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2 Samuel chapter 14. I'll begin reading in verse 1. 
So Joab the son of Zariah perceived that the king's heart was concerned 
about Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought 
from there a wise woman and said to her, please pretend to be 
a mourner and put on mourning apparel. Do not anoint yourself 
with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long 
time for the dead. Go to the king and speak to him 
in this manner. So Joab put the words in her 
mouth. And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she 
fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, 
help, O king. Then the king said to her, what 
troubles you? And she answered, indeed, I am 
a widow. My husband is dead. Now your 
maidservant had two sons, and the two fought with each other 
in the field. And there was no one to part 
them, but the one struck the other and killed him. And now 
the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and 
they said, Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute 
him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and we will destroy 
the heir also. So they would extinguish my ember 
that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant 
on the earth. Then the king said to the woman, 
go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you. And 
the woman of Tekoa said to the king, my lord, O king, let the 
iniquity be on me and on my father's house, and the king and his throne 
be guiltless. So the king said, whoever says 
anything to you, bring him to me and he shall not touch you 
anymore. Then she said, please let the king remember the Lord 
your God and do not permit the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, 
lest they destroy my son. And he said, as the Lord lives, 
not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground. Therefore 
the woman said, Please let your maid servant speak another word 
to my lord the king. And he said, Say on. So the woman 
said, Why then have you schemed such a thing against the people 
of God? For the king speaks this as one who is guilty, in that 
the king does not bring his banished one home again. For we will surely 
die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be 
gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a 
life, but he devises means so that his banished ones are not 
expelled from him. Now therefore, I have come to 
speak of this thing to my Lord, the King, because the people 
have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, I 
will now speak to the King. It may be that the King will 
perform the request of his maidservant. For the King will hear and deliver 
his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy 
me and my son together from the inheritance of God. Your maidservant 
said, the word of my Lord the King will now be comforting. 
For as the angel of God, so is my Lord the King in discerning 
good and evil. And may the Lord your God be 
with you. And the king answered and said to the woman, Please 
do not hide from me anything that I ask. And the woman said, 
Please let my lord the king speak. So the king said, Is the hand 
of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered and said, 
As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right 
hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. 
For your servant Joab commanded me, and he put all these words 
in the mouth of your maidservant, to bring about this change of 
affairs your servant Joab has done this thing. But my Lord 
is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know 
everything that is in the earth. And the king said to Joab, All 
right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the 
young man Absalom. And Joab fell to the ground on 
his face and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, 
Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, 
my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request 
of his servant. So Joab arose and went to Geshur, 
and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him return 
to his own house, but do not let him see my face. So Absalom 
returned to his own house, but did not see the king's face. 
Now in all Israel, there was no one who was praised as much 
as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to 
the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. And when 
he cut the hair of his head, at the end of every year he cut 
it because it was heavy on him. When he cut it, he weighed the 
hair of his head at 200 shekels according to the king's standard. 
To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was 
Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance. And Absalom dwelt 
two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king's face. 
Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but 
he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second 
time, he would not come. So he said to his servants, See, 
Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set 
it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the 
field on fire. Then Joab arose and came to Absalom's 
house and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on 
fire? And Absalom answered Joab, Look, 
I sent to you, saying, Come here, so that I may send you to the 
king to say, Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better 
for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the 
king's face, but if there is iniquity in me, let him execute 
me. So Joab went to the king and 
told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king 
and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. 
Then the king kissed Absalom." Amen. Well, we're in the section 
where David is dealing with the consequences of his sin. Remember 
in 2 Samuel 11, he commits adultery with Bathsheba. He covers it 
up by the murder of Uriah. And then God, through the prophet 
Nathan, tells him, specifically in 12.11, Thus says the Lord, 
Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house, 
and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your 
neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this 
son. As well, he says, the sword will not depart from your house. 
We've already seen that sword inflicted by Absalom upon Amnon. We've seen consequences, and 
we will see that adversity rising up in this chapter and following. As well, we saw the incestual 
rape of Tamar by Amnon, her brother, and then Absalom killed or murdered 
Amnon as a result of that. Amnon then goes to Gesher, according 
to chapter 13, he spends three years in Gesher. And notice in 
verse 39, King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been 
comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead. And then in 14.1, 
said Joab, the son of Zariah, perceived that the king's heart 
was concerned about Absalom. These verses are a bit difficult. 
In fact, 14.1 could be translated that his heart was against Absalom, 
which would indicate or would give credence to why Joab concocted 
this plan to get Absalom and David together. But even if we 
take it as it's written here, He was concerned about Absalom. 
That does not necessarily mean that there was this absolute 
longing and love, because we see later on in the passage, 
David doesn't even want to see him. So, there was a reason for 
Joab to want to get involved, because he saw the concern about 
Absalom. So as we look at this particular 
chapter, the return of Absalom to Jerusalem, we'll look at first 
the plan of Joab in verses 1 to 20, secondly the decision of 
the king in verses 21 to 24, and then the return of Absalom 
in verses 25 to 33. But note in the first place the 
plan. As I already mentioned, difficulty between 1339 and 1401. Suffice it to say, Absalom is 
away from David. David has some sort of concern 
for him. Joab perceives this, and so Joab 
concocts a particular plan. Notice in verse 2, he sends to 
Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, 
pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning apparel. Do not anoint 
yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning 
a long time for the dead." Now, Joab most certainly did not do 
this because he was a family counselor. I don't think Joab 
had that sort of vein running through him where he genuinely 
was concerned about the disharmony in David's household. We don't 
know why Joab did what he did. But we can surmise, based on 
what we know of Joab, that he reckoned it was the best scenario, 
that it was the most politically advantageous, and that it would 
be most helpful to the nation as a whole. John Gill says that 
Joab was inclined to take such a step as he knew it would establish 
him in the king's favor. I think there's reasons to believe 
this. As we study 2 Samuel, we see 
Joab. I don't think Gill is out of 
line. He does this in order to establish himself in the king's 
favor and as well to ingratiate him into the affection of Absalom. 
All things being equal, if chapter 15 doesn't happen, then Absalom 
is on his way to the throne. And what better way for Joab 
to get in good with the king and to get in good with the heir 
apparent to the throne than by bringing them together. He goes 
on to say, as well as please the people whose darling he was. 
And then Matthew Henry mentioned several reasons why Joab would 
have done what he did. As a courtier, he was concerned 
with the royal household. And then as a friend to Absalom, 
he would want to bring this reconciliation as a statesman and one concerned 
for the public welfare. And then Henry makes this good 
observation. He says, as one, Joab, who was 
himself a delinquent by the murder of Abner. Remember that Joab 
murdered Abner previously in 2 Samuel. So Henry says, whatever 
favor he could procure to be shown to Absalom would corroborate 
his reprieves. In other words, he got off with 
it, and if Absalom gets off with it, then this corroborates David's 
decision with Joab. So nevertheless, this was indeed, 
as far as Joab was concerned, the best possible scenario to 
bring Absalom back from Geshur, to reconcile with David, and 
then hopefully the kingdom will live happily ever after. But 
Joab doesn't know how things are going to turn out. According 
to verse 24, David doesn't even want to see Absalom. And then later, when Absalom 
usurps David's throne and assumes control of the kingdom, Joab 
employs Amasa to be the head of the army and not Joab. So 
things certainly didn't happen in a way that was advantageous 
to Joab. But nevertheless he does this, 
his plan is quite simple, he tells the woman to go, to tell 
this particular story and it's in a sense similar to what Nathan 
did. Remember, Nathan wove that particular 
tale to show David his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. He told 
the tale of the man who was rich and the poor man who had a ewe 
lamb, and the rich man took the ewe lamb so that he could butcher 
it and barbecue it and feed it to his friend. And David got 
so incensed and he got so upset And then Nathan says, Thou art 
the man. Well, the same sort of technique 
is employed here, though there are dissimilarities between what 
Nathan does and what this woman from Tekoa does. As well, at 
the end of verse 3, notice it says, So Joab put the words in 
her mouth. Think that Joab gave her the 
general reference or the general outline, but he couldn't have 
possibly foreseen every answer or response that David would 
make. She genuinely was a wise woman. The way that she goes 
from the story to David and back to the story, she does it subtly. She shows the utmost respect 
to David, but she is using the plan that was developed by Joab. But she is certainly improvising 
along the way. Now note specifically the woman 
of Tekoa in verses 4 to 20. We see her story in verses 4 
to 7. She appeals to the king for justice. This was common in Israel. The 
king would be involved in the court. She spoke to the king, 
prostrates herself before him, and says, help, oh king. And 
then she goes on to tell this particular story. Now, the dissimilarities 
between her story and Absalom and Amnon are pretty conspicuous. In the first place, notice the 
two sons, they fight with each other in the field. There was 
no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed 
him. Now, it was more of a crime of passion, and in some sense, 
it might even be charged as manslaughter because there was no premeditation. There was no malice of forethought. 
It doesn't strictly fit the bill for murder. Well, conversely, 
Absalom bided his time for two long years. He nurtured and cherished 
hatred in his heart and vengeance in his heart, and then he had 
his servants take out Amnon while Amnon's heart was married with 
wine. So there are some apparent dissimilarities between the two 
stories as it comes to us. As Davis says, Absalom's disposal 
of Amnon was a methodically planned, long-calculated act of carefully 
nursed hatred. It was murder, not pure, but 
simple, and it cried out for justice, not clemency. And as we move through the story, 
you see the real rub now with reference to the woman's dilemma. 
Again, this is the plan of Joab. This isn't an actual story. She 
is using it to set David up and to bring him over into this way 
of thinking in terms of mercy or clemency for Absalom. Notice in verse 7, and now the 
whole family has risen up against your maidservant. And they said, 
deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him for the 
life of his brother whom he killed. On the one hand, they affirm 
that they want to do so for justice, but they have ulterior motives 
that are not well noticed, and we will destroy the heir also. 
In other words, we kill both sons, and then that inheritance 
is no longer confined to that particular family. And that leads 
the woman to say at the end of verse 7, so they would extinguish 
my ember that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor 
remnant on the earth. So you see, it is a difficult 
situation that she proposes to David, and it does require a 
certain degree of wisdom and judicial insight for David to 
respond. So David then says in verse 8, 
I'm sorry, in verse 8, "...go to your house, and I will give 
orders concerning you." Now, this could have meant a whole 
number of things. It's just ambiguous enough to elicit from the woman 
what she goes on to say in verse 9. The fact is that he says, 
"...go to your house, and I'll take care of it." Well, that's 
not enough for her. And again, her particular intention 
has not been achieved because she has not got him sympathetic 
to Absalom in so many details. So the woman then pleads with 
him, verse 9, My Lord, O King, let the iniquity be on me and 
on my father's house, and the king and his throne be guiltless. Kyle and Dalich say this, that 
the woman wants to secure release for her other son. And then they 
say, the meaning of the words is this, but if there should 
be anything wrong in the fact that this bloodshed is not punished, 
let the guilt fall upon me and my family. See what she's doing? 
She's appealing to David to spare the life of her son that does 
deserve the death penalty. Again, it's arguable in terms 
of murder and manslaughter, but for the sake of the analogy, 
he deserves the death penalty for the crime that he has done. 
She wants David to promise or to highlight to her that he will 
indeed protect his son. Because then she can reel him 
in and say, well, what about Absalom? As she does later in 
this particular narrative. Now notice, the king swears to 
her that no harm will fall to her son. Interesting language 
as well. Notice in verse 11 at the end, as the Lord lives, not 
one hair of your son shall fall to the ground. It's pretty interesting 
in light of the hair story concerning Absalom. I mean, he's a pretty 
boy with a full head of hair that he cuts every year and it 
weighs 200 shekels by the king's standard. So on the one hand, 
not one hair of his head will fall to the ground. But Absalom 
cuts his hair every year. I think the narrator is doing 
things in the passage to highlight his literary craft and ability. 
At any rate, the woman makes application to David's situation. Notice in verse 12. The woman 
then said, Please let your maidservant speak another word to my lord, 
the king. And he said, Say on. So she's 
got him where she wants him. Just like Nathan, when David 
was upset, he's incensed, and he gets all, you know, he says, 
That man deserves to die. And then Nathan lets the hammer 
fall and says, Thou art the man. Well, here David has sworn by 
Yahweh that not a hair of the head of a remaining son is going 
to fall to the ground. Now notice in verse 13, "...why 
then have you schemed such a thing against the people of God?" This 
does seem to indicate Joab's desire was for peace and unity 
in Israel. He perhaps perceived a civil 
war in the making if they did not reconcile. I mean, Absalom 
is a popular guy. When we get to his introduction 
later in the chapter, I mean, he's Israel's beloved. I mean, 
he's handsome. You thought we only elected leaders 
today based on their looks. No, it has a long pedigree. He 
had the long flowing hair. He had the beautiful family. 
He has everything to commend him in the narrative. And so, 
Joab might have perceived an uprising didn't perceive quite 
what does happen, but so Joab, I think we see something of his 
heart in this sentence. Why then have you schemed such 
a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this 
thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring 
his banished one home again. So you see, that's the Nathanian 
hammer falling at this time again. In other words, you are keen 
to protect my son, you are keen to exercise clemency in his situation, 
why are you not keen to do so for your own son Absalom? So 
David's on the hook at this particular point. Now note what this woman 
does in verse 14, for we will surely die and become like water 
spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. This is 
a very ambiguous statement that I'm not sure I know what she 
means specifically. When she says, for we will surely 
die and become like water spilled on the ground, does she mean 
Amnon? Does she mean Absalom? Does she 
mean David? Does she mean if you exercise 
this act of clemency, eventually you're going to die anyway. It's 
not going to have any significant bearing on that. I take it to 
be a reference to Amnon. The idea being that Amnon is 
dead. Amnon is gone. There is no bringing 
Amnon back. So the king can legitimately 
exercise clemency over Absalom. and no one will be put out of 
sorts. I think that's what is going 
on, though I'm not absolutely positive in this particular instance. Absalom's life should be protected, 
just as David had guaranteed the safety of her own guilty 
son, and the fact that this particular situation occurred, Amnon is 
gone, he's not coming back, Let's go ahead and let Absalom live. Now note in the second place, 
in verse 14, the way that she reasons. She says, yet God does 
not take away a life, but he devises means so that his banished 
ones are not expelled from him. If you recall the story, I mean 
it was a whole seven or eight minutes ago, it has a lot of 
reminiscences to it concerning Cain and Abel, doesn't it? I 
mean, two brothers out in the field, they get in a fight, one 
kills the other. I mean, if you're not thinking 
Cain and Abel, if you weren't then, I hope that you will at 
least now. Well, what happens in the instance of Cain? God 
suspends judgment, God does not execute him. What happened in 
the case of David and Uriah? Did God kill David immediately 
for having killed Uriah? No. What this woman says is something 
that Israel knew, that the Lord God Most High had a proven track 
record of mercy. The Lord God Most High, though 
a just God and though a righteous God and a God full of judgment, 
is nevertheless a God that is full of grace and mercy. This 
is what she says. God does not take away a life, 
but He devises means so that His banished ones are not expelled 
from Him. In other words, we ought to cast 
ourselves, David, upon the mercy of Yahweh of Israel. Bringing 
back or keeping Absalom in exile or even executing Absalom is 
not going to bring Amnon back, so let's let Absalom continue 
and let's put it in the category of the mercy and the kindness 
and the goodness of God. If God the Lord can function 
in such manner, then certainly His representative over the kingdom 
of Israel can act in such a manner. I think that's the direction 
she's going in this particular instance. Now notice, the woman 
casts herself on the justice of the king by retreating to 
her original story, verses 15 to 17. Just a brief aside. Verses 
13 and 14 are enough to get the hook in David and put him on 
the line. David knows something's up. And 
I suspect David knows that he's been manipulated because he's 
going to respond to her based on that in just a moment. But 
notice what she does in verses 15 to 17. Now therefore, I have 
come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the 
people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, I 
will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will 
perform the request of his maidservant. For the king will hear and deliver 
his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy 
me and my son together from the inheritance of God." She's a 
wise woman. She's casting herself upon the 
man who would ultimately write that Yahweh was a defender of 
the widow. And so she is doing that very 
thing now. She is respectful. She is wise. She goes from the story to David 
and back to the story. And now that brings us specifically 
to her motivation in verses 18 to 20. Then David says, please, 
please do not hide from me anything that I ask you. The woman says, 
speak on. David says, is the hand of Joab 
in or with you in all this? David did, you know, he wasn't 
a dim bulb. He saw what was happening. He 
knew what had happened. Thirteen and fourteen, he's on 
the hook. As soon as she, she doesn't even mention Absalom. 
She does not reference Absalom one bit. But David knows all 
too well what the situation is. He's smart enough to see the 
parallel. He sees the analogy that has 
been drawn out, and he asks specifically, is the hand of Joab with you 
in all this? The woman answered, as you live, 
my lord, the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to 
the left from anything that my lord, the king, has spoken. For 
your servant Joab commanded me, and he put all these words in 
the mouth. of your maid servant." So she does respond, yes. Now note secondly, by way of 
the major breakdown, the decision of the king. Verse 21, all right, 
I have granted this thing, go therefore, bring back the young 
man Absalom. Now this is not going to bode 
well for David. I'm sure you've all read past 
2 Samuel 14. This is not a good thing. It's going to cause major problems 
in the house of David. It's going to cause major problems 
in the kingdom of David. But at this particular juncture, 
he gives in, he caves in, go therefore, bring back the young 
man, Absalom. Absalom returns the necessary 
respect. Absalom arises, he goes to Gesher, 
and he brings Absalom to Jerusalem. Note verse 24. And the king said, 
let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face. This is not a good thing. I mean, you either punish him 
or you forgive him. Right? I think David shows us 
something of his continuing inactivity. He's in the mess he's in because 
of his inactivity, well he's in the mess he's in because of 
his activity with Bathsheba, his activity with Uriah, but 
his inactivity with Amnon and his inactivity with Absalom and 
he's still demonstrating that inactivity. I think this goes 
along with what Paul says to us as parents. Do not provoke 
your children to wrath. Either punish them or forgive 
them. Don't try to teeter in this no 
man's land. Even Absalom understands this 
because after he burns Joab's field down, he basically forces 
David's hand via Joab by saying, let him bring me back or let 
him execute me. Those are the two options that 
a father has with an errant son. There's not this third sort of 
neutral position. He can go back to Jerusalem, 
but I don't want to see his face. Either you forgive him and you 
reconcile, or you execute him according to the law of God. 
You cannot toe the line between the two options. I think that 
as fathers, and I think that as mothers, we need to learn 
from 2 Samuel 13 and 14. David's inactivity did not help 
situations. David's inactivity did not bring 
resolution. David's inactivity exacerbated 
already problematic situations and made them five times worse. 
If he would have handled Amnon, if he would have handled Absalom, 
well, if he would have handled Amnon, he would not have had 
Absalom's problem. You see, it's systemic. When 
we don't deal with sin in our children, when we don't deal 
with sin in ourselves, it doesn't just go away. Have you ever found 
that sin just goes away? Have you ever found that it just 
fixes itself? I find, not now because I've 
got the Jetta, but when I had the Toyota, whenever I'd hear 
a new rattle in the car, I'd always secretly pray. It probably 
wasn't prayer, God, like this is a real-life petition. But 
it was a hope that the rattle would just go away. I'm not a 
mechanically inclined individual. So if the rattle doesn't go away, 
I've got to take it to a mechanic and they're not cheap. So I would 
have this secret wish that the rattle would go away so that 
I wouldn't have to deal with it. Well, sin isn't like that. Once in a while the rattle did 
go away. I can't imagine that. I don't think it actually fixed 
itself. It probably got more broke so 
I didn't hear the rattle. But at least I was content that 
my car wasn't going to fall apart. And now it's Josh's problem. He probably wears earphones so 
he doesn't hear the rattles. Sin's not like that. You can't 
just ignore sin and hope it goes away. David's inactivity in chapter 
13 spills over into his inactivity in chapter 14. And I say this 
as a lover of David. Brethren, it pains me to even 
point these things out. Lots of guys don't ever point 
out anything ill about David except his sin with Bathsheba. 
I don't think that's legit, and I don't think David would want 
us to do that either. This is inscripturated for a 
reason, it is written for a reason, it is to show us David in his 
humanity, it highlights the grace of God in his goodness, and it 
points us continually to David's greater son that made David's 
redemption an actual reality. So I don't think we do any favors 
by saying, oh no, David only ever did what was right except 
for that sin with Bathsheba. Well, that sin with Bathsheba 
had a ripple effect and it spilled right over here into Jerusalem 
in chapter 14. John Gill comments on David's 
statement in verse 24. Let him return to his own house, 
but do not let him see my face. Gill says, which he ordered. 
partly to show his detestation of the crime he had been guilty 
of and some remaining resentment in his mind at him on account 
of it. I think that's absolutely right. 
There's still resentment. Either execute him or forgive 
him. Either justice or mercy. There's not this sort of conglomerate 
in the middle. You can't be mad at him on the 
one hand and kind to him on the other hand. And I think parents 
do that, and it's wrong, and we're not supposed to do it. 
He says, and some remaining resentment in his mind at him on account 
of it, and partly for his, David's, credit among some of the people, 
at least, who might think it was a crime so great as to not 
go unpunished, though others were of a different mind. and 
also for the greater humiliation of Absalom, who, the king might 
think, had not been sufficiently humbled for his sin or had not 
truly repented of it. Kyle and Dalich point out that 
this half-forgiveness was an imprudent measure and bore very 
bitter fruit. This didn't help the situation 
one bit. This did not bring any sort of 
reconciliation whatsoever. It just created more bitterness 
and resentment in the heart of Absalom, who then undertook to 
try and steal the throne away from his father David. Again, 
Things like that will still happen even when we're dealing with 
sin, but we're not to facilitate the sins of our children by exercising 
this kind of inactivity in their lives. May it not be the case 
that they'll on the Day of Judgment be able to say, well, because 
they didn't, or they did, or they were this, or they were 
that. No, it ought to be the case that they stand on their 
own before God, and that as far as we're able, and as hard as 
it may be, we can say our hands are clean. We sought, by the 
grace of God, to be faithful to them in their upbringing. 
Now notice, in the third place, the return of Absalom. His description 
is given to us in verses 25 to 32. In the first place, his good 
looks. This is an interesting section, 
isn't it? I mean, here he comes, he's back in Jerusalem. Now let's 
talk a little bit about this mysterious character called Absalom. We know he's the brother of Tamar. 
We know he cherished and nurtured a hatred and a vengeance against 
Amnon for two long years. We know that he ordered his servants 
to execute Amnon while his heart was merry with wine. And then 
we know that he traveled to Geshur to ride out the storm. He was 
there for three years. He's back now in Jerusalem. Let's 
get to know Absalom. He's gorgeous, isn't he? He's the darling of Israel. This 
probably created problems in the whole situation. There was 
probably a contingency of persons that were very pro-Absalom, because 
what Absalom did does strike at the nerve of justice. David 
didn't execute Amnon, so Absalom executes Amnon. Amnon deserved 
to be executed, make no mistake about it. Incestual rape were 
two crimes compounded together that demanded execution. And 
so what Absalom did, he was probably cheered by many in Israel. In 
fact, that contingency probably was looking a little suspiciously 
at David. Like, why is he doing your job? 
What's happening to the kingdom, David? Aren't you, according 
to chapter 8, verse 15, exercising justice and judgment over the 
realm? Well, no, he wasn't. He is engaged 
in inactivity. He is reaping the consequences 
of his own sin and inaction. So in all Israel, verse 25, there 
was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good 
looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there 
was no blemish in him. Again, you think that we only 
pick political leaders on the fact that they look beautiful 
and they're gorgeous and they have nice smiles. Well, Absalom 
probably had adoring fans because he was a handsome sort of guy. 
I remember back when Bill Clinton ran the first time. And they 
polled, yes they do, they poll everybody, and they asked, and 
they found out that a good percentage of women were voting for Bill 
Clinton because he was sexy. Well that's kind of what the 
author is suggesting in this particular instance. Notice in 
verse 26, he had the gorgeous hair, I mean this is just a stunning 
fellow. And when he cut the hair of his 
head, at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy 
on him. When he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels 
according to the king's standard. I mean, this is a gorgeous man, 
isn't he? I think this foreshadows his eventual end. How does Absalom 
die? Well, he's hung by his head in 
a terebinth tree. So, that didn't ultimately do 
him any good in the long run. But again, introducing Absalom, 
Israel's new king to be. That's what the author is doing. Now notice, it mentions his family. To Absalom there were born three 
sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman 
of beautiful appearance. So he names his daughter after 
his beloved sister. Now when you go to 1818, you 
will see that Absalom had no sons. And so he built a monument 
in order to remember his name by. Well, there seems to be an 
apparent contradiction. On the one hand, 1427 tells us 
he has three sons, and 1818 tells us he had no sons. And so this 
monument was constructed to be a remembrance of his name. I 
think Kyle and Dalich make the simplest observation. Contrary 
to general usage, the names of the sons are not given in all 
probability for no other reason than because they died in infancy. 
Consequently, as Absalom had no sons, he afterward erected 
a pillar to preserve his name." Gil says the same thing. They 
died in infancy. So when we get to 1818 and it 
says he had no sons, that's the explanation. So keep that in 
your mind for a few weeks down the road when you say, but I 
thought he had three sons. Just remember we dealt with it. 
Recall it to my mind and I'll remind you of Kyle and Dalich. 
Now, notice his conduct in verses 28 to 32. He wants to see the 
king. He wants to see David, so he 
sends his servants to ask Joab. Joab declines the offer of a 
meeting. Now, I suppose we can understand 
why by this time. We get to verse 24, and David 
doesn't want to see Absalom. So now Joab's thinking, this 
may not have been the best idea. So as Absalom is seeking meeting 
with Joab, Joab doesn't want to go. So what does Absalom do? He gets his servants to go burn 
down his field. What a guy! Absalom has his ways 
of making people talk, doesn't he? He's functioning like a mafia 
thug in this particular chapter. Now, what does long hair and 
burning down a field suggest to you, or at least cause you 
to remember? This was the tactic of Samson, 
wasn't it? But Samson acted against the 
wicked, godless Philistines. Absalom is acting against the 
general of the Lord's army. This is not a good move. It does 
show us that his anger issues have not quite been dealt with 
at this particular juncture. So the author is relating to 
us something of who Absalom is in terms of his looks, but as 
well in terms of his conduct. Gil says he served Joab as Samson 
did the Philistines, which shows him to be a bold and revengeful 
and ungrateful man, to use his friend and the general of the 
king's army after this manner. And then in verse 32, he says 
very specifically, and again, it is to force the hand of David. 
Absalom answered Joab, Look, I sent to you, saying, Come here, 
so that I may send you to the king to say, Why have I come 
from Gesher? It would be better for me to 
be there still. Now therefore let me see the 
king's face, but if there is iniquity in me, let him execute 
me. You see, Absalom understood this 
principle, either Punish me or forgive me. Either punish me 
or restore me. Either execute me or bring reconciliation. It would be better for me to 
hang out in Gesher than to live in Jerusalem and not have contact 
with my father, who happens to be the king as well. Now, when 
we just look at this, we need to ask why. I mean, we'll look 
at verse 33 in just a moment, but what's the rationale for 
this sort of description of Absalom? Meet Absalom, your new potential 
leader. Why does the author do that? 
Well, I think in the first place, the description of Absalom foreshadows 
his usurpation of the throne. Davis comments thus, Once Absalom 
is back, verse 24, he dominates the narrative, doesn't he? I 
mean, Absalom is gorgeous. Absalom has gorgeous hair. Absalom 
has a gorgeous family. Everything about Absalom is wonderful. 
Oh, except this, you know, let's go burn a field down so I can 
get a meeting with Joab. That's what's going on. Absalom 
dominates the narrative. We read of his appearance, his 
antics, his daring. Absalom takes over the narrative 
just as he will take over the kingdom. As well, as I've already 
said, it demonstrates that he still has some unresolved anger 
issues. I mean, that two years when he, 
you know, built up to murdering Amnon, and then the three years 
that he spends in Gesher, didn't resolve his anger problem. He 
still got it. This, again, foreshadows what's 
going to happen when we get to chapter 15. And as well, this 
description of Absalom demonstrates his desire to force David's hand. That's what verse 32 is. He put 
pressure on Joab, David's general, by burning Joab's field just 
to get a meeting with him and Absalom says, in essence, you 
get back there and you tell the king that either A. he put me 
to death or B. let me see his face. He is forcing 
the king's aunt in this instance. As well, I think this let's meet 
Absalom serves as a caution to the readers. We need to remember 
that the attractive appearance of a man with his family does 
not equal competent leadership ability. As I was thinking about 
verse 27 today, I thought about the present political election 
cycle in America. Whenever the candidate appears, 
he's got as the background to sort of showcase him, his family, 
right? Isn't that what we're seeing 
here with Absalom? Israel, meet your about-to-be 
king. He's got beautiful looks, he's 
got beautiful hair, and he's got a gorgeous family. And I 
couldn't help it, please forgive me if Internet world gets mad, 
I'm sorry, but I could not but help think of Trump. Whenever 
I see Trump up there, and this is not an endorsement for or 
against, it's just an illustration. Trump is up there, and he's decorated 
by his family. Absalom presents like this. Only Absalom had better hair 
than Trump had, okay? But that's what the author is 
doing. Here is your would-be king. Now, for those of us who 
have been here for a while, those of us who have gone back to 1 
Samuel, what do we learn there? That when we judge leaders based 
on the outward appearance, it never goes well. Wasn't Saul 
described in 1 Samuel 16 as a man that was handsome in appearance? 
Wasn't Saul, I'm sorry, chapter 9, wasn't Saul described in chapter 
10 of 1 Samuel as being head and shoulders above all else? 
And then after Saul, God says that we're going to anoint another 
king. Samuel goes, and who does he 
go to in the house of Jesse? He doesn't go to David. He goes 
to Eliab, because Eliab had a beautiful appearance. Eliab presented well. And God the Lord cautions Samuel. In 1 Samuel 16.7 He says, Do 
not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because 
I have refused him. For Yahweh does not see as man 
sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks 
at the heart. You see, the author is brilliant. It's not like he's just giving 
us this. He is creating a narrative that 
is absolute brilliance. He is showing us and leading 
us by the hand and causing us to reflect upon several themes 
that we've already seen and how Absalom's rise to power is very 
consistent with what we've seen already. And it does demonstrate 
for us the dimness of people who are wooed by gorgeous looks 
and by long hair and by a beautiful family. We'll follow Him, but 
He doesn't have a heart for God. Haven't we learned anything yet, 
Israel? Haven't we seen anything that 
Yahweh is concerned with what's on the inside? Jesus will indict 
the religious leaders this Sunday as we look in Matthew 23. You 
busy cleaning the outside of the cup, but the inside is filled 
with extortion. and self-indulgence. You're like 
whitewashed tombs. They look good on the outside, 
but inside they're full of dead man's bones. Well, that's an 
Absalom. That's a Saul. That was an Eliab. 
Thankfully, God kept Samuel from anointing Eliab, and David entered 
in and was anointed. David, again, is a great man, 
a man after God's own heart. We are still looking at this 
in that context, but we do need to point out David's inactivity 
in this section. Davis makes this comment. He 
says, not that Yahweh looks on physical attractiveness or impressiveness 
as a disqualification. In other words, we don't pick 
the ugliest guy with the most wretched family. That doesn't 
necessarily ensure the man is godly. David was a handsome man 
according to 1 Samuel 16. He was ruddy. He was good-looking. So Davis is right. Not that Yahweh 
looks on physical attractiveness or impressiveness as a disqualification. You're too handsome to be king. 
No, he doesn't do that. He says, but physical presence 
before men without internal submission to God makes for leadership disaster. We should be uneasy then when 
we come upon verses 25 to 27. For they tell us that here is 
another Saul. And chapter 15 will make clear 
that unfortunately, Absalom is not so reticent as Saul about 
laying hold of the kingdom. You see, he has these qualifications, 
he has this charm, he has this appearance, he has this ability, 
and he exploits it. He sits at the city gates and 
he starts to draw people to himself. He draws all Israel after himself. He's a wicked and godless man 
who usurps the kingdom from the rightful king, even his father 
David. So this is why the author is 
doing that. He is foreshadowing for us what 
this Absalom is all about. Now notice in the last place 
the meeting between David and Absalom. So Joab, I'm sorry, 
yes, Absalom and David. Verse 33, so Joab went to the 
king and told him, and when he had called for Absalom, he came 
to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before 
the king. Then the king kissed Absalom. Now it sounds good, 
doesn't it? It sounds like everything's hunky-dory. There might be a couple of hints 
in here that it's not all hunky-dory. In the first place, Absalom bows 
to David. A few verses later, he's not 
bowing to David. He's a fake. He's a fraud. He's 
illegitimate. But in the second case, notice 
it's not David kissed him. It's not his father kissed him. It's the king kissed Absalom. That indicates that it wasn't 
altogether good on the other side as well. Something just 
doesn't feel right about verse 33. In other words, I don't think 
we're supposed to end chapter 14 saying, wow, everything's 
fixed, everything's back in order, now Israel can go destroy Philistines 
like they're supposed to do. No, you've got that uneasy feeling 
leaving chapter 14, and as soon as you plunge into chapter 15, 
you realize that uneasy feeling is right to be there. So there's 
an uneasiness about verse 33 on both sides. Absalom bows, 
but he's not subordinate. The king kisses Absalom. This 
could just be a political, it could just be a truce, it could 
just be something like that. It doesn't seem to be reconciliation. If it was a truce, it was certainly 
a short-lived one on both parties. So what do we learn? We've already 
hit a few of these, I just want to repeat. First, the inactivity 
of David. I don't think we ought to escape 
this reality. We're not kings of Israel. We 
will never be kings of Israel. But in this particular instance, 
David isn't dealing necessarily with the Philistines. He's not 
dealing with, not necessarily, he's not dealing at all with 
foreign enemies or foreign oppressors. He is dealing with his own household. 
And if he's not exercising activity judiciously in his own context, 
he is not fit, or he's not going to be fit, to do so outside in 
the kingdom. He fails to punish Amnon, he 
fails to punish Absalom, and he fails to reckon with the promise 
of God in chapter 12, verses 10 and 11, that there would be 
adversity that would rise up from his own house. And I suspect 
this clouded David's mind. When we get to chapter 15, you 
do not get the feel whatsoever that David really had the pulse 
of Israel. It didn't take much for Absalom 
to take over. It didn't take much for David 
to lose control. It didn't take much, and that's 
the consequences for David's sin. He doesn't see it, he doesn't 
recognize it, he doesn't... detect that rising adversity. 
And ultimately, in David's case, it was a failure to implement 
the law of God. I mean, the law of God is clear. 
We saw, you know, early hints of it in 2 Samuel 3, as David 
is multiplying wives. Some would chart that up, well 
that's just the common practice of ancient Near Eastern kings. 
It was political, it was economical, it wasn't always lust driven, 
it wasn't always sexually oriented, there were political... God said 
not to do that. That's what I don't get, you 
know, you read the literature and some persons are so sympathetic 
to David, and I like to think I'm one of David's biggest fans, 
but the man sinned against Deuteronomy 17. God didn't say, you know, 
don't multiply women, wealth, and horses or weapons, unless 
you're David. You see, there's not two standards. There's not two laws. There's 
not, well, you know, David was a unique situation. He didn't 
have to obey the law of God. We're all bound to obey God's 
law. And when we as fathers and when 
we as mothers do not obey God's law, we will indeed produce exasperation 
in our children. A second thing that I think we 
ought to consider, I've made a brief mention of it. Notice 
in verse 15. I'm sorry, verse 14. I like the 
fact that this was a common assumption among Israel, that this woman 
could say, yet God does not take away a life, but he devises means 
so that his banished ones are not expelled from him. Now, that's 
not a Pauline doctrine of grace and mercy, I'll grant you. That's 
not Ephesians 2. But what's an assumption in her 
head and an assumption she can present to David that she realizes 
will be in his head? That our God, who is just and 
righteous, is a God nevertheless who exercises mercy. He exercises 
grace. He didn't immediately eliminate 
Cain. He didn't immediately eliminate 
David. David, of all people, should 
have understood this principle very well. David should have 
owned it, embraced it, and rejoiced in it, which, you know, David 
does, ultimately. He, you know, sanctions the life 
of the made-up son, and he sanctions the life of Absalom as well. But the wise woman's words in 
verse 15 indicate that God's track record was proven in Israel. He is a God of justice to be 
sure, but there is mercy and grace to be had with Him. See, 
brethren, again, it's not an Ephesians 2 doctrine, Pauline 
explanation of that super abounding grace that we have in Jesus. 
But just read the text and what she assumes and what she knows 
and what Israel's tried and proven concerning their God. He's merciful. He's gracious. He's good. He 
does these kinds of things. In the third place, we ought 
to see God's providence in chapter 14. Davis, in his commentary, 
does something interesting. He says, look at the chapter 
from Absalom's point of view. Look at the chapter from Absalom's 
point of view. As far as Absalom's concerned, 
God's providence is A-OK. Right? I mean, Absalom commits 
an act of murder. He goes and he sits in Gesher 
for three years. He meets with his father two 
years later. So after five years, he meets 
with his father. His father gives him a kiss. 
As far as anyone knows, at least in verse 33, everything is hunky-dory. Absalom's got to be thinking 
that providence has worked out okay on his behalf. Davis shares 
a story about Hitler. Apparently he was in a bunker 
one time, and it got bombed and he got injured, only in his arm, 
his right arm, and he got a little pain in his arm, and Mussolini 
was coming to visit. So Hitler goes and he sees Mussolini, 
and he shows him this bunker that had gotten bombed, and Hitler 
attests to the providence of God. God spared me, God kept 
me, look at this bunker, look at the destruction, look at the 
devastation, look how horrific it is, but the divine mercy spared 
me from that. Obviously God wants me to do 
what I'm doing. You could probably hear Absalom's 
mind work that way, couldn't you? Listen to Davis. Absalom 
could be nominated for comeback of the year. Looking at chapter 
14 from Absalom's viewpoint, it all seems to be a marvelous 
piece of providence, whereby what he forfeited by liquidating 
Amnon, he now recovers and stands poised for the next opportunity. 
What Absalom had seemingly sacrificed forever was now amazingly restored 
to him. It seems all things work together 
for good, i.e., for Absalom. Lest you disagree, look at 2 
Samuel 15.8. Absalom does interpret everything 
as having worked out for him. Notice in 15.8 when he speaks 
to the king. For your servant took a vow while 
I dwelt in Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord indeed brings me 
back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. Wow, Absalom, 
good for you! You wonderful specimen of a... 
The point is, God's providence is at work. And though it may 
seemingly favor Absalom in this instance, and while Absalom may 
interpret this that way, we need to remember Psalm 73. Remember 
Asaph's musings in Psalm 73? He says, I looked at the wicked, 
not that you guys are wicked, I'm just dividing up. I looked 
at the wicked and they prospered. There's no pangs in their lives. There's no problem. Their kids 
go to the best school. They drive the best cars. They 
have summer homes. There's no problems for the wicked. 
And then I see the righteous and they suffer. Their lives 
are hard, it's difficult, it's a constant wearisome battle and 
trial and hardship. And for Asaph, it took going 
to church for him to set things properly in order. He says in 
verse 17, until I went into the sanctuary, then I understood 
that thou hast set them in slippery places. In other words, what 
God appears to be doing favorably for the Absaloms of this world 
is not favorable. Absalom's going to die a hideous 
death in chapter 18. He is going to be, you know, 
hung up on a tree. I mean, there's other nicer ways 
to go than that. He dies without a male heir. 
I mean, all the bad things one can imagine in Israel happens 
to Absalom. So the point is, when we look 
at providence, we ought not necessarily conclude that just because things 
are going well, it is well. What is the true test and the 
true mark by which we know God is favorable toward us? It's 
when we walk in His ways. It's when we walk in His will. 
It's when we walk according to His word, such that if we are 
those poor, tried, afflicted ones in Psalm 73. Nevertheless, 
we have the favor of God because we are walking with God. That's 
what's foundational. That's what's fundamental. It 
doesn't matter that you're gorgeous. It doesn't matter that you have 
the long hair. It doesn't matter that you have the beautiful, 
smiling family. What matters is your relationship with the 
living and the true God. And God's providence is at work 
in chapter 14, not to prosper Absalom necessarily, but to continue 
the consequences upon David, 2 Samuel 12, 10, and 11. And finally, we ought to take 
notice from at least this brief description of Absalom that we 
have the tendency or we have the propensity to follow leaders 
based on appearance and not principle. If a man has the looks, and he 
has the hair, and he has the family, but he doesn't have the 
principle, then he shouldn't get our following. Brethren, 
God is most emphatic that what mattered in Israel was not the 
looks, was not the hair, was not the family, but was what 
was inside, the heart. That's what God said to Samuel, 
a man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 
Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
Your Word, and we thank You for the lessons that we learn, even 
from a passage like this. And I pray that You'd help us 
to take these things to heart. Help us, God, to think Your thoughts 
after You. Help us, God, to be faithful 
and to persevere and to do those things You call us to, even when 
we suffer trials and difficulties and tribulation. May we be faithful 
in the ways of the Lord. according to the will of the 
Lord, defined by the word of the Lord. May you give us grace, 
Father, to pursue these things and to do so for your glory's 
sake. Go with us now, we pray, and 
we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.