Okay, you can turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 18. Okay, 2 Samuel chapter 18. I'm good, thanks. 2 Samuel 18, I'll begin reading in verse 1, and we'll go to 19.8. As 19.1-8 goes with 18. 2 Samuel 18, beginning in verse 1.
And David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. Then David sent out one-third of the people under the hand of Joab, one-third under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zariah, Joab's brother, and one-third under the hand of Ittai, the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I also will surely go out with you myself. But the people answered, You shall not go out, for if we flee away, they will not care about us, nor if half of us die, will they care about us.
But you are worth ten thousand of us now, for you are now more help to us in the city. Then the king said to them, Whatever seems best to you, I will do. So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.
And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom. So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel, and the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of 20,000 took place there that day. For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth. So he was left hanging between heaven and earth.
And the mule which was under him went on. Now a certain man saw it and told Joab and said, I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree. So Joab said to the man who told him, You just saw him, and why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.
The man said to Joab, though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. For in our hearing, the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise, I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.
And Joab said, I cannot linger with you. And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom and struck and killed him. So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel.
For Joab held back the people, and they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King's Valley. For he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.
He called the pillar after his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom's Monument. Then Ahimaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the Lord has avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said to him, You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king's son is dead.
Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what you have seen. So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran. And Ahimaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite. So Joab said, why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?
But whatever happens, he said, let me run. So he said to him, run. Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite. Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof, over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man running alone.
Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came rapidly and drew near. Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, there is another man running alone.
And the king said, he also brings news. So the watchman said, I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahi Maz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, he is a good man and comes with good news. So Ahi Maz called out and said to the king, all is well.
And he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king and said, Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king. The king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about. And the king said, Turn aside and stand here.
So he turned aside and stood still. Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, There is good news, my lord the king, for the lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you. And the king said to the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? So the Cushite answered, May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise against you to do harm be like that young man.
Then the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said thus, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, if only I had died in your place, O Absalom, my son, my son. And Joab was told, Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom. So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people.
For the people heard it said that day, The king is grieved for his son. And the people stole back into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son. Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends.
For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants. For today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night.
And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now. Then the king arose and sat in the gate, and they told all the people, saying, There is the king sitting in the gate. So all the people came before the king. For every one of Israel had fled to his tent.
Amen."
Introduction
Well, we remember last week specifically we saw the advice of Ahithophel and the advice of Hushai. And remember, Hushai gave advice that was contrary to Ahithophel, and the purpose is found in chapter 17 at verse 14. It says, So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel. for the Lord had purpose to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom. So after Hushai gives this advice, he then sends runners or messengers to David and tells David to go to the east side of the Jordan. cross the Jordan River, get over into the Transjordan area because Absalom is on the hunt.
He wants to come and try and finish you off and destroy you. So tonight we're going to notice the death of Absalom. David regroups, he gathers troops together and they battle against the usurpation. They battle against Absalom and all those who followed him, and we see that they are indeed victorious.
So we'll note the battle against Absalom in verses 1 to 8, the death of Absalom in verses 9 to 18, the report concerning Absalom in 19 to 32, and then the mourning over Absalom, that last section in chapter 18 verse 33 to chapter 19 and verse 8. But note the battle.
The Battle Against Absalom
In verses 1 to 8, they prepare according to verses 1 to 5. David numbered the people who were with him and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. Absalom and his troops were not bargaining for this. They were not anticipating that this was going to be a difficult battle.
One man says, during the time it had taken Absalom to recruit an army from all of Israel, David was able to establish himself in Baha'i name, secure additional forces for his own cause, and organize them into an effective fighting force. So David regroups David is getting prepared. David is going to engage in battle against Absalom and his men. As well, remember last week we saw that Hushai wasn't sure or certain whose advice Absalom was going to follow.
Remember that Hushai gives his advice, he leaves, and then the elders sort of confer with Absalom, and they agree Hushai. But Hushai wasn't certain at this particular point, but they did indeed follow Hushai's advice. Remember, Ahithophel said that Ahithophel would have gone into battle. Here Absalom is going into battle, so he's following what advice Hushai had given him, and yes, he had probably tried to get all the troops from Dan to Beersheba.
So while he is doing that, on the east side of the Jordan, David is regrouping. Note that he does indeed engage, or he puts them into three squadrons or three divisions. He sent out some under Joab, some under Abishai, and remember Ittai the Gittite. Ittai the Gittite we just met recently in chapter 16.
He was that faithful Philistine, I'm sorry, 15, that faithful Philistine to David, and so David uses this man again. He's a trustworthy man. Now note, they marshal the troops, and then
David's Orders to Spare Absalom
David requests to go into battle with the people. In 2B, the king said to the people, I also will surely go out with you myself. Now that's not typical David, at least in this particular context. David has not been in the custom of going out into battle.
David as a young man, David as he was fleeing from Saul, David when he was fighting Philistines was always right there at the front of the troops. But that hasn't been the custom for some time in David's military career up to this point. And even though he says this, the people say, you shall not go out. They know the plan is to kill David.
And they essentially say that David is more important than they are. They want David to hang back at Mahanaim and they want him to be able to send further troops or whatever may be necessary. So he hears them, he receives that and he goes along with that. He stands by the city gate.
That should recall to us the way that Absalom schmoozed the people when he was at the city gate. This chapter finds David at the city gate, here, and then later when the runners come back. And then there's that reference in chapter 19 when the people of David slink back into the city. they go, according to 19.3, the people stole back into the city that day. David at the gates, the people stealing back, reminds us again of Absalom at the gates, stealing the hearts of all Israel.
So David does not go out to battle, he stands by at the gate. Now note specifically his request in verse 5. Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captain's orders concerning Absalom. makes a tactical mistake in this particular instance, because Absalom is the usurper.
Absalom has risen up against the throne of David, which is the very kingdom of God on earth. Absalom is in utter rebellion. As well, David is asking his troops to go into battle, but spare the main enemy in that particular battle. One guy says, David's order shows that even before the battle, David was willing to abandon military and moral considerations in view of his personal feelings.
On the one hand, he is sending out the people to risk their lives for him and his throne. While on the other hand, he is prepared to ask expressly that his son, who is the root of all the evil, shall not be killed. Now what David requests here in verse 5, deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom, runs completely contrary to what we read in 17.14b. Remember that the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.
Now David didn't know that. 1714b was written for us. David didn't know what was in the heart of the Lord. I'm not encouraging or I'm not suggesting that we fault David here for not knowing the secret things of God. but rather based on that quote that I just read. He's sending troops out.
He is sending out the sons of his, you know, leaders and the sons of his friends, the sons of his own country. He is sending them out and he is telling them not to kill the man that is directly responsible for this very problem. He's not thinking as a military strategist. He is thinking as a sentimental father.
And that's what punctuates the entire narrative. You probably see that. Absalom is David's chief concern. And later on, we'll try and ask, or we'll ask the question, why is that the case?
I mean, he rebelled against him. He drove him out of the city. He took his throne. He took his crown.
He took everything from David. He violated David's wives in the midst of all Israel. He just sinned grievously against God and against David. Why is David so moved, O Absalom, Absalom?
Why is he so heartbroken over this particular instance? Well, as I said, we'll try and deal with that later on tonight, but do observe this, deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." Now notice,
Victory in the Woods of Ephraim
in the battle against Absalom, they triumph in verses 6 to 8. The people went out into the field to battle against Israel, and the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of 20,000 took place there that day. One reckons or one believes that Absalom truly underestimated the military savvy and ability of David and his men.
David was no piker, he was no novice, he was no beginner. David had a proven record as a man of war, and for Absalom to undertake was actually foolish, but we know ultimately it is the Lord's purpose to bring disaster on Absalom according to 1714b. Now notice what verse 8 indicates. The battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
I don't think we're supposed to envision man-eating trees and those sorts of things. It was probably just the lay of the land. that this opposing army was not familiar with would cause a great deal of stress. Kyle and Dalich say, the woody region was most likely filled with ravines, precipices, and marshes into which the flying foe was pursued and where so many perished. Again, David probably is acting as a military strategist and says we need to go here where they're not familiar with the terrain and the territory that will only serve to our benefit and we can devastate them.
So they do. All that build up, all of that that conspiracy, all that we have seen in terms of Absalom winning the people's hearts, or stealing the people's hearts, all those people marshalling under him. And then David and his people leaving the city. David has turned the tide now, and David is now victorious over Absalom.
The Death of Absalom
Now note, secondly, the death of Absalom. Verse 9, Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. Now at this particular time, mules were the animal of royalty.
So now that Absalom is off of the mule, he is off of the throne. It might be something that the author is hinting to us. But notice, the mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, and the mule which was under him went on. Now, what a way to go, isn't that?
I mean, 1714b is the controlling text. To the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom. This is the way it's going to happen. Now, he's still alive as he's hanging here.
Now, it doesn't specify that he's hanging by his hair, but that glowing description of his locks in chapter 14 probably is still somewhat fresh in our memory. It could have been the hair. It could have been the fact that his head got wedged into a branch or whatnot. Gil says, and his head caught hold of the oak, Either the hair of his head was twisted and entangled in the thick boughs of the oak, or rather his head was jammed into a fork branch of the oak.
He was taken up between the heaven and the earth. He hung in the air between both as unworthy to live in either. It's a great observation concerning this rebel, this usurper, this insubordinate, godless man. Remember, he has launched an attack upon the living and the true God.
By assaulting David, by dispossessing or dethroning David, who was indeed the Lord's anointed, this man had rebelled against the living and the true God. So he is hanging now on this tree. This man sees it. Verse 10.
A certain man saw it and told Joab and said, I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree. It almost sounds like a joke that this man is going to tell, but this is the reality of the situation. Now note what Joab says. You just saw him and why did you not strike him there to the ground?
I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a bell. Now consider what Joab is doing, brethren.
Joab's Defiance and Absalom's End
Joab is directly contradicting David's orders. Joab was told, along with Abishai and Ittai, according to verse 5, deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. So he is indeed directly contrary to what David has commanded. Joab is functioning here as something of a political realist.
I think in some sense what is in view with reference to Joab is that we cannot engage in a half measure and trot Absalom back for some sort of a trial. We've got to take him out. He's a usurper, he is a rebel, and he needs to die. So this man responds to Joab essentially by saying, I didn't want to cross the king.
I heard what the king said. According to verse 5, he told you, he told Abishai, he told Ittai. And if I cross the king, then you yourself might get mad at me, Joab. That's essentially what this man says.
The end of verse 13. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me. See what he's saying. If while I saw Absalom swinging from that tree, if I would have killed him, then you would have come down on me because David ordered it that it was not to be the case.
Now note what Joab does. Verse 14, I cannot linger with you. He took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom and struck and killed him.
Absalom met a pretty grisly end. Absalom was destroyed. Absalom was devastated. Davis comments on Joab's activity here.
He says the narrative typically reports but does not evaluate Joab's action. His act was both rebellious and rational. Rebellious in light of David's order. Rational for the welfare of David's regime.
At least this was likely Joab's thinking. And then one man says, he liquidates Absalom because it is politically necessary and there is no alternative for the arch-rebel. Again, we can understand what Joab is doing. The text doesn't say, and God was pleased with this.
We know ultimately it was the Lord's intent to bring Absalom to this disastrous position. And so Joab takes it upon himself to dispatch Absalom to rid the world of this usurper, this rebel against the living and true God and against his chosen king. And then note the way that Absalom's body is disposed of. And this just speaks of shame and it just speaks of just terrible stuff.
It says in verse 16, Joab blew the trumpet, the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his own tent. Now, there are several things that indicate that this is indeed a very, very shameful death.
A Shameful Burial
This is the burial of an accursed man. Remember in Joshua 7.26, Achan rebelled against the living and true God. Achan was stoned to death for his sin and he was buried under a large pile of stones. In Joshua 8.29, the king of Ai, he had been hanged on a tree He was thrown into a pit and covered with a large pile of stones.
In Joshua 10, 27, there were five enemy kings, having been put to death and hanged from trees. And they are thrown into a cave, the mouth of which is then covered with large stones." So you see, what is happening to Absalom here is consistent with the death of a criminal. Absalom is accursed as a fratricide and rebel, and he too was hanged on a tree. Deuteronomy 21, 23 speaks specifically to cursed is he who is hanged on a tree.
This is the text that the Apostle Paul cites in Galatians 3 when he's indicating that our Lord Jesus was hanged on a tree or was cursed. He became a curse for us. And so Deuteronomy 21, 23 is the overarching thought there. He died a shameful death for having risen up against God and against God's anointed.
And then this statement in verse 18, Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself which is in the king's valley. For he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. He called the pillar after his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom's Monument. Remember in 1427 it indicated that he had three sons and one daughter named Tamar.
And I explained back then that the sons most likely died early on in their youth. That's why they're not named and that's why he needed to build this monument for himself. So that's the end of Absalom. Now let's move to the report concerning Absalom.
The Report Concerning Absalom
Ahimaaz wants to take the good news to David. Ahimaaz is chomping at the bit. I mean, he's done this bit already. He's gone back and forth to bring intel to David.
Well, now he's got good news for David, and he wants to run that to him. Now, note the way Joab cautions him. Verse 20, you shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king's son is dead.
Joab didn't forget verse 5. Joab didn't forget that David said, Deal gently with my son Absalom. Joab wants to tread gingerly here, and he certainly doesn't want to send Ahimaz to his demise. Because Joab has witnessed firsthand, when David receives news that David doesn't like, sometimes heads will roll.
And so Joab, with some affection for Ahimaz, the way he even speaks to him in verse 22, Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready? Joab seems to genuinely care about Ahimaz. He doesn't want to send him on this particular task, lest David get upset when he hear about Absalom, and David take Ahimaz to town. So what does he do?
He sends the Cushite. We have a nameless Cushite that serves as the runner to go and tell David the specifics concerning the situation. Now note David's hope, right in the middle of verses, right in about 24 to 29. David was sitting between the two gates and the watchman went up to the roof, over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man running alone.
Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, if he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came rapidly and drew near. This wasn't David's first rodeo.
He knew this is the way that you reported from the front. You sent a runner. You sent a messenger. He would come.
He would advise you, either A, we need more reinforcements, or B, we've won, whatever the scenario was. And so David is longing to hear a good report. Notice verse 27, so the watchman said, I think the running of the first man is like the running of Ahimaz, the son of Zadok. Now, note David's hopeful zeal in this response.
He says, he is a good man and comes with good news. Well, David, you can't know that. Just because somebody is a good man doesn't mean they bring good news. He could very well come and say, we were devastated on the field of battle.
Everybody's gone. Your kingdom is over. And that's just the way the ball bounced. No, he doesn't know that.
There's a hopeful zeal in David's buzz up. But notice that it hinges upon Absalom. This Absalom continues to rise up in David's concerns. So Ahimaaz comes, he says all is well, he bows down with his face to the earth before the king.
He says, blessed be the Lord your God who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my Lord the king. The king said, is the young man Absalom safe? How would you feel if you were part of David's army? Again, just throw yourself into the text for a moment.
He's more concerned with the man who caused the problem. He's more concerned with the leader of the conspiracy. He's more concerned with Absalom than he is with his own troops. This is the primary issue for David.
Again, just to tease you a little bit more, why? Why? Is it just natural affection? I can't imagine any of us would ever want to see any bad thing happen to any of our children.
Was it simply natural affection? Was it just his heart of love for his son in this regard? Again, we'll look at this in a bit more detail in a few moments. But note, Ahimaz does not give him a straight answer.
Ahimaz knew that Absalom was dead. Verse 29, when Joab sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about. So Ahimaz perhaps has gotten a little bit, you know, wary of that sword dangling from David's thigh. And especially since he's asked about Absalom.
And verse 5, he said, deal gently with Absalom. Ahimaz probably suspects I probably shouldn't be the guy to tell him about Absalom at this particular time.
The Cushite's Faithful Report
The Cushite, however, tells the truth. The Cushite doesn't play games. The Cushite, in this narrative, is a man of integrity. This is the interesting thing that we've seen in the David narratives.
More often than not, the men of integrity are not Israelites. More often than not, the men of integrity are Ittai the Gittite, or Barzillai, or men along the way that have helped David along in these times of crunch. So anyways, the Cushite comes and the Cushite asks specific, well, note what the Cushite says in verse 31. There is good news, my Lord the King, for the Lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.
I wish the church would think more like this Cushite. I wish the church would see the vengeance of God as a good thing, that we wouldn't try to explain away God's wrath, or we wouldn't try to explain away God's judgment, or we wouldn't, you know, dance around these things so gingerly. If the Lord God Most High has intended to bring disaster upon Absalom, And then that man is hung by his head, impaled with spears, and then cut up by ten men. The Cushite is absolutely right.
There is good news, my Lord the King, for the Lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you. Do you know that in the book of Revelation, when the people of God in heaven see the judgment of the great whore, they cry out, Alleluia! They praise God, they rejoice in the goodness of God in bringing judgment to bear upon that whore. They don't say, oh, but that's just not right, God.
You can't do that because people will think you're mean. That's the way the church oftentimes operates today. God takes out his enemies and instead of rejoicing with Cushites and rejoicing with the heavenly host and thrown in on high because of the great wrath and judgment and fury of God, we want to apologize and we want to come feebly and weakly say, well, you know, those bad things don't happen because of God. Well then, how did it happen?
Because our God is in the heavens, He does whatever He pleases. And of course, David, as a one-note Johnny, says, Is the young man Absalom safe? So the Cushite answered, May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man. That's an imprecation, isn't it?
May all the enemies of God, may all those who stand before the living and the true God, may they be impaled in trees, plunged in the heart with spears, and then caught up by ten men. That's what the Kushite is saying there, in case you missed that, because that's what he says. May the enemies of my Lord, the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man. In other words, you don't mess with the living and the true God.
You don't cross the reigning king of Israel. You don't take the throne, you don't take the crown, you don't dispossess David and then lay with his wives in the view of all of Israel and think that somehow you're going to make it okay. The Lord God Most High intended to bring disaster upon Absalom because Absalom dared cross the living and the true God. And that specifically by dethroning his own father, a good and a godly king who ruled over Israel.
The Mourning Over Absalom
And that brings us finally to the mourning over Absalom. Note David's response. Then the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said thus, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, if only I had died in your place, O Absalom, my son, my son.
That's really powerful, isn't it? I mean, you can't escape the language that's being employed here. David is affected. David is hurting.
David is lamenting. David is crying out over the death of Absalom. Verse 1 in chapter 19. Note the effect that it has on the people.
Joab is told, Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom. So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, the king is grief for his son. It should have been a day of rejoicing.
It should have been a day of feasting. It should have been a day of gladness and happiness and revelry because they just won in the woods of Ephraim. Note verse 3, the people stole back into the city that day. That means they went sheepishly.
That means they went with heads down. That's not the way victors return from battle. That's not the way the people of God return when they are victorious against the enemies of Yahweh. This is not right.
This is unfortunate. The people stole back into the city that day as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. Do you see the scene? They have won a great victory.
They have destroyed this rebellion. They should be celebrating and marching triumphantly and if there are any or any muttlingers, or any stragglers in the city, get them out of there and take back that city for the living in the true God. But that's not the tenor. Because of David's affectedness, because of David's grief over Absalom, it has demoralized the entirety of David's people.
You see that, right? They're demoralized. They're not happy. They're not jubilant.
They're not rejoicing over this situation. Verse 4, the king covered his face and the king cried out with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son. Again, on the human level, we appreciate the natural affection from father to son, but this wasn't a typical son. This was a son whom God the Lord intended to bring disaster upon.
This was a son who should have been punished when he killed the other son. This was a son that should have been dealt with severely. David hasn't been in the business of dealing severely with things, and as a result his house is a mess, and this sword now runs freely because of him. Now note, Joab.
Joab's Rebuke of David
The rebuke by Joab. This is the longest speech in 1 and 2 Samuel. What Joab says here is the longest sort of compacted speech by a person in the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel. Notice, Joab came into the house to the king and said, today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines.
You've disgraced them, David. They went out and fought for you. I don't think that when we read the 20,000 Absalom's men died, there were no casualties on David's side. I can't imagine in an exchange of that nature, where 20,000 of Absalom's troops died, that nobody died, there was no bloodshed on David's side.
I'm sure there were casualties. And Joab is saying, you've disgraced them today. They went out and they fought for you. They fought hard, some of them bled, some lost sons, some lost husbands, some lost fathers, and look at what you've done.
You're more concerned about this rebel. He says in verse 6, it's probably rhetorical overkill, but you feel his point, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants. For today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well." This is an impassioned speech.
I mean, don't miss this. This is heavy drama. Joab is laying it on the line with David. He is grabbing David, you know, metaphorically by the scruff of the collar and saying, you can't do this.
You cannot demoralize your troops. You've got to moralize them. You've got to encourage them. You've got to strengthen them so that they'll fight for you and they'll remain loyal.
You see what Joab's thinking? Yeah, David's lost Absalom, but if David isn't smart, he's going to lose the entire kingdom. Because while he's crying over Absalom, the people are downcast and it won't be long before they say, forget it, we shed blood for him and he's still crying over the rebel. Notice that Joab doesn't try to assume control.
Joab doesn't say, forget about the king, follow me, I've got my head in the game. No, Joab is a mixed bag. Brethren, as we've considered Joab, we've seen some not too sterling moments in Joab's life, and then we've seen others that are excellent. You know what we learn from that?
That Joab is like each and every one of us. We are up and we're down. We have good days and we've got bad days. You've got good Joab in certain parts, you've got bad Joab when he's plunging a knife into Abner.
You've got good Joab when he's, you know, rallying the king to do the things that a king's supposed to do. There's other times you look at Joab, you say, you know, that's just not so cool. We read these narratives and we see persons like these and we say, why is he so up and down? Just stop for a moment and consider the fact that you and I are up and down.
Not only in our own personal lives, but everybody we deal with is a mixed bag. You get good from people, you get bad from people. If you cannot accept that, then you don't know anything of biblical truth. You either accept it, and make peace with it, and realize that you're never going to get fully good from any human being.
The only person you'll ever get fully good from is the Lord Jesus Christ, because everyone else falls short. We are like Joab. We have good days and bad days. One day we're plunging a knife into the belly of Abner, hopefully not, and then other days we're rallying David to do his job and to gain control of his kingdom.
Joab shines here, brethren, because he's wise enough to see that if David doesn't chart a different course, David is going to lose the kingdom after all. And the whole purpose of going into battle in the woods of Ephraim was to defeat the usurper and to retain the kingdom for David. You cannot mess this up at this point, David. This is what he is saying.
Listen to Gil, his comment on verse 6, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. Gil says, which though not strictly true, there was some appearance of it. You couldn't discount that, right? There was some appearance of it.
They're rejoicing, or should be, because they have gained victory and David's crying over Absalom. Well, they know they've gained victory because Absalom's dead. They're in a rough position here. As well, at this point, Joab is still not known in terms of how Absalom died.
Notice Joab doesn't march into David and say, by the way, we found him impaled on a tree and I stuck three javelins in his heart and then ten men carved him up. That's not what's leading with Joab in this particular instance. There's a savviness here, a wisdom here. But Gil says, which though not strictly true, there was some appearance of it, which is here greatly exaggerated, in that he expressed so much grief and sorrow for Absalom, his enemy, who had rebelled against him and showed so little regard to his friends that had exposed their lives for him.
And then notice something that Joab says in verse 7. He says, Now therefore arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. You see that?
They've been demoralized. Go and encourage them. Go tell them good job. Go give them a noogie in the arm.
Do something to let them know that you appreciate the fact they've risked lives, they've risked sons, they've risked fathers, they've risked people, and they have brought victory this day. You need to encourage them, David. And then notice what Joab says. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now." Now, we have been together on Wednesday night for some time.
We have been in 1st and 2nd Samuel for some time. What have we noticed with reference to David? He had a tough life, didn't he? When David was a shepherd, he had to fight bears and lions.
I mean, that's got to be tough. I can't say that is tough because I've never fought a bear or a lion. I can only imagine and suppose and assume that it would be very tough. I'd be scared to meet one if I was holding a 30-odd six, let alone actually having to do it with bare hands.
But when the spirit of God comes upon him in 1 Samuel 16, then his troubles really begin. Then it really gets hard for David. You think there's something worse than lions and bears? Yeah, there's Goliath in the Valley of Elah.
There's Saul, you know, all throughout Israel in hunt and pursuit of David. Then you've got David, you know, with his own... David had a rough life, didn't he? You can't ever look at David and say, well, you know, he wrote Psalms, but he really can't identify.
If there's one person besides Jesus Christ who can identify with you and your sorrows, woes, and travails, it's King David of Israel. Do you know why the Psalter is so sweet? It's because it's penned by a fellow who had nothing but hardship in his life, and who had learned to try and prove his God. This is the testimony of Joab, and that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.
Joab, a disinterested party, was able to look at David and say, you've had a rough life. Brethren, may that endear the Psalter to you even more so, because we can get into that mode where nobody really knows the troubles I have, nobody knows the heartaches I have, nobody knows the sufferings I have. Well, Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and David was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and David took pen to paper, Jesus employed him to do so, to write Psalms to help us in our sorrows and in our griefs. So brethren, as you read the Psalms, do not forget the man who wrote them, the bulk of them, was a man who was very acquainted with trial, with hardship, with sorrows, and with difficulties.
I just think this is an amazing statement. It's not David saying, man, my life has just been one big ball of misery. That's not what he says. Twice David says, the Lord has redeemed me from all adversity.
He says it prior to his fall with Bathsheba. He's even able to say it after. the fall with Bathsheba. So David realizes that he had had life of adversity, but the Lord had delivered him. Now notice, David responds favorably to what Joab says.
Then the king arose and sat in the gate, and they told all the people, saying, There is the king sitting in the gate. So all the people came before the king. for everyone of Israel had fled to his tent." Now, we don't read what he says, hey, good job, but we get the vibe that he does what Joab says and that he brings some morale to the troops and encourages them for their return to Jerusalem so David can retake his throne. Well, as I've already mentioned, and I think a lesson that we need to appreciate is this Joab fellow. Again, Joab kills Abner.
Joab on the field of battle with reference to the Ammonites, something I wasn't expecting. Joab says, Be of good courage, let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what is good in His sight. I mean, Joab is a mixed bag. He's hard to sort of nail down or pin down and say he's only a good guy or he's only a bad guy.
He does good things, he does bad things. He's just like the rest of us. King David has Joabs. We have Joabs in our lives.
We are Joabs in our lives. We're not as consistent as we ought to be. We are not as faithful as we ought to be. We let people down.
I'm not justifying it. I'm not saying it's okay when people do it to us. But I am suggesting that we all need to have that bit of biblical realism to understand that nobody, this side of the Lord Jesus Christ, always does what they're supposed to do. And if you expect that people will always do what they're supposed to do, you're going to be let down.
Let me just tell you that. You're going to be frustrated and discouraged with them. Have a slice of biblical realism.
The Progress of the Kingdom
Secondly, we ought to appreciate the progress of the kingdom. You probably think we sing 295 a lot in our Wednesday night Bible studies. Well, we are. We're studying the kingdom of God on earth and its visible expression through the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.
So 295 is a wonderful hymn to sing concerning the advancement of God's kingdom. The usurpation by Absalom was not merely against David, but against God. And then when God, through His providence, brings Absalom's head into that tree and brings Joab and those ten other soldiers to that tree, it was for the intent to bring disaster upon that young man. The destruction of Absalom was the means by which the kingdom marches onward.
The Cushite understood this. Look at Revelation for just a moment. There's a couple of spots where this is highlighted in Revelation 21 and 22. In a description of the new Jerusalem, in a description of the new heavens and the new earth, it is a few times punctuated as to what is not in the New Jerusalem.
Notice in 21.8, but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire, and brimstone, which is the second death. That's outside of the New Jerusalem. Notice in verse 27, but there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles. or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 20 to 15. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie.
We need to appreciate the reality that the realization of the kingdom of God means the utter devastation of the kingdom of darkness. As Roger has pointed out recently, when we look at Matthew 16, I'm not trying to put anybody on the spot, Matthew 16, Jesus says, I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Gates are a defensive mechanism, aren't they? So I think the common interpretation of Matthew 16 is the church sort of holed up in its ghetto and the devil and its kingdom is bashing the gates of heaven.
But that's not the image. The image is that the church marches forward. The image is that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the onslaught of the church. It was prayed tonight.
I heard the allusion or the quotation. Colossians 1.13. What does God do? He transfers us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
That's the church progressing and the gates of hell not prevailing. Every time a sinner is converted, every time a soul is saved, hell itself is plundered. That's the image that Jesus uses. I will build my church.
The gates of hell shall not prevail because the kingdom of Christ goes forward. And when the kingdom of Christ goes forward, enemies are brought out of darkness into marvelous light and made the friends of God through the glorious gospel. But if they remain enemies, they must ultimately be destroyed. the New Jerusalem, in its prevailing consummation in Revelation 21 and 22, sees or envisions the exit or the removal of anything that would defile. And we see at least this in picture form or in metaphor back here.
This man Absalom defiled the kingdom, so God had him taken out. The church must realize this. For the kingdom to advance, it means that the enemies will decrease. And sometimes that's through conversion, other times it's through devastation.
And the Lord God Most High is going to be glorified consistent with that. And then finally, we've seen the initial instruction of David in verse 5, deal gently with him. We've seen the continual concern verses 29, 32, 33. And then in 19, 1 to 4, Absalom, Absalom.
Why? Natural affection, I'm sure. Had to be a part of it. He's a father, and this is his son.
No one wants to see their son become a rebel. No one wants to see their son become a usurper. No one wants to see their son end up dying on the field of battle because their son was coming to kill them. I mean, this had to cause him great grief and great pain.
But you know, there's something else.
David's Guilt Inflames His Grief
The immediate context to 2 Samuel 18 is 2 Samuel 17, 14b. I have reiterated this over and over tonight so that I would hope you'd be able to cite for me what 17, 14b says. for the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom." That explains 18, doesn't it? That explains the terebinth tree. That explains this gorgeous specimen of an Israelite man hanging between heaven and earth and ultimately getting plunged in the heart thrice by Joab and then carved up by these ten soldiers. 17.14b explains to us 18 very, very well.
But the larger, broader context is actually back to chapter 12. And I suggest that this is probably part of David's grief as well. There is natural affection in his heart for Absalom, but there is a natural conviction over his own sin. It was the grief of his own sin against Uriah and against Bathsheba.
Look at 12.10, the prophet Nathan says, Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house. When David is dealing with Absalom, David knows that it's because of David. Of course this causes him pain. Of course he's going to say, oh Absalom, Absalom, if I could have died instead of you.
If I could have gone back to chapter 12, and Nathan, instead of pronouncing the atoning Word of God, would have put a knife in my heart. If I could have died then, it would have spared you, Absalom. It would have spared Amnon. It would have spared Tamar.
It would have spared a whole host of hurt because of my sin. 12, 10, and 12 controls the entirety of the narrative all the way up to chapter 20. Because what we're dealing with in that block of scripture is the consequences of David's sin. So when David sees what's happened to Absalom, yes, he's a traitor, yes, he's a rebel, yes, he's a usurper, but David sinned against God. The thing that David did displeased Yahweh.
And as a result, the prophet comes and says, the sword will never depart from your house. David sees his responsibility involved at the death of Absalom. Gil first says, this flowed, this grief, this flowed from natural affection to him and a concern for the welfare of his soul that he might not die in this sin. and also from a consciousness that it was for his own sins that he was raised up to rebel against him. You see, that's in view here. 1714b, but 12, 10 to 12.
And then Davis says, it is David's guilt that inflames his grief. Nathan had assured David that he would not die, but that David's infant son would die, and he did. Then Amnon was murdered, and now Absalom has perished. David knew that his sin had set the sword loose in his household.
If only I had died instead of you. David was the guilty one, yet Absalom suffers the consequences of David's guilt. This does not negate Absalom's own guilt. He then says, perhaps David wished he had died instead of Absalom because he knew he deserved to die.
Guilt has aggravated grief, so we end with a paradox, a safe kingdom, and a sad king. That's how the chapter ends. David is upset, David is grieved, yes, because of the rebelliousness of his son, but because of the sin that brought them to this place.
Application: Faithful Parenting
So if there is a take-home message for all of us, those of us who are parents, let's seek, by the grace of God, to parent faithfully. We will be Joabs, we will be mixed bags, we will be inconsistent. But may it be by the grace of God that we pursue consistency and that we do not excuse the sorts of injustices that David excused, that we do not let go those sorts of things that David let go. But may we learn from him.
May we learn from Eli. May we learn from Samuel himself. None of the men that we have studied at length in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel have been stalwart fathers. Maybe the author is in an underhanded way or a backhanded way suggesting to us, you need to take stock of your own life and your own place and your own home and make sure that you conduct yourselves as fathers that are seeking to be consistent and faithful to the living and true God.
Well, let us close in prayer.
Closing Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word and its clarity. We thank you for the many things that we learned too, for the lessons and the sovereignty we see so clearly displayed. It is amazing how anyone could ever question the idea of a sovereign God. We read a passage like this, and we see that all things work according to the counsel of your will.
We see that what you promise is fulfilled, and we see that all things come to pass as you've ordained it. God, may this comfort and encourage our hearts, and may it strengthen us, and may we indeed walk by faith, knowing that our God is in control, and knowing that our God is purposed to work all things, even the bad things in our life, out for good. And we ask that you would just cause us to reflect upon this each and every day. Thank you for our time to meet together tonight.
We pray that you would bring us home safely, bring us back together on the Lord's Day, that we may worship you and be glorified in this church. And we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.