Ahithophel Commits Suicide
Second Samuel 17: 17-23

Ahithiphel commits suicide DIG: How does Ahithophel strike you and why? Odd? Predictable? Just desserts? Tragic? Comic? Better him than David? An answer to David’s prayer? Meanwhile, how did delaying Absalom’s attack benefit David? How did God use the wife of a man in Bahurim? What does that teach us about spontaneous acts of service? What did hanging on a tree signify to an Israelite (Deuteronomy 21:23)?

REFLECT: What “hiding place” ministry will you conduct to protect innocent people, as the man and his wife in Bahurim? On the other hand, perhaps you are like Ahithophel: Where are you looking for an “easy victory” in a tough situation? How strong is your desire for the approval of others? Where have you failed to live up to Godly expectations placed on you by yourself or others? What gets you feeling depressed, even suicidal at times? What do you do with those feelings? How can the Holy Spirit help you overcome such tendencies of Ahithophel? What can we learn from the way Ahithophel’s life came to an end?

977 BC
This is part of a 24-hour period starting at 15:13 and extending all the way to 17:23.

David’s spy system was working like a fine tuned machine. Hushai relayed Ahithophel’s plan (to see link click Dv – Ahithophel is Describe in Glowing Terms) to Zadok and Abiathar, then a female servant traveled the short distance from Tziyon to En Rogel, where Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying. En Rogel, meaning Washerman’s Spring, comes from a Hebrew root that elsewhere means spy. It forms a wordplay on the mutual spying and intrigue that take place throughout these chapters between Absalom’s men and David’s men.⁴²⁹ The female servant was to go and inform Jonathan and Ahimaaz, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the City. But in spite of their caution a young man saw them in El Rogel and, wanting to impress the new king, told Absalom. So the two of them left at once and went to the house of a man in Bahurim, about two miles away, who must have been a known supporter of David. At this point, the account reads like the story of the two spies recorded in Joshua 2 where Rahab hid the two spies under stalks of flax on the roof of her house. Here, the man in Bahurim had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. His wife took a cloth and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it as if drying the grain in the sun. The ruse worked and no one knew anything about Jonathan and Ahimaaz in the well (Second Samuel 17:17-19).

When Absalom’s men came to the woman at the house, they asked: Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? The woman answered: They crossed over the brook. The woman lied in this case, but it was a lie to save their lives, the lives of David and the people who fled with him. The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem. After they had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, “Set out and cross the river [Jordan] at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you.” Sensing that there was no time to loose, David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan, which put him out of danger of any surprise attack. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan under the cover of darkness (Second Samuel 17:20-22). So whatever Absalom decided, Hushai’s advice had saved David. This distance between himself and Absalom gave David the time and the room to maneuver. Absalom’s men returned to Yerushalayim empty-handed, but Absalom didn’t see their failure as a serious problem. How wrong he was!⁴³⁰

This was not the first time a woman had lied to save David (Second Samuel 19:17), or the people of Isra’el (Joshua 2:4-7). This episode does not advance the story line. But it does articulate that David had a daring, effective intelligence network and had great support among the people. It also emphasizes God’s protective care over David. Victory is not given to the quick or the strong but to the chosen (Proverbs 21:30-31). Nevertheless, David should not have been underestimated, as he was by Absalom.⁴³¹

The fact that David got across the Jordan put an end to Ahithophel’s plan to capture the king before he could reach the Transjordan. By this delay, Absalom had forfeited the advantage and Ahithophel could see the handwriting on the wall – and he saw doom written all over it. As a seasoned strategist, Ahithophel knew given time to regroup, David’s crack troops would decimate Absalom’s forces, after which he would be executed for the traitor he was.⁴³² When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. Calmly he accepted the situation and resolved what he would do. A deliberate and practical man to the very end, he put his house in order and then hanged himself. He had risked everything in his defection and this was his reward. So just as Ahithophel had betrayed an anointed king of Isra’el and ended up hanging himself, so also would the betrayer of another Anointed King come to the same shameful end (see commentary on The Life of Christ Lm – Judas Hangs Himself).⁴³³ So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb (Second Samuel 17:23). He could not have known that YHVH defeated him.

Ahithophel’s end is a sign of what will happen to all the enemies of Ha’Shem and His Kingdom. You cannot attack the Kingdom of God without – sooner or later – being crushed by the power of God. The Ahithophels and Adolfs, the Hamans and Himmlers, the Sennacheribs and Stalins all perish and rot in the junk yards of history because ADONAI-Tzva’ot stands guard over His Kingdom and its subjects.⁴³⁴

Hushai’s Advice is Declared Better
Than Ahithophel’s
Second Samuel 17: 5-16

Husahi’s advice is declared better than Ahithophel’s DIG: What different approach did ADONAI direct Hushai to take when giving counsel to Absalom? Why was Hushai’s advice better than Ahithophel’s? Why was it successful? Why do you think Absalom didn’t go with the bloodless, easy victory? What word did Hushai send to David? Why? Did loyalty to David justify deceiving Absalom or confounding Ahithophel? Why or why not?

REFLECT: Where do you go for advice? What risks is the LORD asking you to take for Him? What “enemy lines” are you willing to cross, as Hushai did? Why “spy messages” will you communicate for your Master in disregard for your own comfort and safety, as Zadok and Abiathar did? When making decisions, what did Absalom substitute for seeking the LORD? When have you caught yourself doing the same thing? Why do we sometimes fall into that trap? As you look back on your life as a believer, can you discern the hidden sovereignty of God?

977 BC
This is part of a 24-hour period starting at 15:13 and extending all the way to 17:23.

Humanly speaking, if Absalom followed Ahithophel’s plan, David would have been killed and Absalom’s problems would have been solved. But David had prayed that YHVH would turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness (Second Samuel 15:31), and God used Hushai to do just that. It is important to understand that Ahithophel put himself front and center by using phrases like: I would choose . . . I would attack . . . I would strike. He wanted to be the general of the army because he wanted personally to supervise the murder of the king. His plan was a good one: use a small army that could move swiftly, attack suddenly at night and have David’s death be the only goal. He would then bring back David’s followers who would swear loyalty to the new king. It would be a quick, bloodless victory.⁴²⁰

But this decision was so important that Absalom wanted a second opinion. Hushai wasn’t in the room when Ahithophel outlined his plan, so Absalom said: Summon also Hushai the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well. God was in control. Absalom didn’t merely ask Hushai what he thought, but he divulged Ahithophel’s entire plan and asked for his opinion. In this way, Hushai knew exactly what he was up against and how to counter it.⁴²¹

When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.” Directed by ADONAI, Hushai took an entirely different approach and focused on the ego of the young king. Hushai’s reply wasn’t a series of I would statements about himself, but rather a series of statements about the new king that couldn’t help but ignite Absalom’s imagination and inflate his ego. Hushai laid out an effective verbal trap, and Absalom fell right into it.⁴²²

Hushai replied to Absalom, saying: The advice Ahithophel has given is not good at this time (although it had been good at other times). Hushai knew that Ahithophel’s advice was excellent, and if carried out would prove fatal to David. So now he must find a way to gain time for David to regroup his troops. Being master of the double-talk, Hushai began his deception based on David’s track record: You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter. Being a son of the royal house, Absalom could not deny the prowess of his father, which had become proverbial. Then Hushai proceeded to weave a web of conjectures. Furthermore, David was too smart to stay with the troops; he will not spend the night with the people. Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place. If that were true (which it was not) Ahithophel would not be able to surprise him and kill him quickly as he claimed. If he should attack your troops first, whoever hears about it will say, “There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.” Then there will be panic among Absalom’s men, and even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Isra’el knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave” (Second Samuel 17:5-10).

Then Hushai presented a plan that overcame all of those difficulties. First, the new king himself needed to lead the army and it needed to be the biggest army he could possibly assemble. So Hushai advised: Let all Isra’el, from Dan to Beersheba – as numerous as the sand on the seashore – be gathered to you. Of course this not only appealed to Absalom’s ego, but would also have taken some time to accomplish, giving David time to mobilize his army.⁴²³ And Hushai also advised Absalom to lead his men into battle himself. This would eventually be Absalom’s undoing and lead to his death. Then we will attack him wherever he may be found. If we catch him in the open field, then we will fall on him with great numbers as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. Realizing that Absalom might worry about the time element, Hushai proposed that if he withdraws into a city, then all Isra’el (a rhetorical exaggeration)will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not so much as a pebble is left (Second Samuel 17:11-13). What a demonstration of power! With his con completed Hushai was dismissed. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: the simple, quick plan of Ahithophel verses the slow, grandiose strategy of Hushai. Common sense would dictate embracing the former.⁴²⁴

Absalom and all the men of Isra’el said: The advice of Hushai is better than that of Ahithophel (Second Samuel 17:14a). He had been persuaded by a speech that pulled the wool over his eyes. Smoke and mirrors. With this decision, Hushai had saved David and doomed Absalom. It gave David the opportunity to shape his troops, recover his strength, and decide on the terrain advantageous in the coming battle.⁴²⁵ This is one of the key verses in Samuel for the narrator tells us immediately why Hushai prevailed. It was all a part of the sovereignty of God. For the LORD had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom (Second Samuel 17:14b). The choice had been made, not because of clever deception but because ADONAI had commanded it. Isra’el’s history has within it this hidden Agent who works for David’s advantage. David prayed that the counsel of Ahithophel should be rejected (2 Samuel 15:31). In Second Samuel 17:14, David’s prayer was answered and the advice of Ahithophel was rejected.⁴²⁶

More often than not that is how God works. His scepter is unseen, His sovereignty hidden behind the conversations and decisions and activities and crises of our lives. We only see grocery lines and diaper changes and school assignments; but through and over and behind it all . . . the LORD reigns. He is not absent, but neither is He obvious. Sometimes we need to be told that, lest we become too enamored with “the Hushai” in all of us.⁴²⁷

You must remember that you know the secret: YHVH was at work to protect David and fulfill His covenant relationship with him. You know what Ha’Shem had decided about Absalom and what ruin the LORD intended to bring upon him. The narrator knows this and you know this, but the folks in the drama don’t have this information. In fact, Hushai didn’t even know what Absalom had decided. He had been dismissed before the king had made up his mind. He could only tell David what he and Ahithophel had both said and urge him to act on the assumption that Ahithophel’s advice would prevail.⁴²⁸ Therefore, Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Isra’el to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the west side of the Jordan River; cross over to the east side of the Jordan without fail, or the king [David] and all the people with him will be swallowed up’ (Second Samuel 17:15-16).”

Ahithophel is Described in Glowing Terms
Second Samuel 16:15 to 17:4

Ahithophel is described in glowing terms DIG: When Hushai says: Long live the king, who was he really taking about? What does lying with the king’s concubines . . . in the sight of all Isra’el symbolize (Second Samuel 12:8-12)? What advice did Ahithophel offer? Was it good? For whom? What might have happened if Absalom had followed Ahithophel’s advice?

REFLECT: What are some reasons why adults today sometimes resent their parents? Is being ambiguous appropriate here for Hushai? Why? Why not? Can you think of a time in your life when you have been ambiguous to further the kingdom of God like Hushai did? When have you had to be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16b NASB)? How can you distinguish between godly and worldly advice?

977 BC This is part of a 24-hour period starting at 15:13 and extending all the way to 17:23. The scene now shifts to Tziyon, where Absalom is in the process of installing himself as king, with the help of Ahithophel, who had already joined him (Second Samuel 15:14).

Thanks to David’s speedy departure, Absalom’s rebellion was a bloodless coup, and he took Yerushalayim unopposed, which was just what David wanted (Second Samuel 15:14). Unlike Absalom, David was a man with a shepherd’s heart who thought first about the welfare of his people (Second Samuel 24:17; Psalm 78:70-72).⁴¹⁴

Absalom’s Arrival: Meanwhile, Absalom and the main Israelite army came to Tziyon, and Ahithophel was with him setting the stage for the advisors’ duel. Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, caught Absalom by surprise. Secretly a spy for David, Hushai spoke to Absalom in words that were an exercise in studied ambiguity. Hushai gave the usual respectful greeting: “Long live the king! Long live the king!” In his heart, Hushai was referring to David (notice that the king was not named). But being a proud man, Absalom interpreted Hushai’s words to apply to himself. Hushai was a master of deception.⁴¹⁵

Then, as a test of Hushai, Absalom reprimanded him, saying: So this is the love you show your friend? (Absalom knew of the close friendship of his father and Hushai). If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him. Why did you betray your friend? Hushai ignored the sarcastic remark and spoke respectfully to him, saying: No, the one chosen by ADONAI, by these people, and by all the men of Isra’el – his I will be, and I will remain with him. Again, Hushai’s response was ambiguous, for he asserted that he will be loyal to the chosen one, which was actually David! Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you” (2 Sam 16:15-19). Hushai had kept his integrity, Absalom had been blinded by his own egotism, and the reader is permitted to see one example of the outworking of God’s providence.⁴¹⁶ Hushai’s point is that there is no disloyalty in transferring his loyalty from father to son who would be a natural successor. There was no dynastic change, so there was no disloyalty.

Absalom and David’s Concubines: Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice.” That’s what he was famous for. “What should we do?” Ahithophel answered: Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. While it may have been customary in the ancient Near East for the king of a new dynasty to take the harem of the previous monarch, it was certainly not acceptable that a son should break the taboo against intercourse with his father’s wives and concubines. Ahithophel reasoned that the act would publically demonstrate that Absalom was burning his bridges behind him, there was turning back and he was beyond hope of pardon and reconciliation, to the course of the rebellion. His friends would thereby be strengthened in their allegiance, and those on the fence would be won over to his side. At the same time, the act would be a public affirmation of his sovereignty and his exercise of the rights of succession. Then all Isra’el will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute (Second Samuel 16:20-21).

So they pitched a bridal tent for Absalom on the roof so it would be visible, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Isra’el (doubtless the very same roof on which his father had committed an equally sinful act). This same prince who was full of righteous indignation at his brother’s sexual violence (to see link click Dh – Amnon and Tamar) perpetrates a sexual crime against his own father. This was a violation of Leviticus 18:8: do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife, that would dishonor your father, but it was also the fulfillment of God’s judgment through Nathan’s earlier prophecy in Second Samuel 12:11-12: Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Isar’el. Now in those days the advice of Ahithophel gave was like that on one who inquires of God. His advice had a reputation for being infallible, being almost equal to a prophecy from YHVH Himself. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice (Second Samuel 16:22-23). How then was Hushai going to compete successfully against him?

Ahithophel’s Advice: Ahithophel is the Judas Iscariot of the TaNaKh. Some may think that is a bit harsh. After all, doesn’t a fellow have the right to work for whomever he wants? Can’t he, if he wants to, swing his loyalty from David to Absalom? The answers are: no and no. David is not one of the many employers but God’s chosen king! Ahithophel has no more right to forsake David than a true disciple has to forsake David’s Son Yeshua (Yochanan. 6:66-71).⁴¹⁷

Having achieved his first purpose and taken over the royal authority Absalom now had to deal with the second matter and make sure that David and his followers didn’t return and take back the Kingdom. The solution was simple but drastic: He had to find his father and kill him. Unlike his father, who sought the mind of ADONAI through the Urim and Thummim (see commentary on Exodus Gb – The Urim and Thummim: The Means of Making Decisions) or from a prophet, Absalom turned to his two counselors for guidance.⁴¹⁸

Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight (the very night that David had fled) in pursuit of him.” Ahithophel would lead the raid and attack David while he is weary and weak, discouraged and disheartened. I would strike him with terror, and then, unprepared to make a stand, all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only “the king” (probably a slip of the tongue) and bring all the people back with you. By attacking immediately, David would not be prepared to make a stand. The death of the man you seek (David) will mean that all the people will return and submit. In the confusion, the king might be slain with little loss of life among his men. Ahithophel argued that, with the death of David, Absalom would win the undivided allegiance of the people and peace would be restored. All those who were with David would be unharmed and the civil war would end immediately. In Ahithophel’s mind there was no time to lose, the only course of action was to hit David hard before he had time to regroup his forces.⁴¹⁹ This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Isra’el (Second Samuel 17:1-4). Ahithophel was a capable and effective traitor. And nothing could better illustrate the depth of moral callousness to which the misguided prince had fallen than his approval of this cold-blooded proposal to take the life of his father. Nevertheless Absalom, realized that whatever plan he adopted needed to be as nearly foolproof as possible. So he decided to get a second opinion.

The Advice of Ahithophel and Hushai
Second Samuel 16:15 to 17:29

The central unit of Absalom’s (Hebrew: my father is peace) rebellion against his father and David’s return to Yerushalayim deals with the conflicting advice of Ahithophel and Hushai. The previous file (to see link click Ds – Shim’i Curses David) ended thus: The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself (Second Samuel 16:14). This file ends thus: The people were exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness (Second Samuel 17:29). Three key verses, interspersed throughout (16:23, 17:14 and 17:24), provide the clue for analyzing the section as three chiasms arranged within a larger chiastic structure, the clash between Ahithophel’s advice and Hushai’s advice serving as a focus for the whole.⁴¹³

A. Arriving in Jerusalem, Absalom is befriended (16:15-19)

B1. Ahithophel advises Absalom (16:20-22)

B2. Ahithophel is described in glowing terms (16:23)

B3. Ahithophel advises Absalom (17:1-4)

C1. Hushai advises Absalom (17:5-13)

C2. Hushai’s advice is declared better than Ahithophel’s (17:14)

C3. Hushai advises Zadok and Abiathar (17:15-16)

B1. David crosses the Jordan (17:17-22)

B2. Ahithophel commits suicide (17:23)

B3. Absalom crosses the Jordan (17:24-26)

A. Arriving in Mahanaim, David is befriended (17:27-29)

ADONAI My God, In You I Take Refuge
Psalm 7: 1-17

A shiggaion of David, which he sang to ADONAI concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
Shiggaion seems to be derived from the verb to err or wander.
Nothing is known of Cush, but from Absalom’s rebellion the tribe of Benjamin,
Sha’ul’s tribe, held some bitter enemies of David.

ADONAI my God, in You I take refuge DIG: Why was the tribe of Benjamin hostile to David (Second Samuel 16:5-8, 20:1-2)? What is David accused of in verses 3-4? Why? In verses 6-11, how does David broaden his appeal for personal vindication? With what images of YHVH? What is meant by my righteousness in verse 8? Does David’s appeal stand (or fall) on his righteousness, or on the LORD’s righteousness? Why is that? From verses 11-12, how is evil done? Compare this with verses 14-16. Why the difference, if any?

REFLECT: Have you felt falsely accused? How did you appeal your case? Like David? If the content of your prayers from the last month were analyzed, how much concern for injustice would we find? Would you want Ha’Shem to judge you according to your righteousness or the integrity of your heart? Why? What “pit” of your own making have you fallen into lately? Are you digging out? Or pulling it down on your head? For what aspect of God’s character are you especially thankful today?

This Psalm addresses the issue of injustice. Using a mixture of images from the court of law and the battlefield, David responds to the unjust attack of his enemies by inviting God’s intervention and restoration. He believed in his own heart that he had not done anything to deserve the abuse of his adversaries. Above our lives in this world stands the eternal God. He is the righteous Judge. When we bring our case to Him . . . He answers.⁴⁰⁴

A. Prayer for Refuge: The psalm begins with a confession and a call that both reveal the character of God and David’s relationship with Him. ADONAI my God, in You I take refuge. Because God is trustworthy, David can pray: Save me from all my pursuers, and rescue me. In David’s deepest need, his anguished soul cried out to the Father in confidence that only YHVH Elohai could rescue him. Otherwise, they will maul me like a lion and tear me apart, with no rescuer present (Psalm 7:1-2 CJB). In his utter helplessness, he called on the One who promised to help him (to see link click Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). David relied on the character of Ha’Shem to face his enemies.⁴⁰⁵

B. Oath of Innocence: David protested. He wanted to know why he was being treated as an offender of the Covenant. He was astonished that Ha’Shem would allow him to be treated as an evildoer (Deuteronomy 26:16). In all good conscience he called upon God, not for mercy for his sin, but for his vindication. Then the content of the charge against him is revealed: that he had repaid evil to his close friends (Hebrew: shovimi from shelem) and plundered his enemies without cause. The purpose of this charge was evidently to sew seeds of suspicion among those who trusted him. Questions filled the air. In today’s terms, “Will he fulfill the contract?” “When are backs are up against the wall, will he betray us?” Then David responded to those charges with images of a battle. ADONAI my God, if I have caused this, if there is guilt on my hands, if I paid back evil to a close friend, when I even spared those who opposed me without cause; then let the enemy pursue me until he overtakes me and tramples my life down into the earth. His protest concluded by calling for the enemy to lay his honor in the dust if the accusations were true (Psalm 7:3-5 CJB). Having asserted his innocence, and having prayed for deliverance, David was ready for judgment. Opening himself up to God’s retribution, he called upon Ha’Shem to act directly.⁴⁰⁶

C. ADONAI’s Righteous Judgment: Wisely David didn’t take matters into his own hands. After all, only God can judge absolutely, for only God sees the heart, and only God is totally righteous, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35). David pictures YHVH raising from His throne: Rise up, ADONAI, in your anger! Arouse Yourself against the fury of my foes. All the verbs are a call to action: rise up . . . arouse Yourself . . . Wake up for me; You command justice. It is God who is just and Ha’Shem, therefore, who is the Judge of all things and who commands judgment.⁴⁰⁷ When the LORD comes in His righteous anger, the goyim can no longer escape their due. May the assembly of the nations surround You; may You rule over them from on high. ADONAI, who dispenses judgment to the Gentile nations, judge me, ADONAI, according to my righteousness and as my integrity deserves. The judgment of evil will be the vindication of David’s righteousness and integrity. Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and establish the righteous; since You, righteous God, test hearts and minds. David concludes: My shield is God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous Judge, a God whose anger is present every day. Then David sealed the idea of Elohim’s judgment with an image of an avenging warrior, but he began with a qualifier: If a person will not repent. Judgment is reserved for an unrepentant heart. Elohim prepares for battle in order to execute His sentence. Like a soldier getting ready for battle, He will sharpen His sword, He bends His bow and makes it ready. He has also prepared for Himself weapons of death, His arrows, which He has made into burning shafts (Psalm 7:6-13 CJB).⁴⁰⁸ If the wicked do not repent, their judgment is sure. The sharp sword, deadly weapons, and flaming arrows are metaphors for inescapable judgment. David had felt himself in a deadly predicament in verse 2, however, the situation will be turned around, for YHVH will come to the aid of His children. Ha’Shem is preparing Himself for judgment at His appointed time (see commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah).⁴⁰⁹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).

B. Judgment of the Guilty: The issue of the psalm now becomes clear. In a rough image David saw the enemy full of wickedness. David evokes another powerful picture. Evil had been metaphorically portrayed as a lion in verse 2, an army in verse 5, and in these verses in the language of conception and birth.⁴¹⁰ Look how the wicked are pregnant with evil. The wicked are filled with evil, as a pregnant woman about to give birth. They conceive trouble (Hebrew: amal meaning misery, anguish and trouble), and give birth to lies (James 1:14-15). The very pit they dug for David, much like an animal trap, will instead trap them. They make a pit, dig it deep, and fall into the hole he made. Their misery will return onto their own head, their violence will recoil onto their own skull (Psalm 7:14-16 CJB). ADONAI executes His judgment in this instance by letting sin run its course (Romans 1:18-32). This is His passive wrath whereby He gives us over to our sin and we are destroyed by it. As Rabbi Sha’ul reminds us in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” However difficult it is to so see at times, there is a judgment of people and nations in history. Hitler proclaimed his Thousand-Year Reich, but within a few fleeing years, Germany lay in ruins and he had his own personal holocaust in Berlin as the Russians advanced toward the city. Caesar called himself a god, but today his Coliseum stands gutted and a simple cross planted in the foundations reminds us that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11). Indeed, the wicked will be condemned (see commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment).⁴¹¹

A. Praise of God’s Righteousness: Confident that his prayer is answered, David now concludes his psalm. The LORD will save him from those who persecute him. YHVH will rise up in judgment and test all hearts and minds, destroying the wicked. In declaring: I thank ADONAI for His righteousness, David affirms all that he had said earlier in the psalm. God is righteous; He restores His Kingdom; He rules; He is trustworthy; He vindicates David, who praise now comes from a full heart: And I sing praise to the name of ADONAI ‘Elyon (Psalm 7:17 CJB). This is a phrase found in Genesis 14:18 and elsewhere meaning that God is above all the other gods; thus in defeating David’s enemies He also defeats their gods. Certain of Ha’Shem’s rescue and His justice toward his enemies, David goes out from his lament with a song. Just so, the Great King is our resolution in distress, and before Him we sing our praises . . . our proper response to the One who hears and answers.⁴¹²

Shim’i Curses David
Second Samuel 16: 5-14

Shim’i curses David DIG: What significance do you see in Shim’i’s family ties? Why else is Shim’i so mad at David? Is his anger justified? What does Abishai think? What does David think? Why does David attribute Shim’i’s cursing to God? What does this tell you about David’s character? About his view of God’s character? What similarities are there between the life of Christ and the life of David?

REFLECT: What strong conviction about ADONAI did David have throughout his flight from Jerusalem? When have you, like David, been under the LORD’s discipline? What for? Could you take “the heat,” however it was dished out? How did you respond? When the heat on you is not “from YHVH,” how do you respond?

977 BC
This is part of a 24-hour period starting at 15:13 and extending all the way to 17:23.

David’s forced flight from Jerusalem not only put his own Kingdom in jeopardy, but it also opened the door to further contention for the throne between the dynasties of Sha’ul and David. Absalom was apparently in the process of seizing power in Tziyon, but that was by no means implied that he could also gain control over the northern kingdom of Isra’el. In fact, the shakeup in David’s own family began to revive hope among the descendants of Sha’ul that they might be able to recover the Kingdom for themselves.³⁹⁸

Through Ziba’s lies (to see link click Dr – David and Ziba) the Adversary attacked David as a serpent who deceives (Second Corinthians 11:3; Genesis 3:1-7), and then through Shim’i’s words and stones, the devil came as a lion who devours (First Peter 5:8). Ziba told lies and Shim’i threw stones, and both were making it hard for David on his retreat from Zion.³⁹⁹

The Cursing of Shim’i: As King David approached Bahurim, a Benjamite city, a man from the same clan as Sha’ul’s family came out from there. His name was Shim’i son of Gera, and like a human volcano he cursed as he came out. Shim’i was on the side of the hill (verse 13), which was apparently overlooked on the road followed by David and his company, but was separated from it by a narrow valley (verse 9). He thought he was close enough to do some damage, but far enough to be safe. Not content with hurling curses at the king, Shim’i pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left (Second Samuel 16:5-7). Shim’i could not resist the temptation of taunting David in his hour of humiliation.

The charge of Shim’i is important. As he cursed, Shim’i yelled: Get out, get out, you murderer. You are a worthless rat. ADONAI has repaid you for all the blood you shed specifically in the household of Sha’ul, in whose place you have reigned. Shim’i interprets Absalom’s rebellion as divine punishment for David’s actions against the house of Sha’ul. The LORD has given the Kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer (Second Samuel 16:8)! There were enough people in the northern Kingdom who believed that David had something to do with the deaths of Sha’ul (Second Samuel 31:2-6), Ish-Bosheth (Second Samuel 4:5-12) and Abner (2 Samuel 3:26-27) to make this a potential problem for the king. Indeed, we have noted in Second Samuel Chapters 2-4 that great care is taken by the narrator to clear David of all charges, which generated the energy behind the charge. At any rate, Shim’i, and doubtless many if not most of his countrymen, were apparently ready to acknowledge Absalom as their new king.

However, Shim’i violated the Torah while venting his anger at David, for Exodus 22:28 says: Do not curse God or curse the ruler of your people. In addition, to curse a descendant of Abraham is to invite divine retribution (Genesis 12:3), and Shim’i’s headstrong actions would not ultimately go unpunished (see Fg – David’s Last Charge to Solomon) despite his repenting from them (Second Samuel 19:18-20).⁴⁰⁰

The Sparing of Shim’i: David’s attitude was one of submission because he accepted Shim’i’s abuse as from the hand of God. Shim’i’s charge evoked the rage of Abishai. Then David’s nephew Abishai said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.” Abishai had always been violently loyal to David (First Samuel 26:8; Second Samuel 19:21). Oh, right. That’s all David needed right then, another assassination! He had all the trouble he could handle with Absalom. He didn’t need to hand all those loyal to Sha’ul an excuse to come out of the woodwork to join Absalom (if they had not already done so). David would have none of it. So the king said: What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah (two nephews of King David who had a long history of shedding blood)?

David had merely accepted the cursing of Shim’i as part of God’s discipline. If Shim’i is cursing because the LORD said to him, “Curse David,” who can ask, “Why do you do this?” Then David said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, can I expect respect from this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for YHVH has told him to. Notice that David didn’t say he was innocent. He knew that he was an adulterer and a murderer who deserved to die. Yet Ha’Shem let him live. Why should he complain about someone calling him names and throwing some stones at him? And if Absalom (Hebrew: my father is peace), David’s own son, was out to kill him, why should a total stranger be punished for slandering the king? David hoped that God would look upon his misery and consider it enough punishment, and restore him to the LORD’s covenant blessing instead of His curse today.”

So Shim’i’s pelting David with stones and cursing him didn’t stop. David and his men continued slowly along the road while Shim’i was going along the hillside parallel to him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him showering him with dirt. David had faith that God would one day take care of people like Absalom and Shim’i. Perhaps David was thinking of Deuteronomy 32:35, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.”⁴⁰¹

The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination beyond Bahurim some twenty miles to the ford of the Jordan River where they rested. And there David refreshed himself (Second Samuel 16:9-14). Very early the next morning they crossed the river and proceeded to Mahanaim (Second Samuel 17:22-24), where Jacob had prepared to meet his brother, Esau, and had wrestled with God (see commentary Genesis Hw – Jacob Wrestles with God). Perhaps David remembered the army of angels that YHVH sent to protect Jacob.⁴⁰²

What did all that suffering do for David? It made him more like Jesus. David was rejected by his own people and betrayed. He gave up everything for the sake of his people and would have surrendered his own life to save his rebellious son who deserved to die. Like Messiah, David crossed the Kidron and went up the Mount of Olives. He was falsely accused and shamefully treated, and yet he submitted to Ha’Shem’s sovereign will. David had lost his throne, but ADONAI-Tzva’ot was still on the throne and would keep His promises to His suffering servant. Faithful to His covenant (see Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David), God remembered David and all the hardships that he endured (see Cu – ADONAI Swore an Oath to David), and He remembers us today.⁴⁰³

David and Ziba
Second Samuel 16: 1-4

David and Ziba DIG: What did the shakeup in David’s family mean to some of the descendants of Sha’ul? What was Ziba’s motive in coming to David bearing such gifts? Is he trustworthy (Second Samuel 19:24-30)? Why does David think so (Second Samuel 9:1-11)? Did David make a mistake with Ziba? Why was he vulnerable to that mistake?

REFLECT: In contrast to the loyalty of Ittai to his master (Second Samuel 15:19-23), we have the example of Ziba. Have you ever been betrayed? If so, how did it affect you? Where might you be tempted likewise to betray your loyalties? How will you resist that temptation?

977 BC
This is part of a 24-hour period starting at 15:13 and extending all the way to 17:23.

When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth (to see link click Da – David and Mephibosheth) waiting to meet him. Ziba represented the family of Sha’ul and he might have imagined that the king would expect him to defect, and it was for that reason that he brought extravagant and ostentatious gifts to David. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine (Second Samuel 16:1). Ziba wanted to demonstrate his loyalty to the king. It was a public act of siding with David in the civil war.

David was direct. He asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” There must be some motive for such unsought and unexpected generosity. Ziba was not forthcoming because his answer was no answer at all . . . only a statement of the obvious. He deftly dodged the question when he replied: The donkeys are for the king’s wives to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness (Second Samuel 16:2).³⁹⁵

Still skeptical, the king then probed further by asking him, “Where is your master’s grandson Mephibosheth?” Ziba was quick on the draw. His response – later indignantly denied by Mephibosheth – was that the crippled young man stayed in Jerusalem in the belief that the house of Isra’el would return the Kingdom to the house of Sha’ul and therefore Mephibosheth himself would benefit (Second Samuel 16:3).

Although Mephibosheth was heir to the throne (and even if such a claim might appear plausible to David), it was unlikely that he really believed that Absalom would actually turn the Kingdom over to him! Apparently Ziba either didn’t know or did not care that the kingdom of Isra’el had long ago been torn from Sha’ul by divine decree and given to David. Not only that, it was a bit risky if David checked out his story. But Ziba reasoned that the king was on the run and would not have time to check out his story. So basically, Ziba lied through his teeth to David and cleverly did his best to discredit and betray his young master. With one lie, the snake had put the loyalty of Mephibosheth into question, while simultaneously enhancing his own position.

David was weary and deeply wounded by Ziba’s lie, and it wasn’t the best time for him to be making character decisions. But in the heat of the moment, David impulsively chose to believe Ziba. Without hearing the other side of the story, David punished Mephibosheth in absentia by giving Ziba everything that formerly belonged to his master, saying: All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours (Second Samuel 16:4). This was everything Ziba had hoped for. By this one daring regal act, David sent a warning to other potential defectors that they risked the loss of their land. David’s longstanding promises to Y’honatan (First Samuel 20:14-17) and to Sha’ul (First Samuel 24:21-22) were suspended by his own need for self-preservation. In the fog of war the king had not violated the letter of earlier promises, but he had come dangerously close to a violation of chesed (see commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed) against Sha’ul’s family.³⁹⁶

Not unexpectedly, Ziba’s response was submissive and grateful: I humbly bow. May I find favor in your eyes, my lord and king (Second Samuel 16:5). Mephibosheth had taught him well (Second Samuel 9:6 and 8). It is interesting to note that Ziba didn’t continue on with David. He likely had a hunch that David would survive Absalom’s coup; hence his show of support. But suppose Absalom won the civil war? No problem. Ziba was not exiled with David, but working the farm ready to live under a new regime. Ziba was a manipulator, and he capitalized on David’s trouble in order to enrich himself. What motivated Ziba was not loyalty to God’s king, but greed for his own gain.

During the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), George Washington’s Continental Army suffered through a miserable winter at Valley Forge. Clothes were so scarce and blankets so rare that the troops often sat up all night rather than fall asleep and freeze to death. Some of the soldiers, whose legs had frozen black, were taken to “hospitals” for amputation. Why such suffering? It was not the severe winter, for the winter was mild by Pennsylvania standards. But soldiers went hungry because nearby farmers preferred to sell to the British for hard cash. The army was half-naked because merchants in Boston refused to move government clothing off their shelves at anything less than profits ranging from 1,000 to 1,800 percent. The colonies swarmed with Ziba’s. The hardship of others was their opportunity for success.³⁹⁷

ADONAI, You are a Shield Around Me,
the Lifter of My Head
Psalm 3:1-8

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

ADONAI, you are a shield around me, the lifer of my head DIG: Who are David’s foes (Second Samuel 15:13-30)? Why does he flee the City rather than fight? What must have happened to transform David’s “weeping” eyes and bowed head in verses 3-5? From where did David find his peace, victory and blessing? Likewise, his anger and anxiety?

REFLECT: When did you last feel abandoned by friends or family members? By God? What happened? What “foes” are you facing right now? From what are you praying for deliverance? How will you know when that prayer is answered?

Every morning when we wake up, the choice stands before us: fear or faith? All of us, like David, have our own enemies and battles to fight. We can identify with the complaint of this psalm, “ADONAI, how many enemies do I have!” This trouble may come from people who attack us, from spiritual opposition, or from our own emotional wounds. So although David wrote this psalm in the heartbreak over his son’s rebellion, it is our psalm too.

A. Lament Over Enemies: ADONAI, how many enemies do I have! How countless are those attacking me; how countless those who say of me, “There is no salvation (Hebrew: yeshuah) in God (Psalm 3:1-2 CJB). His enemies cursed him (Second Samuel 16:7-8) or sarcastically concluded that David had been abandoned by the very God whom he had served so faithfully and in whom he had put his trust. During an era of international peace for David’s kingdom, his enemies had arisen from within Isra’el. They joined together with great viciousness and hatred toward their king.³⁹⁰ But whenever adversity strikes we have a choice: we can run from God or run to God. We can use suffering to justify unbelief, or we can use suffering to spur us to faith.

The skepticism of others and our own self-doubts can cause our faith to falter. As evil overwhelms us and our own frailty becomes more and more evident, the lie that there is no salvation in God sounds like the truth. If we are going to fight against this lie we must remember its origin. Yeshua said of the Adversary: He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (Yochanan 8:44). Therefore, the origin of any doubts about the goodness of ADONAI, or His ability to save us is demonic. That is why Rabbi Sha’ul encourages us to take the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). This is exactly what David did in the next verse. We must turn from the lie to the living God.³⁹¹

Selah. It occurs 71 times in the Psalms and was likely a term of direction to the musicians who accompanied their recital, probably an indication that instrumental music was to be introduced at this point. But its precise significance in Isra’el’s worship remains unclear. It could possibly mean to lift up or exalt.

B. Prayer to the LORD: David now moves from the character of his enemies to the character of God. But You, ADONAI, You are a shield for me. The king put his confidence in the protection that YHVH alone can provide, because his glory is greater than any human power. You are my glorious One, ADONAI-Tzva’ot, with a multitude of angels at His command that cannot be counted. This Psalm expresses confidence that the LORD will lift David’s head high when he is victorious over his enemies. His fear is met by faith: With my voice I call out to ADONAI, and He answers me from His holy mountain, where the presence of the Great King is symbolized by the ark of the Covenant (Psalm 3:3-4 CJB). The recollection of God’s saving power in days past drove away any feeling of despair that David might have had. He had been compelled to flee from the Holy City where God dwelt among His people, but divine help would be extended to David wherever he went and whenever he called.

We now pray to a person, the Lord Jesus Christ, rather than toward a place. His risen body is our temple. He is our mediator, and we have access to the Father in His name: For there is one God and one Mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (First Timothy 2:5).

Selah. Lift Him up and exalt Him.

C. Trust in the LORD: I lie down and sleep, then wake up again, because ADONAI sustains me. The knowledge that he had God as his shield made it possible for him to sleep at night, when the danger of sudden attack was greatest. Because ADONAI sustained him, he was ready for battle. He called upon the LORD to fight and was confident of the outcome. I am not afraid of tens of thousands set against me on every side (Psalm 3:5-6 CJB). Conscious that God was on his side, the numerical strength of his enemies did not alarm him. David’s commitment to the LORD resulted in David surrendering his problems to God. Though he faced many enemies, prayer renewed his confidence in the One who would be victorious over the many. Far too often, our plans come before our prayers. How many blessings we miss by dreaming up our own schemes only to see the Eternal One frustrate them and later work out His own plan.³⁹²

B. Prayer for Deliverance: At this point, the psalm moves with a quickened rhythm: Rise up, ADONAI! This is reminiscent of Moshe’s prayer when the ark of the Covenant went ahead of Isra’el (Numbers 10:35). He prayed that YHVH would move the enemies out of the way of the Ark, symbolic of the LORD’s presence, as it went ahead of the people. But God’s presence was not limited to the Ark, which at this point in David’s life was in Zion. Ha’Shem’s presence was with His anointed.

Deliver (Hebrew: yasha) me, my God! For the people of God, the name of ADONAI was the assurance that His promises to David would be fulfilled. Notice that the skeptics had already concluded that there is no salvation in God (verse 2). So here David calls on the LORD to prove his adversaries wrong. Yes, You will strike all my enemies on the jaw, an expression of humiliation (First Kings 22:24; Job 16:10; Lamentations 3:30; Micah 5:1); You will break the teeth of the wicked (Psalm 3:7 NET). The metaphor of breaking of teeth likens his enemies to wild animals whose strength is taken away when their teeth are crushed (Psalm 58:6). This is a prophetic perfect, whereby an event still in the future is described as already taken place. It was as if David was saying, “I am certain a time will come when You will strike my enemies and defeat them.”

This expression of vindication may seem harsh to us, but David paints a word picture of hope, that, regardless of what enemies may arise from inside or outside the kingdom of God, ADONAI will be victorious. The hope of the Church still lies in the coming of Yeshua Messiah and His victory over all of His enemies (see commentary Isaiah, to see link click Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah).³⁹³

A. Hope in the LORD: Salvation (Hebrew: yeshuah) comes from ADONAI. After his circumcision on the eighth-day, Miryam took Yeshua to the Temple and offered a sacrifice for her own ceremonial cleansing after childbirth. Then she would present her firstborn to ADONAI in recognition of God’s ownership. This simple ceremony consisted of presenting the child to a priest (see commentary on The Life of Christ Au – Jesus Presented in the Temple). As providence would have it, she approached Shim’on. When he took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God: Like Zechariah and Elizabeth before him, Shim‘on was moved by the Spirit to declare: Now, ADONAI, as You have promised in Isaiah, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation (Luke 2:28-30 and Isaiah 40:5). Shim’on was not speaking English but in Hebrew. The Hebrew word for salvation is yeshuah; the Hebrew word for Jesus is almost the same, Yeshua. Both come from the same Hebrew root yasha, which means to save. The only difference is the final letter “h” which is silent. Therefore, in Hebrew the word salvation and the word Jesus sound the same. In a real way, what he said was not only my eyes have seen Your salvation, but my eyes have seen Your Yeshua.

May your blessing rest on Your people (Psalm 3:8 CJB). The blessing of YHVH is the result of His gracious deliverance. He granted the blessing of His presence, protection, and prosperity, first, to Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3). Then Ha’Shem confirmed His blessing to Isra’el, “When you have come to the Land ADONAI your God is giving you as your inheritance . . . you are to say, ‘My ancestor was a nomad from Aram. He went down to Egypt few in number and stayed. There he became a great, strong, and populous nation. But the Egyptians treated us badly; they oppressed us and imposed harsh slavery on us. So we cried out to ADONAI, the God of our ancestors. ADONAI heard us and saw our misery, toil and oppression; and ADONAI brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. Now He has brought us to this place and given us this Land, a Land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, as you see, I have now brought the firstfruits of the Land that You, ADONAI, have given me.’ You are then to put the basket down before ADONAI your God and prostate yourself before Him (Deuteronomy 26:5-10). To David, God promised the removal of wicked people and external enemies as well as the subsequent peace of His people (Second Samuel 7:10-11 and 29). David looked forward to the time of full blessing. In his hope, we have hope, for in Jesus’ promises the victory and blessings of the LORD are assured.³⁹⁴

Selah. Lift Him up and exalt Him.

David Flees from Absalom
Second Samuel 15: 13-37

David flees from Absalom DIG: What was the reaction of Absalom’s revolt? Why are David’s concubines mentioned here? Why do the Levites follow David with the ark of YHVH? What does that do for David’s sense of well-being? How submissive is David to God’s judgment in this matter between himself and his son? How was Ittai an island of faithfulness in a sea of treachery? How would you describe the roles of Zadok and Abiathar in the struggle between David and Absalom? How would you describe David’s ascent up the Mount of Olives? Why did he weep? What answers do you see for his prayer? How was Hushai, David’s friend and adviser, part of the prayer’s answer?

REFLECT: Have you made Ittai’s promise of “wherever and whether it means life or death” to your Master? Or have you qualified your allegiance somewhat? How so? What would it take for that to change? David said: Let God do to me whatever seems good to Him. If you could bring yourself to say that, what are you afraid might happen? Where do you need to put “legs to your prayers” as David does in sending Hushai to confound the counsel of Ahithophel?

977 BC

This is the beginning of a 24-hour period that starts here at 15:13
and extends all the way to 17:23.

For the second time in his life, David was forced to flee into the wilderness to save his life. As a young man, he fled the jealous rage of King Sha’ul, and now he was seeking refuge from the hypocritical deceptions of his son Absalom and his former counselor Ahithophel.

A summary of the preparations for and beginning of David’s flight from Absalom: A loyal messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the men of Isra’el are with Absalom.” Obviously, David was caught completely off guard, and with Ahithophel as his personal advisor (who had secretly abandoned David in favor of Absalom), the conspiracy was a well-kept secret. Then David said to all his loyal officials who were unaware of the conspiracy, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom (Hebrew: my father is peace). He was in no position to defend it. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the City to the sword. The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses” (Second Samuel 15:13-15). David had the support of the old political establishment, but Absalom had the hearts of the men of Isra’el. It was a matter of the heart . . . and the hearts of Isra’el had shifted. So David abandoned Jerusalem for two reasons: first, to avoid a bloodbath, and secondly, to allow time for him to mobilize forces for his defense.

The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. So the king set out, with his loyal family members and court officials following him, and they halted at the edge of the City before the ascent up the Mount of Olives. Those loyal to him marched past him, along with all the Philistine Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Philistine Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king (Second Samuel 15:16-18). Once David defeated these Philistines, they became his loyal subjects and became his royal bodyguards. The day of David’s departure is the most detailed day of his life in the Scriptures. It is a 24-hour period that extends all the way from 15:13 to 17:22. It is filled with events, both good and bad, with both short-term and long-term results.³⁸⁵ The summary is followed by David’s specific instructions to three of his supporters:

First, Ittai the Gittite: The king asked Ittai, leader of the Philistine mercenaries: Why should you come along with us? There is no need. David would not pressure Ittai into following him. The Philistine had everything to lose and nothing to gain. David graciously released Ittai to serve the new regime and enjoy a normal life: Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. You came only recently and joined David’s service. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take the Philistines under your command with you. May the LORD show you kindness (Hebrew: chesed) and faithfulness. From the words chesed (see commentary on Ruth, to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed) and faithfulness, Ittai revealed himself to be a believer, for whom chesed and faithfulness were vitally important.

But Ittai would have none of it, and replied to the king, “As surely as ADONAI lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.” This Gentile’s testimony of loyalty to David is one of the greatest confessions of faith and faithfulness found in the Bible and equals that of Ruth (Ruth 1:16) and the Roman centurion (Mattityahu 8:5-13). Whatever David’s fate, he was going to share it. Although his back was against the wall and his own people were rebelling against him, they refused to desert him. So the Philistine’s loyalty was greater than David’s own son. David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, and pass over the Kidron Valley.” So Ittai marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.

Whatever problems certain citizens of Jerusalem and other towns may have had with David, people living in the countryside saw him in a different light. The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. And foreshadowing the passion of another anointed King centuries later (John 18:1), David also crossed the Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives. All the people who accompanied David, and the loyal Philistine troops moved on toward the wilderness of Judah (Second Samuel 15:19-23).

Second, Zadok the priest: Sharing priestly duties during at least some of David’s reign, Zadok and Abiathar decided to accompany him on his flight from Jerusalem. Zadok and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the City. A makeshift altar, a small fire, and grain offerings would be possible in the emergency, as an accompaniment to prayer for the king’s protection and ultimate victory.³⁸⁶ Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the City.” On the one hand, David would not use the ark as a good-luck charm because his faith was in ADONAI (see Dq  – ADONAI, You are a Shield Around Me, the Lifter of My Head). On the other hand, the presence of God would be of no use to Absalom. “If I find favor in YHVH’s eyes, He will bring me back to Tziyon and let me see it and His dwelling place again. But if God says: I am not pleased with you, then I am ready; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him” (Second Samuel 15:24-26). David was totally yielding to the LORD and saying, “Not my will but Your will be done.”

The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to Yerushalayim with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons. I will wait at the fords of the west bank of the Jordan River until word comes from you to inform me.” So Zadok and Abiathar were to act as spies on David’s behalf. Whatever Absalom might do to the king’s officials, he wasn’t likely to lay his hands on ADONAI’s priests and Levites, and they could go about their business unnoticed. So they took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there (Second Samuel 15:27-29). Absalom’s followers must have interpreted their action as a submission to the new king.³⁸⁷

But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot to symbolize the shameful exile on which he was then starting. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. A further blow was delivered with the news of Ahithophel’s defection. Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” It was clear that Ahithophel as counselor of the king not only held one of the highest court positions of confidence, but his counsel was so valued that whoever had the benefit of his advice was sure to be successful.³⁸⁸ He would later write: Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me (Psalm 41:9). What do you do when one of your closest confidants betrays you? You do what David did. So David immediately turned to God and prayed, “ADONAI, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness” (2 Sam 15:30-31). And like Dani’el’s prayer (Dani’el 9:20-23), YHVH answered him immediately.

Third, his friend and advisor Hushai the Arkite: And as providence would have it, when David arrived at the summit of the Mount of Olives, where the people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him. He was a high-ranking official on par with Ahithophel and was loyal to David. His robe torn and dust on his head. David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me because of your age and the rigors of a fugitive life. But if you return to the City and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice. Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace. Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.” All five men were risking their lives for the sake of YHVH and the kingdom, but they considered it an honor to serve their king and restore him to the throne. So Hushai, David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the City and the people’s excitement at greeting their new king probably enabled Hushai to enter without being noticed (Second Samuel 15:32-37). Therefore, Hushai served a double function. He could counter Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom and he could keep David informed about Absalom’s plans from the information gleaned from Ahimaaz and Jonathan. Hushai was the answer to David’s prayer.

David was developing a plan of defense. When he met those who were loyal to him, he deployed them in various ways to be most useful for his general strategy. He developed a network of military and intelligence agents to outflank Absalom at every turn. David used loyal soldiers, diplomats and priests. In the wilderness he needed soldiers. His priests and confidants were more useful to him back in Yerushalayim.

When the going got tough, David found out who was loyal to him and who was not. These three men unquestionably surrendered to the will of the king; a yielding that was not slavery, but joyful and a blessed liberty. It was not forced upon them; it arose freely from hearts that were tender, hearts from which the hardness had disappeared. Therefore, as David left the City, these three men committed themselves to the king’s cause and to his will, while David’s lukewarm supporters had gone over to the popular candidate.

As believers, Jesus is only King when your will and His will agree. Where His will and yours coincide there is strength and streams of blessing. Where they differ, there is weakness. Life in Messiah is so simple: His will is your will. Let Him take hold of the steering wheel of your life. Surrender to His will. If you think this is slavery, you are wrong, it’s really freedom. The Lord once said, with a coin in His hand: Whose image is this? And whose inscription? To whom did it belong? Yeshua answered His critics, saying: So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s (Mattityahu 22:21).

To whom do you belong? Just as plainly as the emperor’s head was stamped on that coin, so the image of Christ is stamped on your life and therefore you belong to Him. Your heart can only rest in a love that is perfect, a will that is absolute, and a holiness that is complete. Frustration is the inevitable result if you surrender your will to the world, to what seems most popular at the time. Don’t build your house on sand (see commentary on The Life of Christ Dy – The Wise and Foolish Builders). David would write: My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my rock, my refuge (Psalm 62:7). YHVH comes to your life in the person of Yeshua Messiah, who gave Himself completely for you on the cross, and He asks you to yield yourself completely to Him, saying: whoever loses their life for My sake will find it (Matthew 10:39).

These three men had felt the warmth of David’s presence, they had seen his patience in the time of suffering, they had walked with him in the days of his rejection, they were close to David and they loved him. Living so close to him made them conscious of his greatness, and his love broke up the hardness of their hearts. So in that day of crisis, while others were only fair-weather followers and deserted him, the three of them followed him and shared in the fellowship of his sufferings.

Are you a fair-weather follower of Christ? There was never a time in all history when a clear identity with the Lord is more needed in this world that has rejected Him. But His service would be slavery and pure legalism unless your devotion springs from a life that walks with Him and talks with Him, and a heart that loves Him. Therefore, the surrender to the will of the King is not a forced obligation, but a joyful devotion of the heart.³⁸⁹

Absalom’s Conspiracy
Second Samuel 15: 1-12

Absalom’s conspiracy DIG: What do chariots, horses and fifty men signal of Absalom’s ambitions (First Samuel 8:11)? As a victim of injustice, what would you make of Absalom’s two decrees in verses 3-4 and his greeting in verse 5? Why do you think Absalom waits four years to carry out his conspiracy plot? When else has he shown patience in devising evil plans (Second Samuel 13:23)? How could David be so gullible? What steps did David unknowingly take to consolidate Absalom’s power?

REFLECT: When do you feel frustrated in getting an audience with your King? Why? What campaigns of dis-information and lies today seek to discredit God’s reign or encourage believers to stray from the faith? Do you know a “modern-day” Absalom?

980-977 BC Absalom’s four-year plot against David

These verses provide a general characterization of Absalom. As we have seen, he is young, handsome . . . and enormously ambitious. In this narrative, he enlists his youth and attractiveness in the service of his goal. He developed an entourage of chariots, horses and runners, so that his every movement seemed to be a royal procession. One has the image of constant street parades in Yerushalayim, calling attention to the prince. Tziyon was not a very big city, but big enough to be filled with royal ambition, drama and excitement.³⁸²

The Conspiracy: In the course of time, after the reunion of Absalom and David, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. No longer under house arrest, Absalom acted like someone who assumed he would be the next king. He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate where disaffected citizens expected to be able to bring their complaints for royal adjudication. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” Absalom began by pretending to have a personal interest in them. He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Isra’el.” Then Absalom convinced the person to reveal his grievance, and always conveniently concluded that his claims were right and just. Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” Not only implied that the king wouldn’t hear his case, but the king hadn’t even appointed anyone to his case. This was not true, but the man was discouraged from pursuing the matter and would return home angry with David. And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me (in the emphatic position) and I would see that they receive justice” (Second Samuel 15:1-4). The implication was that they would get no justice from King David. At this point Absalom was not claiming to be king, only wanting the delegated authority to be judge of all Isra’el. Thus, hiding his real goal and ambition. If someone challenged him, he could claim that his only concern was justice.

Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him because of his position as a prince, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. Treating him as an equal and a friend. Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice. Over and over again the people went home with their issues unresolved. The royal system of justice seemed to have become dysfunctional. The king had failed in his role as king. We are not told why. The disenfranchised, in turn, told others who initially wanted to go see the king, but now would not. They were told that the king would not give them an audience. They were told, if Absalom had the authority, he would give them justice. And so he stole the hearts of the men of Isra’el (Second Samuel 15:5-6).

Beginning the Revolt: At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king. “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to ADONAI.” Hebron was where Absalom was born (to see link click Ch – Son’s Were Born to David in Hebron), and where David began his reign. So it seems that Absalom was trying to imitate his father’s journey from Hebron to Jerusalem. And Hebron was the center of the tribe of Judah, formally David’s capital. Thus, Absalom robs David of the very tribe most likely to come to his aide. “While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: If the LORD takes me back to Yerushalayim, I will worship YHVH in Hebron.” The king said to him, “Go in peace.” These were the last words David would ever say to Absalom. The king had no reason to question Absalom’s request. So he went to Hebron (Second Samuel 15:7-9).

Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Isra’el. He had made extensive preparations for the revolt and all his co-conspirators in place. They were not only in Hebron, but also all over the country. In the Torah, the penalty for a rebellious son was death by stoning (Deuteronomy 21:20-21). Absalom said: As soon as you hear the sound of the shofars, then say, “Absalom is king in Hebron.” He was a disloyal, egotistical, narcissistic, traitor to Isra’el. Two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were the invited guests for the sacrificial feast, accompanied Absalom. They would have included some of the most influential families in Tziyon. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. But Absalom might have hoped they would join the revolt. While Absalom was offering sacrifices as part of the coronation ceremony, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. Hence, he was a traitor to the king. Ahithophel probably served as Absalom’s secret advisor during the conspiracy, and was now needed to provide counsel during the revolt itself. He would have helped keep the conspiracy a secret. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s followers kept increasing (Second Samuel 15:10-12).³⁸³

The shape of the conflict shocks us. We are accustomed to David as the one with the initiative. How quickly the roles had changed! Now David is seen as the old establishment figure caught in his bureaucratic posturing, while the masses had snuck up on him and taken him by surprise. All the vigor and momentum seems to be with Absalom (Hebrew: my father is peace) – and against his father. David, however, is not yet helpless.³⁸⁴

David the Ousted King
Second Samuel 15:1 to 19:8

The pathos-filled narrative of David and his family reaches its dramatic center in this extended story concerning Absalom’s rebellion. This section is a series of loosely related encounters, each of whom draws us more powerfully into the terrible drama of ruthless power and ambivalent love. In most cases the speeches and words are more important than the actions. They invite us to “listen in” while we witness Absalom, like a moth attracted to a flame that will cause its death, Absalom will end up at the point of Joab’s javelin, his ultimate death and destruction being self-inflicted.³⁸⁰

One of the saddest episodes of the whole Bible is the story of David’s flight from Absalom. Perhaps the most pathetic thing of all was that deep down in his heart David was probably conscious that he deserved what he got. Self-inflicted wounds are the deepest of all. As we have seen before (to see link click Dd – Nathan Rebukes David), this was the discipline of Ha’Shem because of his great sin with Bathsheba. He was being put through the fire, through the testing, by the hand of a loving God.

His attitude at that moment was surely one that honored YHVH. His heart-filled cry is found in Psalm 62. King David, rejected by his people, was going out into the loneliness and barrenness of exile. His son and many of his relatives and friends, who had hailed, “Hosanna, welcome to the king!” were now in revolt against him. Even under those trying circumstances, David would say: Yes, my soul, finds rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge (Psalm 62:5-7).³⁸¹

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
Second Samuel 14: 21-33

Absalom returns to Jerusalem DIG: What could David have done better with his family? Why did David refuse to see Absalom upon his return to Zion? What handsome movie star would you cast as Absalom today? Why do you think Absalom named his daughter Tamar? What kind of person would treat Joab the way Absalom did?

REFLECT: How can you know when to be restrained and gentle with your family and when to be tough? How does someone being physically present affect your acceptance of them? Do you have a strained relationship with someone? With a family member? What can you do to mend it? How desperate are you these days to get someone in authority to look favorably at some problem you might have?

980-977 BC Absalom’s four-year plot against David

The scheming continued. Joab used a crafty woman from Tekoa, while Absalom hatches his own bold plan of conspiring against the king (to see link click Do – Absalom’s Conspiracy). David was convinced. He acted. He addressed Joab. He announced his decision to bring his son home. He only half acknowledged that he was giving in to Joab. In his conversation with Joab, David never alluded to the strategy of the wise woman (see Dl – The Wise Woman of Tekoa). His words seem to be a grudging surrender to Joab’s better wisdom. There is, however, really no joy in the text, for it is not the prodigal but the murderer who returns. And a father’s kiss is not the prelude to celebration, but an ominous sign.³⁷²

The Fetching of Absalom: Joab, had evidently been standing in the wings to learn the outcome as the wise woman made her appeal to the king in the royal court. After being trapped by his verdict to her fictitious parable and his subsequent oath, the king relented and called for his general, saying: Very well, I will do it. Go . . . bring back the young man Absalom. By that time David knew that Joab had put the wise woman of Tekoa up to it, but instead of being angry, he gave Joab the responsibility of bringing Absalom back to Tziyon. Overjoyed, Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab gushed: Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request. Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said: He must go to his own house; he must not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king (Second Samuel 14:21-24).

The father acted as a father wanted, against the demands of the royal office. Kings are in the business of exacting repayment, but fathers cannot live that way forever. Joab knew that, long before David acknowledged it.³⁷³ The king was obviously conflicted. But the ultimate paradox was that David was indulgent when he should have exercised discipline, and now he exercises discipline when he should have been more forgiving. In any event, David’s decision worked against his best interests because Absalom resented his father’s limited and reserved acceptance of him and reacted with hostility.³⁷⁴ Their relationship would just never be the same again.

Absalom’s Appearance: The situation was not helped by the physical attractiveness of Absalom. In all Isra’el there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. This anticipates why he will attract many to revolt against David. He was totally consumed with his appearance – especially his hair. Whenever he cut the hair of his head – he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him – he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred Shekels (or about five pounds) by the royal standard. Ironically, it was his hair that would cause his death. Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. All three of his sons died young and are not named, so in Second Samuel 18:18 we are told that he built a memorial pillar because he had no surviving sons. His daughter’s name was Tamar after his raped sister, and she became a beautiful woman (Second Samuel 14:25-27).

The Failed Reconciliation of David and Absalom: Reconciliation between father and son was slow. Painful. Costly. It could not be rushed . . . and Joab knew it. But just as reconciliation could not be rushed, it also could not be put off forever. Once again Joab was a catalyst for the necessary action by David. Joab was the only one who had a chance to move David beyond himself. Joab was the only one who had the access and the courage to speak frankly to the king. For Absalom, everything depended on Joab.³⁷⁵

Although his exile was over, Absalom was forced to cool his heals for two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face. For two years, Absalom was smoldering. What an insult! His narcissistic attitude would be fueled by his sense of outrage that he had been brought back to Yerushalayim only to be snubbed by his father, while the public adored him. Those two years gave Absalom ample opportunity to plan and scheme what he would do when he was no longer under house arrest.³⁷⁶ Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab ceased to be his advocate and even refused to come to him. A shrewd man like Joab must have realized that Absalom had designs on the throne and that the prince’s growing popularity could provide him the support he needed to take over the Kingdom. Knowing how volatile the situation was, the discerning general stayed away from Absalom lest he give the impression that the egotistical prince was controlling him.³⁷⁷

So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. Joab’s double refusal to respond to his summons was the last straw and Absalom decided to take matters into his own hands. Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. The blazing field of barley symbolized both Absalom’s rage and brought Joab scurrying home demanding an explanation. The loss of an entire crop of barley was a tragedy in ancient times (Exodus 9:28-31; Joel 1:11), even in the best of circumstances. Joab had every right to demand adequate compensation (Exodus 22:6), especially because the fire was set deliberately.³⁷⁸

Then Joab went to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” If Joab’s indignant reaction was understandable, Absalom had a ready answer. He said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and asked you to come here so I can see the king? You left me no alternative; you are my only hope! You, after all, had been the one who brought me back. If nothing changes, it would be better for me if I were still back in Geshur! Absalom found his situation intolerable. Now then, after five years of waiting, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything let him put me to death. Absalom may have convinced himself to think that he was merely avenging a wrong when he killed Amnon (see Dj – Absalom Kills Amnon), and that he wouldn’t have had to kill his brother if his father had done his duty and passed sentence on his brother. Absalom believed that the king should exact the full penalty for killing Amnon or forgive him. He would have rather died than continue living shamefully under house arrest.

The wise woman of Tekoa had put the king in a tight spot because of Joab’s scheme, but now, because of Absalom’s demands, Absalom had put Joab in a similar position. After all, it was Joab that masterminded Absalom’s return to Jerusalem. Joab knew that the people would never permit their favorite royal prince to be tried and convicted of a crime, but how could Joab guarantee that the king would be reconciled to his son?

The three main players, David, Joab and Absalom, in the beginning of the drama (verse 21) come together again at its end. Joab really had no choice, so went to the king and told him what Absalom had said. Then, as providence would have it, the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and as protocol demanded, bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. The king granted Absalom an audience, but the brief and formal description is telling. Though it ends with the king giving Absalom a kiss, acting according to royal protocol and not as his father (Second Samuel 14:28-33), there is no attempt made to bridge the gulf between them. Each saw the guilt in the other. The deadlock continued and neither had the spiritual incentive to break it. Absalom (Hebrew: my father is peace) still had his hidden agenda and was determined to seize David’s throne. Now that the prince was free, he could be visible in the City and enjoy the adulation of the crowds, while at the same time quietly organizing his sympathizers for the coming rebellion. David was about to lose his throne and crown, his concubines, his trusted adviser Ahithophel, and ultimately his son Absalom. It would be the darkest hour in David’s life . . . just as Nathan had prophesied.³⁷⁹

The Wise Woman of Tekoa
Second Samuel 14: 1-20

The wise woman of Tekoa DIG: Is Joab acting here in the best interests of Absalom, David or himself? Why do you think so? What acting role does he ask this wise woman to assume? How well does she play the part? What aspects of the woman’s clever story appeal to David? How does the story relate to David and Absalom? What aspects of God’s truth did she accurately portray in verses 13-17? What biblical teaching did she distort to influence Absalom’s safe return? Once David exposes the true source of her story as being Joab, why did he still agree to bring Absalom back? What was the difference between Nathan’s parable and the parable of the woman of Tekoa.

REFLECT: Are you deadlocked in a relationship right now? How do you usually respond when you are alienated from another person? Or from YHVH? What corrective measures right now does this story suggest you take for restoration to occur? How very important is it to be able to discern the difference between the wisdom of ADONAI and the various types of human wisdom? Are there tests we can apply? Can manipulation ever really serve the purposes of the LORD? Is your place of worship exempt?

980 BC

The action here in Chapter 14 is set three years after that of Chapter 13. The time span between the two chapters is the time between Absalom’s flight away from Jerusalem (Second Samuel 13:37) and the return to Tziyon (Second Samuel 14:23-24). At the moment of his flight (to see link click Dk – Absalom Flees), it is not known if there will be a return at all. Even after three years, even when circumstances are more favorable, it is still not known and far from certain that there will be a return.³⁶⁷

The question of whether the narrator pictures wisdom as residing in the woman from Tekoa or in Joab has been hotly debated. It seems best, however, to admit that the dispute between the two views is not a matter of either/or but of both/and: Joab was wise in knowing whom to delegate to approach David and in knowing what to tell her and say, and the woman from Tekoa was wise in knowing how to implement Joab’s instructions in the midst of a delicate situation. If the scales must be tipped in one direction or the other, the woman gets the nod. She is, after all, the one who is called wise!³⁶⁸

Joab’s Plan: Joab, the commander of David’s army, knew that the king’s heart was against Absalom (2 Samuel 14:1). The Hebrew verb al simply states that Joab knew that the king was either thinking about him, or was against him. The same verb is used in Dani’el 11:28, against the holy covenant. If David were really longing to see Absalom, Joab’s whole strategy would have been unnecessary. Why all the subtle maneuvering if all David required was a little nudge to send him off doing what he already wanted to do? But if the king was against Absalom, then we can understand Joab’s actions. Joab understood father and son were hopelessly deadlocked. David was reluctant to take up arms and capture his son (ironically the time would come when the son would take up arms against his father), and Absalom was unwilling to throw himself on the mercy of the king. Hence, Joab developed a plan so that David could recall Absalom. What was Joab’s motivation? He may have been thinking politically about his own future after David finished reigning and wanted to position himself in the best possible place in the next kingship.

Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman, whom he obviously knew, brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead to play on the sympathies of the king. Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth. He gave her the basic outline of what she was to say, but not a detailed script (Second Samuel 14:2-3). She was to employ a judicial parable, like the one Nathan had used (see Dd – Nathan Rebukes David). The presentation was to be of two conflicting issues, hence her need to appeal to a higher authority. The two conflicting issues were, first, should there be an execution for murder, and second, should there be a preservation of the family line?

Joab’s advice enabled the king to see the situation objectively, and thus, with a new slant on the matter, come to a decision. Tekoa was only five miles from Beit-Lechem. Joab evidently knew both the place and this wise woman, who had the skill to act a part and persist even with the king himself until he had understood her point. Though General Joab told her how to dress and what to say, she needed all her wit and hutzpah to deflect the response of the king, which could not have been foreseen.³⁶⁹

The Problem Posed: The woman came to present her case directly to the king, who was accessible to citizens whose complaint had not been settled to their satisfaction by the local judges. When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said: Help me, Your Majesty! Pretending to have no defender, she cried out for protection. The king asked her, “What is troubling you?” She said: I am a widow; my husband is dead. I, your servant, had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. The parallel case in his own family (see Dj – Absalom Kills Amnon) could not have failed to remind David of his own sorrows. Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant. They say: Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed (Numbers 35:21). Then we will get rid of her as well. She presents this as being part of the family’s intent. Thus, she insinuates that the motivation of the family is not merely justice, but a desire to claim the family property and put an end to any heir. They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth (Second Samuel 14:4-7).

The Ruse Continued: The king said to the woman, “Go home, and I will issue an order on your behalf.” David would issue an order of royal protection to overrule the principle of the avenger of the blood. But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “Let my lord the king pardon me and my family, and let the king and this throne be without guilt.” If there was any guilt in allowing the death of her son to go unpunished, she would be willing to bear it. The insinuation was that the king was merely putting her off with a promise. The king replied: If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again. David then gave more specific guarantees that no one would harm her or her son. Then she requested that he make his promise of protection an oath. Then let the king invoke YHVH his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed. “As surely as ADONAI lives,” he said, “not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground” (2 Samuel 14:8-11).

The Application: Then the woman said: Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king, because she was ready to apply the situation to Absalom. “Speak,” he replied. Then she mentions David’s sin against Isra’el. The woman said: Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? David must have been shocked! In other words, David was doing to Isra’el what the family in her ruse was trying to do to her. David was depriving Isra’el of an heir to the throne. Amnon, the firstborn was dead; Kileab, the second born, probably died young because he is never mentioned, and Absalom was next in line. When the king says this, does he not convict himself, (and the proof is) for the king has not brought back his banished son? The point is, by promising protection for her son, David had declared himself guilty in his conduct toward Absalom. Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, He devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from Him (Second Samuel 14:12-14). The woman implied that the LORD would achieve Absalom’s return from Geshur. Although David had devised one thing, God devised another.

There were three points of application. First, life is uncertain and once an opportunity is passed, it cannot be recovered. If David waited too long, it might be too late to be reconciled with his son. Second, Amnon, was dead. Leaving Absalom in a banished state would not bring Amnon back to life. And third, YHVH’s mercy is contrasted with David’s refusal to forgive his son, and an implied reminder that God had forgiven David for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah.³⁷⁰

The Explanation: At this point the woman changed her strategy and returned back to her own story, and became deferential to David. And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, “I will speak to the king; perhaps he will grant his servant’s request. Assuming that she may have offended David, it was the family problem that brought her to the king in the first place. And the parallel with Absalom only occurred to her during her conversation with David (which, of course, was a lie and part of the fabricated story). Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.” If her fictitious son were executed, she pretended, that would have been the end of her family line. And now your servant says: May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel of god in discerning good and evil. May ADONAI your God be with you (Second Samuel 14:15-17).

David’s Discernment: But David slowly . . . very slowly, finally, caught on. He finally recognized the hand of Joab in the elaborate plot. Then the king answered the woman, “I am going to ask you a question, and please don’t hide anything from me.” The woman said: Let my lord the king now speak.” The king asked, “Didn’t Joab put you up to this?” The woman was direct and without evasion: As you live, my lord the king, when my lord speaks, no one can avoid the issue by turning either to the right or to the left. Yes, it was your servant Joab who had me do this, and he put in my mouth every word you have heard your servant say. Your servant Joab did this in order to bring about some change in the situation between you and Absalom. But my lord is wise, he has the wisdom of an angel of God when it comes to understanding anything going on in the land (2 Samuel 14:18-20 CJB). With a flattering reference to the wisdom of the king, the woman brought her audience to a close. Her fictional story had done its work and she had achieved her purpose.

Both Nathan and the woman of Tekoa tried to grip David by their stories. But there was a world of difference between them. Nathan’s parable was designed to stir the king’s conscience contrary to his feelings; however, the woman of Tekoa’s parable (as prompted by Joab) was designed to move his feelings contrary to David’s conscience.³⁷¹

Absalom Flees
Second Samuel 13: 34-39

Absalom flees DIG: Where did Absalom flee? What might he get from his grandfather that he dare not ask his father for? With Amnon dead, what might Absalom think as a refugee and heir apparent to the throne of Isra’el? What was his plan? “Skill without scruple, wisdom without ethics, and insight without integrity.” This summary of the character of Jonadab brings to mind the thought that skill, wisdom and insight may be the qualities that we look for in the leaders of the congregations of God. But do we remember the other three qualities also?

REFLECT: From what hurts do you feel like “running away?” Where would you go? How long have you waited to reconcile with one of your children? Your parents? Do you protect your children or spoil them? How did David parent? How did David react when Tamar was raped? How did he react when Absalom fled? In your life is “tough love” appropriate in some circumstance? What can you learn from David’s mistakes?

980 BC

Meanwhile, Absalom fled in the opposite direction, probably during the confusion that ensued when the king’s sons ran for their lives fearing assassination themselves. Only Absalom and his guilty servants knew what was going to happen at the feast, so everyone else was caught off guard. They were all witnesses and could easily testify that Absalom was guilty. Absalom knew he was in jeopardy. So Absalom did not wait. He fled.

Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.” Jonadab recognized the princes and pointed out that he had been right, saying to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come. It has happened just as your servant said.” The watchman just reported seeing many people, but Jonadab knew just who they were because he was part of the plot. Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly (Second Samuel 13:34-36). Although all the sons were not killed, Amnon was killed, and that was reason to weep.

Absalom fled eighty miles northeast to the home of his maternal grandparents in Geshur, where his grandfather, Talmai, was king (Second Samuel 3:3b). No doubt this safe haven had been arranged beforehand, and it’s likely that Talmai would have loved seeing his grandson crowned king of Isra’el.³⁶⁴ Absalom had escaped, Amnon being brought to justice, but at the same time it seemed that Absalom had forfeited any likelihood of inheriting the throne of Isra’el. Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, King David mourned day after day for his firstborn son, Amnon (Second Samuel 13:37).

After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, a buffer state between Isra’el and Syria, he stayed there three years. Three years is a long time, and King David was finished with wanting (Hebrew: kalah means to come to an end, to be finished, or against) to go to Absalom. David was consoled concerning Amnon’s death. David had to come to terms with the loss of Amnon because he was dead. Absalom, however, might as well have been dead so far as his father was concerned. They were both deadlocked. David was reluctant to take up arms and capture his son, and Absalom (Hebrew: my father is peace) was unwilling to throw himself on the mercy of the king. David’s love and his sense of justice found no place for reconciliation, so, torn between the two, he did nothing (Second Samuel 13:38-39). It is ironic that David, who was innocent in his younger days by taking no action against Sha’ul, became guilty in his later years for failing to execute justice within his own family. One reason had to do with his own failing, which he saw being reproduced in his sons; yet another reason arose out of his love for his sons, who nevertheless did not hesitate in deceiving him into doing whatever they wanted and involving him in their wicked plans.³⁶⁵

We have come all the way through Chapter 13 where disaster followed disaster, and life in David’s family rushed along, driven by lust, conniving, weakness, and hatred. A shattered woman remained ignored by justice and unrestored by murder. And YHVH is never mentioned in the whole affair. Not once! What was He doing all that time? Was the monarchy He established reeling out of control, its course subject only the whims and sins of mankind?

That’s sometimes our impression of God’s Kingdom or His sovereign rule in human history. It all seems like a microcosm of Second Samuel 13, with everything bashing and bouncing around with Ha’Shem seemingly indifferent. But, of course, that wasn’t true for David and isn’t true for us. We have already been given a clue for this chapter in 12:10-12. YHVH had told David that the sword would not depart from your house and that He was rising up disaster against you from your own house. Is this not what has begun to happen in Chapter 13? Many have pointed out the appropriateness of the disaster: Amnon’s sexual escapade with Tamar corresponding to David’s with Bathsheba, and Absalom’s arranged murder paralleling David’s murder of Uriah. In this sleazy episode, then, Ha’Shem was fulfilling His word or judgment against the house of David. Humanly speaking everything seems to be coming unhinged; yet ADONAI is fulfilling His word spoken through Nathan His prophet. The LORD is in total control. God has not hung out a vacancy sign over His universe or His people. He is there, fulfilling His word. Sometimes only that assurance keeps us sane.³⁶⁶

Absalom Kills Amnon
Second Samuel 13: 23-33

Absalom kills Amnon DIG: Why did Absalom ask David, his officials and all his sons to join him? What is the “big deal” about sheep shearing (First Samuel 25:7-8)? What part of David’s bad example might have influenced Absalom in his act of revenge? Why is revenge still on Absalom’s mind? What is significant about his timing? His tactics?

REFLECT: What long-term grudges have taken their toll on your family? When have you gotten really bad advice from someone that got you in trouble? With whom are you not now on good speaking terms? How can you “bury the hatchet” instead of using it? Why is revenge never the solution? In what ways is Yeshua the perfect example for us regarding revenge?

980 BC

The Murder: Two long years went by. Two years of humiliation for Tamar, two years of anger for David and two years of brooding vengeance for Absalom (Hebrew: my father is peace).³⁶³ But he was a patient man, and very capable of long range planning as subsequent events will show. When Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Ba’al Hazor about fourteen miles north of Yerushalayim near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there because sheep shearing was a time of feasting (First Samuel 25:2-13) and inviting all of the king’s sons would decrease suspicion. Therefore, Absalom went to the king and said: Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me (Second Samuel 13:23-24)? Absalom’s words were well chosen in terms of both politeness and protocol. But Absalom already knew that David would decline to avoid showing any favoritism to any particular son. Once, again, this was part of Absalom’s evil plan to avoid any suspicion.

As expected, the king replied, “No, my son. All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing. Then Absalom said: If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us. As David’s first-born, and heir apparent, he could go as the king’s representative. The king asked him as a polite refusal: Why should he go with you? But Absalom urged him, so David sent Amnon and the rest of his sons with him (Second Samuel 13:25-27). The tactics used by Absalom and Jonadab were exactly like the ones used twenty-four months earlier when Amnon raped Tamar. He invited his victim to the place of his intended crime, and then perpetrated the assault. I am sure Absalom loved the irony.

Absalom was having a sheep-shearing party – it would be the perfect time to shear sheep and butcher Amnon! Amnon was crown prince representing the king. Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine (not drunk, but no longer in total control of his senses, he would be totally taken off guard) and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. It was understandable, therefore, that the assassins needed extra assurance. So Absalom reassured them by saying: Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? They would not suffer any consequences. Absalom took full responsibility for the murder. Be strong and brave?” So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules (an animal of royalty in those days) and fled because they feared that they might also be victims of an assassination plot (Second Samuel 13:28-29).

The Report to David: Before the guards on the wall could clearly see men riding furiously toward Tziyon and recognize them as the king’s sons, a messenger from Absalom’s house took a garbled account of the events to the palace. The report came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.” The king, however, took the report at face value and was overwhelmed by grief. He stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn. But then Jonadab son of Shimeah (who was the one who came up with the sinister plan for Amnon to rape Tamar in the first place), David’s brother said: My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. He seems to have knowledge of Absalom’s assassination plot to kill Amnon. This has been Absalom’s plan ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. Absalom had revealed to his confidant what he planned to do. But Jonadab, David’s own nephew, who knew that one nephew was going to kill another one of his nephews, said nothing! The sword was still at work. My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead (Second Sam 12:30-33). The members of the king’s court mourned with their prostate king. Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go and costs you more than you wanted to pay – and this is where David’s sin has brought him: lust, rape, murder and hate!

Conflict with Absalom
Second Samuel 13:23 to 14:33

As Warren Wiersbe describes in his commentary on Second Samuel, the first ten chapters of Second Samuel reveal how YHVH empowered David to defeat Isra’el’s enemies and establish and expand the Kingdom. Then David committed the sins of adultery, murder and deception in Chapters 11 and 12, and the rest of the book describes David wrestling with the problems caused by his own children. His days are dark and disappointing, but he still relied on ADONAI, and God enabled David to overcome and prepare the Gentile nations for the reign of his son Solomon.

Absalom is the main character in this part of the play, for it was Absalom who helped to turn the drama into a tragedy. There were three heirs to David’s throne: Amnon, the first born, Absalom his third son, and Adonijah. When confronted with Nathan’s parable about the rich man and the poor man, David had declared: The man who did this must pay for the lamb four times over (Second Samuel 12:6), and David would pay dearly four times over with the deaths of four of his sons. First, Bathsheba’s infant son died. The LORD had warned David that the sword would never depart from his house and Absalom, which ironically means peaceful, was the first to take up the sword. Secondly, Absalom killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar, then thirdly, Joab killed Absalom during the battle of Mount Ephraim, and fourthly, Adonijah was slain for trying to usurp the throne from Solomon (First Kings 2:12-25).

David was reigning as king over Isra’el, but sin and death were reigning within his own family (Romans 14, 17 and 21). ADONAI had forgiven David’s sins (Second Samuel 12:13), but the consequences for those forgiven sins were very painful. Ha’Shem had blessed David with many sons (First Chronicles 28:5), but now the LORD would turn some of those blessings into curses (Malachi 2:1-2). Later, Jeremiah would say it this way: Your own wickedness will correct you, your own backsliding will convict you; you will know and see how bad and bitter it was to abandon ADONAI your God, and how fear of Me is not in you, says Adonai ELOHIM-T’zva’ot (Jeremiah 2:19 CJB).³⁶²

Amnon and Tamar
Second Samuel 13: 1-22

Amnon and Tamar DIG: What is the difference between love and lust? In what way was Jonadab “shrewd?” How did Amnon react to Tamar’s rape? Why did Tamar refuse to be banished? What greater wrong had Tamar experienced after the rape? Why did Amnon end up hating Tamar? How did the rape affect Tamar’s life? How did Absalom react to his sister’s rape initially? Later (Second Samuel 13:28)? How did David respond? How did David respond as he faced the problems brought on by his children? How had David’s credibility been compromised?

REFLECT: If you do not hate sin – especially your own sin enough, where should you go? How about a hill outside Jerusalem? In what ways have you been impacted by sexual sins in the past (your past or another’s)? How have you managed to control the damage? To be forgiven? Do you think rape victims get sufficiently compassionate treatment in today’s society? Do you think “love” badly needs a biblical definition in today’s society? What’s your definition? As a parent, or a potential parent, how do you evaluate your present example for your family? What do you think of David as a dad?

981 BC

Because of his affair with Bathsheba, Nathan told David that the sword would never depart from his house (to see link click Dd – Nathan Rebukes David). It was not long before David began to experience the heartbreaks of rape and murder within his own family. His sin had come home to roost. Something seems to have snapped somewhere; the bonds of integrity within his home life collapsed and David seemed, like Jacob (see my commentary on Genesis Ie – The Slaughter at Shechem by Simeon and Levi), unable to cope with it.³⁵⁸

The Trap: In the course of time, after the incident with Bathsheba and Uriah, Amnon son of David thought he was in love with Tamar, tragic in her beauty, she was the sister of Absalom son of David. It was evil for him to nurture an abnormal love for his half-sister and he should have stopped feeding that appetite the moment it started (Matthew 5:27-30). Amnon became so obsessed with his half-sister Tamar that he loved her and made himself sick thinking about it. She was a virgin that seemed to inflame Amnon’s passion all the more. The virgin princesses were kept secluded in their own quarters, apart even from their male relatives. So it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her (Second Samuel 13:1-2). But Amnon’s imagination worked overtime thinking about her (James 1:13-15).³⁵⁹

Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab, son of David’s brother Shammah (First Samuel 16:9), here called Shimeah. So Jonadab was David’s nephew and a cousin to Amnon, Absalom and Tamar. He embodies the consummate politician – he gets things done. He knew how to work all the angles, he knew how to make anything succeed . . . even the rape of a cousin. He was a very shrewd man, and perhaps the most dangerous man in the whole fiasco. He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me” (Second Samuel 13:3-4a)?

Jonadab, and those like him, have the skill to leak evil everywhere they go. They are dangerous because they have the skill without scruple, wisdom without ethics and insight without integrity. This was Jonadab – nothing succeeds like success; nothing impedes like standards! Jonadab can show you how to raise needed funds for your place of worship or how to rape a scrumptious female . . . whichever you want. There is never a line he won’t cross. He was a pimp for his male cousin, a disgrace to his female cousin and disloyal to his uncle, the king. All of this should help us see the caution light blinking in our lives. We should pray that when ADONAI has given us some skill, we choose to add a measure of integrity and sincerity so that we may keep ourselves from the shrewdness of a man like Jonadab.³⁶⁰

Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” Jonadab advised Amnon to pretend to be ill. Jonadab knew that when David heard of Amnon’s “illness,” he would come to see him. At that point Amnon should say: I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When King David came to see him, Amnon said: I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand (Second Sam. 13:4b-6). David’s indulgence of his children would now bring the sword into his house.

The Rape: So David sent word to Tamar at the palace, “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.” It appears that each brother had his own house. This would have provided the privacy needed for Amnon to rape Tamar. So without hesitation the unsuspecting Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. He looked harmless lying there. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat (Second Samuel 13:7-9a). We must suppose that a servant took the bread to Amnon and, when he refused to eat it, brought them back to Tamar.

“Send everyone out of here,” Ammon said. So everyone left him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring me food here in my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she took it to him to eat, he overpowered her and said: Come to bed with me, my sister (Second Samuel 13:9b-11). This was, and is, an abomination to the LORD, for a half-brother and half-sister to have sexual relations (Leviticus 18: 9,11 and 20:17; Deuteronomy 27:22). Now Amnon was the oldest of David’s sons and the apparent heir to the throne. But just like Reuben, he lost his favored position due to sexual sin (see commentary on Genesis Ik – Reuben Went In and Slept with His Father’s Concubine Bilhah).

Trapped, she tried to reason with him. “No, my brother!” she pleaded, “Don’t force me! The term force (Hebrew: ‘anah) can be translated to oppress or to humiliate. It reflects more than an act of sexual exploitation. The rape is an act of the strong overpowering the weak. Tamar was helpless before Amnon’s unrestrained passion. Amnon was satisfied. Tamar was violated. The rape was quick, but it will take seven years to live through the consequences of that one foolish act of lust (Second Samuel 13:23, 38, and 14:28). Such a thing should not be done in Isra’el! Don’t do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Isra’el. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” Now Tamar knew this was also against the Torah, but she probably made this suggestion in an effort to escape from being raped. However, her pleading was to no avail. He refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her (Second Samuel 13:12-14). Such loss of a maiden’s virginity was an unbearable curse in Isra’el (Deuteronomy 22:13-21). Moreover, such relationships between brothers and sisters were strictly forbidden under the Torah. Those guilty were to be cut off from the covenant community (Leviticus 20:17).

The Results: Then Amnon quickly lost interest in Tamar. He hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had [lusted after] her. Tamar had barely caught her breath after being raped, Amnon said two words to her in Hebrew: Get up and get out. Now detached, he wanted to get rid of her. “No!” she begged him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.” But the egotistical Amnon had neither ears nor heart. Heir apparent, he was used to having his own way and not accustomed to accepting advice. He refused to listen to her. He called his personal servant and said: The English version does not reproduce the deep contempt that is expressed in the Hebrew. Amnon declared: Get this thing (Hebrew: zo’t) out of my sight and bolt the door after her. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. Once he had satisfied his lustful desires, he discarded her as trash.

Amnon had multiplied himself thousands of times in contemporary music videos and rap music, where we meet remarkably one-dimensional characters, ruled entirely by their all-powerful genitalia. Such media glamorize the hard, bitter, sadistic sex they promote, but also expose it for those who have eyes to see. Teenagers, however, seldom do.³⁶¹

She was wearing an ornate robe like Joseph’s coat (see my commentary on Genesis Iy – Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors), for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. She would be immediately recognized as she returned home. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, as a sign of mourning, weeping aloud as she went (Second Samuel 13:15-19).

Her brother Absalom instantly suspected what had happened. He said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? This was a nice, euphemistic way of describing the offense. Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Or don’t make a public scandal out of this. Don’t take this thing to heart.” She was not to take vengeance. Absalom would do that for her in due time. And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman with no hope of ever being married or having a family (Second Samuel 13:20). For a Hebrew woman it was a living death. This would have been a great shame in Isra’el even though she did nothing wrong.

When king David heard all this, he was furious. But something was not right with David’s fury. It should have led to a righteous result. His anger should have led to justice. Amnon should have been punished and Tamar exonerated. Instead, Amnon is not held accountable and Tamar receives no restoration, and Absalom is handed a plausible excuse for revenge. Like Jacob, he did nothing (Genesis 34: 25-29). How could he discipline his son when he himself had committed his own sexual offense? Like Eli and Samuel, David failed to control his own sons. Ultimately, he didn’t protect his daughter. If David had done something, maybe Absalom wouldn’t have taken matters into his own hands. One may understand his failure to act; however, one may not excuse it. In the final analysis, as Nathan had prophesied, the sword would never depart from his house and this episode would lead to tragic consequences.

As is often noted, this chapter begins with Amnon’s “love” and ends with Absalom’s hatred. Absalom hated Amnon because Amnon had abused his sister. But Absalom’s hatred was a sophisticated, high-class hatred. He bided his time. His was a cool, patient hatred, a rage that would wait. He never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, but simply waited for the right time to kill his brother and avenge his sister. Amnon’s hatred for his half-sister Tamar was replaced by Absalom’s hatred for his half-brother Amnon (Second Samuel 13:21-22), which would give birth to murder.

ADONAI hates all sin. When we think God’s thoughts we also hate sin. Just as YHVH never excuses or ignores sin, neither can we ignore sin. The LORD choses forgiveness for sin when there is repentance; but, forgiveness is entirely different from excusing or ignoring sin. Discipline is God’s loving tool that He uses for the benefit of His child. An excellent verse for parents to teach to their children on the Lord’s love which disciplines His children is in Hebrews 12:5-6 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Repentance also needs explanation as not being flippant words of “I’m sorry” – but a genuine heart of sorrow over their part in the wrong, as opposed to sorrow over the consequences. Rabbi Sha’ul talks about this: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Prayer is always an excellent way to bring the focus back to God. The child that learns to ask for God’s forgiveness will see sin as bigger than just disobeying a rule or his mom or dad. A good way to conclude is for the parents to encourage their children that next time when they are tempted, they should pray to ADONAI for help to give them victory over the situation. God loves to help each child and is always ready to help. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (First Corinthians 10:11). The way out of sin is not to ignore it, but to ask for God’s help.

The Capture of Rabbah
Second Samuel 12:26-31
and First Chronicles 20:1b-3

The capture of Rabbah DIG: Why did Joab call for David to join him in battle? What point does this story serve, inserted here in this context? Why was David so cruel to the Ammonites after he defeated them? Do you think David was fully engaged here? Or was he distracted?

REFLECT: Can you leave the glory to others, or do you need the spotlight? When does your pride get the best of you? What are you holding on to only by God’s grace?

982 BC

We almost forgot the Ammonites. The Ammonite campaign had been under way since Hanun had refused David’s chesed (to see link click Db – David Defeats the Ammonites). While the reader has been suffering with David and the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba, the murder of Uriah, the confrontation with Nathan, and David’s repentance in Psalm 51, Joab had been a faithful general. He handled affairs of state while the king was too busy with his lust and his guilt. It was a hard campaign, but now was the time for victory.

Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the majority of the city. The royal citadel, which would be the last to fall, would include the palace, and Joab, in his loyalty to David, he wanted to leave the honor of capturing the city and its king to David. Joab knows he won the battle. He could have claimed the victory. He could have set himself up as a rival to David. Perhaps he could have won over David. But more than that, Joab remembered Uriah and the letters and the messenger and used the evidence against David. None of that, however, is ever mentioned. He deferred. He allowed David to have the victory when the king surely needed it to stop the gossip at the royal court.

Joab then sent a messenger to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. Once their water supply was cut off and the fall of the city was imminent. Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.” Because Joab would be the conqueror and it would be his by right of conquest. So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it (Second Samuel 12:26-28).

He took the crown from the head of their king, whose name is not mentioned despite his reputation (Second Samuel 10:1-5). Its weight was found to be a talent of gold, about 66 pounds or 30 kilograms, and it was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. This symbolized the transfer of power over Ammon to the Israelite king. No king could wear a crown that heavy for very long, so David’s “coronation” was a brief official act of state, claiming Ammon as his territory.³⁵⁵ He took a great quantity of plunder from the city and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to forced labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David also did this to all the Ammonite towns, setting up building projects throughout Ammonite territory. These would be needed in order to repair the fortifications damaged in the recent fighting, and probably also to house his own soldiers, whose task it would be to keep the conquered people subservient.³⁵⁶ Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem (Second Samuel 12:29-31; First Chronicles 20:1b-3). The crown was very valuable, so David took it along with the abundant spoil he found in the city. Most of the wealth went into YHVH’s treasury and was used in the building of the Temple. And so ends David’s last great war. He will now begin to suffer the long-term consequences of his sin when his son Ammon rapes his daughter Tamar.

The terrible failure of David is important to the narrator of Samuel. Throughout his books the writer introduces the leaders of Isra’el: Eli and sons, Samuel, Sha’ul (not to mention wannabes like Eliab and Abner). All of them are flawed in some way, Eli’s sons and Sha’ul severely so. Even Samuel falls short in some respects (First Samuel 8:1-2 and 16:6-7), and now David, the covenant king. Just because David was God’s beloved and chosen king did not mean that he hung on to the kingdom by any means but by grace, for he was a son of death. In the books of Samuel ALL human leadership is flawed. Which means that the united kingdom (made up of the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Isra’el), if there is to be one, can only be established and maintained by grace. Therefore, the books of Samuel make us lift our eyes and wait for the messianic King.³⁵⁷

O God, A Broken and Contrite Heart
You Will Not Despise
Psalm 51:1-19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
When the prophet Nathan came to him
after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

O God, a broken and contrite heart You will not despise DIG: How many commandments did David break in the affair with Bathsheba? In light of his arrogance, adultery, deception and murder, how does he dare approach the LORD? What does he feel? Murder is a capital crime in the Torah. So is adultery. Why? Since such sins involve others how can David only sin against God? How can an unborn child be sinful? What does this show about the nature of sin? In light of this, what does David ask God to do? What does it mean to be cleansed with hyssop? Why did David request this? On what basis did David hope to restore his relationship with ADONAI? Why did David generalize his prayer to include the whole nation? What kind of sacrifices does YHVH desire? When will God accept righteous sacrifices?

REFLECT: Has covering up your sin backfired in your life? How have you seen the LORD’s mercy when you owned up to your sin? Are there really any “victimless crimes?” How do personal failings affect God? Others? Self? Society? Are you more sensitive to sin and brokenness in yourself as a believer than beforehand? Why?

How we long for renewal! Every area of our life is so easily corroded and stained. Our marriages need renewal. Our families need renewal. The universal Church, made up of Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14), needs renewal. But most of all, we need personal renewal – a deep inner conviction of our own sin and poverty – followed by a fresh cleansing and filling by the Ruach ha-Kodesh. But there is no renewal apart from pain. This pain may come in moral crisis. It may come when the peaceful order of everyday life is broken by illness, economic reversal, or turmoil in relationships. It may come when we reflect upon the pace with which life passes or our haunting need for meaning.

As Donald Williams relates in his commentary on Psalms, the deepest renewal is spiritual, and it has a moral base. Since ADONAI is holy and since He has given us a conscience, we cannot be renewed apart from dealing with our moral failure before Him. Try as we may, we cannot remove sin by rationalization or denial. At some point our intellectual and psychological defenses will be broken. In that moment of truth when we face our own despair, God vows to come to us. But how will we know what to do? How can we experience cleansing and renewing power? Psalm 51 becomes the key to new life. It opens the door to a radical change for each person who is willing to pray this prayer from the heart.

David had been guilty of a whole chain of sin. Lust led to adultery, adultery to deception, and deception to murder. Trying to cover his tracks only dug the pit that he was in deeper. In this sense David was no different from any of us. Finally, Ha’Shem confronted him through Nathan the prophet. The ringing words: You are the man (Second Samuel 12:7), brought David to his knees before God. And judgment quickly followed. But at the same time David received mercy. When he confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD,” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die” (Second Samuel 12:13). Psalm 51, then, is David’s deep, prayerful, agonizing response to his ruin.³⁴⁶

A. Prayer for Individual Renewal: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing chesed (see commentary on Ruth, to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed); according to your great compassion. David then uses three words that basically communicate the same idea: evil and lawlessness as defined by YHVH: Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness (Greek: anomia); in fact, sin is lawlessness (First John 3:4). However, upon closer examination, each word also carries a slightly different meaning.

Blot out my transgressions (Hebrew: pesha refers to an arrogant sin). Transgression means to choose to sin, to intentionally and willfully disobey. Samson intentionally broke his Nazirite vow by touching a dead lion (Numbers 6:1-5; Judges 14:8-9) and allowing his hair to be cut (Judges 16:17). In doing so he was committing a transgression. David was referring to this kind of sin when he wrote: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered (Psalm 32:1). When we knowingly run a stop sign, tell a lie, or blatantly disregard an authority, we are transgressing.

Wash away all my iniquity (Hebrew: avon is more deeply rooted and means making a premeditated choice that continues without repentance). David’s sin with Bathsheba that led to the killing of her husband, Uriah, was iniquity (Second Samuel 11:3-4, 12:9). Micah 2:1 says: Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At mornings light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.

And cleanse me from my sin (Hebrew: chata, meaning to miss the mark). Chata can refer to doing something against ADONAI or against a person (Exodus 10:16), doing the opposite of what is right (Galatians 5:17), doing something that will have negative results (Proverbs 24:33-34), and failing to do something you know is right (Numbers 15:27). As Romans 3:23 says, sin is a general term that falls short of the glory of God (Psalm 51:1-2).³⁴⁷

The power of verses 1 and 2 lies in the verbs. To blot out implies a comparison with human records that can be erased; wash away compares forgiveness with washing clothing (often viewed as an extension of the person), and cleanse is drawn from worshiping at the Temple where one might be purified by making an offering (see commentary on Exodus Fb – The Five Offerings of the Tabernacle: Christ, Our Sacrificial Offering).³⁴⁸ Thus, to sin is to deviate from God’s moral standard, and ultimately, to miss the perfection of YHVH Himself, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). As Yeshua demands: be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:36; Psalm 145:8-9). Who then can stand on the Day of Judgment? We must join David’s cry: Blot out my transgressions.

B. Confession and Contrition: In search for forgiveness David opened his sinful heart. For I know my transgressions (Hebrew: pesha), and my sin is always before me. There is a cleansing when we take responsibility for our own sin. We have tendency to blame everyone and everything but ourselves. But Nathan’s words brought David back to reality: Against You, You only, have I sinned (Hebrew: chata) and done what is evil in Your sight so that You are proved right when you speak and justified when You judge. This is the road to recovery. When we take our sin to ADONAI, there is absolute justice and absolute mercy for God delights in forgiving the repentant sinner.³⁴⁹ Surely I was born in iniquity (Hebrew: avon), and in sin my mother conceived me. We are all born, yes, even conceived, with the disease of sin because of Adam’s fall: By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners (Romans 5:19). As a result, we are totally corrupt and unable to save ourselves from our sinful condition. Surely You desire truth in the innermost place (Psalm 51:3-6). Only when we believe that the Truth became flesh (John 1:14) and died for our sins can this be achieved. The godly surrender, cry out to God, confess their sins, and receive the assurance of Messiah’s forgiveness.

C. Prayer of Renewal: Now that David had admitted his sin, acknowledged the One against whom he had sinned, and gotten to the depths of his sin, in utter helplessness he must either despair or throw himself completely on the mercy of ADONAI. Knowing the love of YHVH, he cried out: Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean. The word is commonly used in describing the cleansing of a leper’s house. Hyssop is also used to sprinkle blood in the rite of purification (Lev 14:52). Underlying the cleansing, then is the concept of sacrificial blood. In a parallel phrase, David asks: Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. As Ha’Shem promised through Isaiah, “Though your sins are like blood-colored scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).

This deep cleansing gave David the boldness to pray for renewal, for restoration. Let me hear joy and gladness. He not only wanted cleansing; he wanted communion with ADONAI. David’s joy, and our joy in the Lord, is more than an emotional expression – it is a contented resting in His presence. David just wanted to be right again with God. He had been cut down with conviction. Let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Confronted with the truth, he was shattered. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity so they are all stricken from the record (Psalm 51:7-9). Up to this point, David had been pleading for forgiveness again and again: blot out, wash, cleanse, and hide Your face. This emphasized the depths of his grief and the longing for reconciliation. Yeshua tells us to keep on asking, to keep on seeking, and to keep on knocking (Luke 11:9-10). And this is exactly what David did. He was bold in prayer both because of his deep pain and because of his deep love of the LORD.³⁵⁰

David was aware that he had become indifferent in his attitudes so he needed a new beginning. Create in me a pure heart, O God. The word create (Hebrew: bara) is the same one used in Genesis 1:1. And this thought is reinforced with the parallel phrase, renew a steadfast spirit within me. Basically, David was asking for a new heart and a new spirit, which can only be done by God Himself. He was also aware that Sha’ul had been removed as king because of his sin, and this was revealed with the departure of the Ruach ha-Kodesh. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. In the Dispensation of Torah, the Ruach would come and go. In addition, the righteous of the TaNaKh would have to continually offer up sacrifices for their sins as long as they lived. In the Dispensation of Grace, however, the Holy Spirit does not leave us; and once saved, we are eternally secure (see commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). The same Spirit that brought David under conviction of sin is the same Spirit who brings assurance and comfort: Restore to me the joy of your salvation. This salvation includes deliverance from the penalty and power of sin. It is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). When God brings salvation . . . joy comes. And grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:10-12). It is a spirit ready to do God’s bidding.³⁵¹  We can’t lose our salvation, but we can lose the joy of  our salvation with unconfessed, unrepentant sin. That’s what happened to David. Or a believer can lose the joy of their salvation when they live a life of legalism (see the commentary on Galatians Bp – Until Messiah is Formed in You).

B. Thanksgiving: Out of the joy of salvation and his resulting readiness, David promised three things. First, David said that if Ha’Shem would forgive him, then he would teach transgressors His ways, and sinners would turn back to Him (Psalm 51:13). Because David had known transgression and sin, he could teach transgressors and sinners. Credible witness comes from those whose lives have been redeemed from their own pain. Rabbi Sha’ul could deal so effectively with legalism because he had been so legalistic before his conversion (Philippians 3:2-6). Don’t waste your sorrows, help others by what you have learned and give the glory to God.

Secondly, David now brings the prayer to its climax, asking YHVH, once again, to clear the books, saying: deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God. The word bloodshed is literally bloods, plural (Hebrew: damim). The word signifies blood that has been shed violently, and refers to David’s arranged murder of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah (Second Samuel 11:15). David reinforces this final plea for forgiveness by using the address: the God of my salvation, as if reminding the LORD of His grace. David declared that when the curse was lifted: My tongue will sing of Your righteousness. Open my lips, Adonai, and my mouth will praise You (Psalm 51:14-15).

Thirdly, David promised that if God would forgive his sins he would sacrifice to Him. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it. He knew that Ha’Shem did not desire merely an animal sacrifice. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings (see commentary on Exodus Fe – The Burnt Offering). What, then, could David offer to Adonai in worship? Isra’el was taught by YHVH not to come to Him empty handed. He must bring something! All David could offer was his shattered spirit and his broken heart. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken a contrite (crushed) heart. When we discover God’s mercy and His incredible love for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), this is the final breaking. As our heart sobs, the Lord puts His arms around us and we are finally broken. O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).³⁵²

In the Dispensation of Torah, anyone who sinned as David did, had to receive a word from a priest or a prophet acknowledging he was forgiven. Only then could the penitent person again take part in worship and make a peace offering (see commentary on Exodus Fg – The Peace Offering). But in the Dispensation of Grace, the word of pardon is written in Scripture: The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (First John 1:7).³⁵³

A. Prayer for National Renewal: As king, David now prays for the nation. Broken leaders mean broken people. A renewed leader will renew a congregation. Once the people are restored, proper worship will come from their renewed hearts. In your good pleasure make Zion prosper and build up the walls of Jerusalem. For the glorious answer to David’s prayer see Nehemiah 12:43, where the walls of Tziyon were completed and they offered great sacrifices that day . . . and the sound of rejoicing could be heard far away. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; then bulls will be offered on Your altar (Psalm 51:18-19). It was as if David was saying, “The problem isn’t with the sacrificial system . . . the problem is with us! Today renewal is again stirring the Church. As we are broken before ADONAI, the walls of Yerushalayim will be built and the sacrifices of the righteous will ascend to His praise and glory.³⁵⁴

David’s Son Dies
Second Samuel 12: 15-25

David’s son dies DIG: What was God trying to teach David (and us) by the death of David’s son? What other purpose is ultimately accomplished by this severe mercy (Second Samuel 12:24-25)? What should we think when ADONAI disciplines us? Why do bad things happen to good people? To innocent children? Where should we look for comfort when dealing with the death of an infant?

REFLECT: When was the last time you suffered the consequences of your sin? Did you fess up, or were you found out? Is there a difference? If so, what is it? Do you have idle time on your hands? How can you use it wisely? If there were no painful consequences to sin or subsequent discipline from the hand of God, what kind of an irresponsible world would we be living in? Are you controlled by tradition?

983 BC

David had kept his silence for at least six months. He had hardened his heart and refused to acknowledge his sin until Nathan had confronted him. But it was only after the child was born that he eventually came to understand the full weight of his actions. Do you wonder what those months were like for him? Well, David tells us: When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer (Psalm 32:3-4).

Discipline is not punishment meted out by an angry judge who wants to uphold the law; rather, it’s difficulty permitted by a loving heavenly Father who wants His children to submit to His will and develop godly character. Discipline is an expression of God’s love. My son [daughter], do not despise ADONAI’s discipline or resent His reproof; for ADONAI corrects those He loves like a father who delights in His son [daughter] (Proverbs 3:11-12).

The Death of David’s Son: After Nathan had gone home, his prophetic announcement was fulfilled, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill (Second Samuel 12:15). This was the child he tried to pawn off on Uriah, but now David pleaded with God for the child’s life. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. He knew his child was dying because of his own sin. The senior officials of the royal court stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them (Second Samuel 12:16-17).

Why would a loving and just God not answer a grieving and repentant father’s prayers and heal the child? After all, it wasn’t the baby’s fault that his father and mother had sinned against Ha’Shem. For that matter, why did YHVH allow Uriah and some fellow soldiers to die at Rabbah just so David could marry Bathsheba? Keep asking similar questions and you will end up the ultimate question, “Why does the LORD permit evil in the world? Eventually David looked back and saw this painful experience as ADONAI’s goodness and mercy (Psalm 23:6) both to him and to the baby. Abraham asked: Will not the Judge of all the earth do right (Genesis 18:15)? When he heard the bad news of God’s discipline on his family, even the backslidden Eli confessed: He is the LORD; let Him do what is good in His eyes (1 Sam 3:18). There are no easy answers to settle our minds, but there are plenty of dependable promises to heal our hearts, and faith is nurtured on promises, not expectations.³⁴⁰

On the seventh day since the child became ill, he died. The parents weren’t able to circumcise or name their son on the eighth day (see commentary on Genesis, to see link click En – For Generations to Come Every Male Who is Eight Days Old Must be Circumcised). The death of the child – son of Bathsheba, daughter of seven; son of David, chosen above his seven brothers (First Samuel 16:10) – takes place on the seventh day.³⁴¹

Solomon got two names (see below), this baby didn’t even get one. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? If David treated himself so badly when the child was alive, what will he do if he finds out the child is dead. He may do something desperate” (Second Samuel 12:18).

While YHVH has not chosen to reveal to us the eternal state of those who die in infancy, there is comfort in knowing that YHVH is incomprehensively good, righteous, loving and just. We may have confidence that He will do what is right. Our comfort in a time of sorrow is in the character of our sovereign God. Our Lord Jesus has a great love for children. When some women brought their children to Jesus so that He might lay hands on them and pray, the apostles rebuked them. But Messiah said: Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14). The character of ADONAI, and the love of Yeshua for little ones, leads me to believe that those who have died in infancy are in heaven with Jesus.³⁴²

David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and new clothes, he went into the house of YHVH and worshiped in the tent where the ark of God had been installed (Second Samuel 6:17).

In Scripture, washing oneself and putting on new clothes symbolizes making a new beginning (Genesis 35:1-2, 41:14, 45:22; Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 14:8-9; Jeremiah 52:33; Revelation 3:18). No matter how long ADONAI chastens us, He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever (Psalm 103:9). Because of God’s grace (giving us what we don’t deserve) and mercy (not giving us what we do deserve), we can always make a new beginning.³⁴³

Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. Understandably, David’s servants were confused. They asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” David’s actions were the exact opposite of what one would have expected. Normally, he would have gone through his shiva, a week long period of grief and mourning. But he was not controlled by tradition.  He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I had hope. He was counting on the open door of the divine “perhaps.” I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live’ even though Nathan had prophesied otherwise. ADONAI has blessings for those who ask, and David was not going to miss them because he failed to do so (James 4:2). But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will be with him in sh’ol when I die, but he will not return to me now.” When infants die, David’s words are a comfort to us that they will go to heaven.  David had accepted the will of God and there was no reason to wrestle with His will any more (Second Samuel 12:19-23).

The Birth of Solomon: After at least nine months went by, David comforted his wife Bathsheba. No matter how devastated the discipline at the hand of our loving heavenly Father makes us feel, there is comfort available from ADONAI (see commentary Isaiah Hc – Comfort, Comfort My People Says Your God). Before her son died, the LORD called Bathsheba “Uriah’s wife” (Second Samuel 12:15), possibly because that’s who she was when the boy was conceived. But now she is referred to as “David’s wife” which suggests that she, like David, was also making a new beginning.³⁴⁴

And he went in to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon (Hebrew: Shelomoh meaning peaceable, coming from the more well known word shalom or peace). ADONAI loved him, and in an ironic touch, He sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah (Hebrew: Y’didyah meaning loved by God). This was a pledge to David that this son of Bathsheba would not suffer the same fate as his brother. The placement of Solomon’s birth in the story is stunning. Solomon is born so close to all the sinfulness, and still within the echo of the prophetic lawsuit (see Dd – Nathan Rebukes David). Nonetheless, life begins again for this family.

At this point YHVH chose Solomon to succeed David as King of Isra’el (Second Samuel 12:24-25). God had told David that this son would be born and that he would build the Temple (Second Samuel 7:12-13; First Chronicles 22:6-10). And He is the Promise Keeper. Every time David and Bathsheba looked at Solomon, his very presence would remind them that ADONAI had forgiven their past and guaranteed their plans for the future.³⁴⁵