Bitter/Sweet

Hello Everyone: 

In our story today, we learn David’s reaction to Absalom’s death.

Here is the text:

II Samuel 18:19 Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.” 20 “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off. 22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.” 23 He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite. 24 While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the man came closer and closer. 26 Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!” The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.” 27 The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.” 28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” 29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.” 30 The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there. 31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The LORD has delivered you today from all who rose up against you.” 32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.” 33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you–O Absalom, my son, my son!”

In the ancient biblical world, the way that messages were carried was through runners.  These were skilled athletics with outstanding running abilities.  The usual runner for David was Ahimaza, the son of Zadok and he so desperately wanted to carry the news back to David as he always did but this time he did not know the whole story.   Joab allowed him to run and some scholars even suggest that perhaps it may have helped David prepare for the dreadful news that his son was dead because he did get the exciting news that God had defeated his enemies.

When Cush arrives, David is eagerly trying to find out what happened to his son and he is then told that Absalom is dead.

At this point, David has no details.  He probably even assumed that he was killed unavoidably because he had given specific instructions to protect his son.  He is totally in the dark that Joab (his right hand man) and his armor bearers finished his son off.    

David goes into mourning.  It’s amazing the love that parents can have for their kids.   I don’t have kids but I had an experience with my niece when she was a little girl that I will never ever forget as long as I live.   We were at a water park here in the city and I was catching here as she came down the slide in the kiddie pool.  I was also watching my other God child and I took my eyes off of her only for a second to catch my God child and when I turned around she was gone.  Immediately, I felt this overwhelming sense of pain come over me emotionally.   This was my niece, my flesh and blood, I was supposed to be protecting her and covering her and I knew wherever she was she had to be scared that she didn’t see me. 

Hours passed and I knew that the longer it took to find her, the worst my chances were of getting her back.  I didn’t know that my heart could ache so bad.  I didn’t know pain could be so intense inside of me for I had now considered the worst.

By the grace of God, another mother in the park had found her and took very good care of her and eventually took her to the lost and found.    I said all that to say is that I can only imagined what David or any parent must feel when they lose a child.  A child. 

Even though Absalom was trying to kill David, he must have felt the guilt from his previous sin with Bathsheba.  Even though God forgave David, he could not escape the consequences of actions and he would dreadfully reap what he had sown.  His punishment would be  that the sword would be in his house and now His daughter has been raped, his son Ammon has been killed by Absalom and his son Absalom attempted to steal the kingdom and now he is dead.  Three children hurt desperately by a father’s actions and two of them are now dead.   That had to have been in the back of his head that somehow all this was possibly his fault.   We have to be careful of the life we live.  There are so many people tied to us and our actions can hurt and damage the ones we love.  We think we’re doing it to ourselves but the consequences of our sins can cause unnecessary stress on our family and friends. 

Absalom’s death hurt  David so bad that he says he wished it had been him that had died instead of Absalom though he knew Absalom was evil and would have been bad for God’s kingdom.  WHOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH….. A father’s love.  

I think about my life personally and how I was so evil against the things of God and how I treated the church and God’s representatives.  BUT GOD…. Loved me so that he would change my heart and open my eyes so that I could accept the truth of the gospel..  WHOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH… A father’s love.

We will continue our journey on tomorrow.  Those of you who are joining me on the “journey to the heart of God”, it starts Tonight at midnight and ends on Easter Sunday.  IF you want the daily devotionals and info, please add me on your facebook page and let me know you want to participate and I will forward you the daily info. 

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

This entry was posted on 16. February 2010 at 15:01 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.