does not just sit back and watch when his children get into trouble. Even though he was displeased with David’s sin, the LORD did not let Absalom come in and take over his kingdom. The LORD intervened in the situation and made an intentional effort to defeat or frustrate the advice that Absalom received from Ahithophel. The name Ahithophel means brother of folly (302). Ahithophel had teamed up with Absalom to create an unlawful alliance against David (2 Samuel 15:12). As one of David’s trusted advisors, Ahithophel knew David’s tactics and could undermine his efforts to escape Absalom’s  reach.

Absalom’s decision to listen to Hushai’s advice instead of Ahithophel’s made it possible for David to find out what Absalom was planning to do. During the interim while Absalom was gathering together the army, David and the people with him, crossed over the Jordan and got assistance from David’s allies. Therefore, David was strengthened and prepared to face Absalom by the time Absalom caught up with him.

Although God is good, it is possible for him to bring evil on someone that does not trust him. Absalom’s effort to take over as king was not ordained by God. Therefore, it was necessary for God to stop him. In order for the LORD to make things right, he directed Hushai to give Absalom counsel that was the opposite of what he should actually do. It was Absalom’s own choice to listen to Hushai that enabled the LORD to bring evil on him.

If Absalom had sought the LORD’s direction instead of relying on the counsel of men, things might have turned out differently. Ahithophel’s plan would have worked if Absalom had followed it, so there was a chance that Absalom could have been successful in taking over as king. The problem was that Absalom wasn’t concerned with who he listened to, all he wanted was for someone to tell him what to do.

The difference between David and Absalom was that David knew he had direct access to God. As the anointed king of Israel, David had a personal relationship with God. David had counselors, but he did not rely on them to tell him what to do. In the chain of command it was God, then David, and then everyone else. David knew who to listen to.

Starting over

Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. (2 Samuel 12:11-12)

These words were spoken to David by Nathan the prophet when he confronted David about his sin with Bath-sheba. The word translated raise, qûwm (koom) means to arise or stand up. “It is also used to denote the inevitable occurrence of something predicted or prearranged” (6965).

The prophecy was fulfilled after Absalom came into Jerusalem and took over as king. At the advice of Ahithophel, it says in 2 Samuel 16:22, “So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.”

Although it may seem as if the prophecy against David was harsh, David knew God was right to punish him and when David was ridiculed by Shimei, he did not doubt that he deserved to be cursed. What guided David through the experience was a belief that God still cared about him and would not bring on him more than David could handle.

David said regarding his punishment, “It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day” (2 Samuel 16:12). The word translated requite, shûwb (shoob) means to turn back. “The basic meaning of the verb is movement back to the point of departure” (7725). David’s hope was that he would regain his position of right standing with God, so that the LORD could bless him as he once had.

Two Hebrew words related to shuwb are nacham which means to repent (5162) and teshubah which is a recurrence or beginning (8666). Together these words convey the idea of starting over or beginning a new life. Because, in a sense, the penalty for David’s sin with Bath-sheba was paid when Absalom desecrated his wives in public, David was free to move on and was given a fresh start.

Note: Unlike David, we do not have to pay a penalty for the sins we commit. Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins when he died on the cross. He made it possible for the LORD to “requite us good”  automatically at the moment of our conversion. The only thing we have to do from that point forward is confess our sins and the penalty is taken care of by Jesus’ death.