Bible in 365 Days

2 Samuel 16-18

2 Samuel 16

David's sorrows multiplied. Those recorded here are typical. Ziba, a man who for purely selfish reasons took advantage of temporary trouble to traduce an absent friend, was utterly despicable, and the more so because at the moment the sorrow he brought to the heart of David was his feeling that his kindness toward Mephibosheth was ill requited. Shimei was of a higher type than Ziba, but was mean beyond measure. He struck when his foe was in the dust. David's attitude toward Shimei is remarkable in its revelation of his attitude toward God. He spoke of Shimei as sent to curse him.

As we thus follow David through these days of humiliation and shame, while with him we recognize the perfect justice of all the sufferings that came to him, we nevertheless understand more perfectly that he was indeed a man after God's own heart.

Arriving in Jerusalem, Absalom was surprised to find Hushai, David's friend, still there. He turned from him to Ahithophel for counsel. Ahithophel advised an action which would make the breach between himself and his father permanent, and constituted a supreme claim to the succession. To enter and possess the harem of a king was the right only of his successor.

2 Samuel 17

Ahithophel counseled immediate war-like activity. As David had not gone far, and could not have gathered round him any large number of men, let a company be sent to capture him, and that immediately. Judging from the human standpoint, had Absalom followed this advice, his rebellion might have been successful. But it is never safe to judge from the human standpoint, or to reckon without God.

Absalom turned to Hushai, who counseled delay and gathering a large army. Hushai's counsel was intended to give David time to gather men around him. The advice ministered to Absalom's vanity. It would be far more spectacular to lead an army in person, and gain a great victory, than to send a small company to capture his father. Absalom's vanity ensured his ruin. How disastrous to his own cause was Absalom's decision is manifest by the action of Ahithophel. He saw the utter folly of what was being done, and, hastening from Jerusalem, came to his own city, set his affairs in order, and ended his life.

2 Samuel 18

The delay advised by Hushai resulted in multitudes gathering to David, and at last the day of battle between those loyal to him and Absalom's followers arrived. Two men attract our attention, David and Joab. A chastened and almost docile spirit is evident as the king yielded to the constraint of his people, and did not himself lead the hosts. It is conceivable, and, indeed, almost certain, that his love for Absalom caused his action. He earnestly charged those going to battle to deal gently with the young man. It is here that Joab appears in the terrible sternness of his character. He had no pity for Absalom. He knew that Absalom was the center of all the trouble, and directly he learned that Absalom was dead, he sounded a trumpet to stay the battle. He had seen David's action toward his sons characterized by lack of discipline. In the highest interests of the kingdom his hand was raised to slay Absalom.

Everything leads up to, and culminates in, David's wail for Absalom. It was brief, but thrilled with agony. Five times he repeated the two words, "my son." It is as though he had said, He is indeed my son. His weaknesses are my weaknesses, his passions my passions, his sins my sins. The deepest cry escaping from his heart was, "Would God I had died for thee." Here David surely reached the most profound moment of his suffering. We cannot stand in the presence of that suffering without learning the solemn lessons of parental responsibility it has to teach, not merely in training our children, but in that earlier training of ourselves for their sakes.