The victory that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day, "The king is grieved for his son."
--2 Samuel 19:2 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on June 1, 2013 of Psalm 104:1-9; 1 Corinthians 12; 2 Samuel 19.
Absalom, David's third-born son, won over the hearts of all the people of Israel. After David fled Jerusalem with his household and those men loyal to him, fearing what his son might do, Absalom was declared king and ruled in Jerusalem. David's loyal army, with the aid of trusted spies, fought with and defeated Absalom's army of Israel. Even though David pleaded that his son be dealt with gently, Absalom was killed by Joab, David's commanding officer, and his armor bearers when Absalom became entangled in a thicket of low-hanging branches while fleeing the battle. When news of Absalom's death reached David, he grieved sorrowfully for his lost son. Even though a great victory had been won that day and his kingdom would soon be returned, David mourned, and his grief was felt and shared by the people.
God promised David that his house would suffer great internal unrest as punishment for his adultery with Bathsheeba and his arranging for the death or Uriah, her husband. The king's woe began shortly thereafter, with the grave illness and death of the son born to him by Bathsheeba. Then followed the incestuous act of his eldest son, Amnon, with Absalom's sister Tamar, leading up to Absalom ordering his servants to kill Amnon to avenge Tamar. Absalom fled Jerusalem, which caused David even more sorrow once he had reconciled the whole incident and death of his oldest son. He finally told Absalom he forgave him and asked him to come home, and in return Absalom revolted against his father and conspired to take his throne. And now, Absalom was dead also. In a relatively short period of time, David lost three sons, including his first-born and his third-born. His heart was broken. The victory, to him, was meaningless.
David sinned against God. The one dear to God's heart, chosen and anointed by Him to rule over His people. The one promised that the future King of kings would come from his line. The one saved time after time by God sinned against God. The Lord forgave David, but he could not avoid the Lord's punishment. In this the Lord assures us that He will forgive us when we acknowledge our sin and repent of it, but we may very well still suffer the inevitable consequences of our sinful actions. We must pray not only for His forgiveness, but also that our Lord be lenient and merciful, lest our victory turn to mourning. Amen.
Lord God, like any good father, You will punish Your children when they have done wrong. And just like our earthly father, You do it not out of spite or cruelty, but to teach us a life lesson, to help us understand what is good, to enable us to differentiate between right and wrong. Father in heaven, please forgive us our sins and be merciful to us when we must face the consequences of our actions. In the holy name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
God promised David that his house would suffer great internal unrest as punishment for his adultery with Bathsheeba and his arranging for the death or Uriah, her husband. The king's woe began shortly thereafter, with the grave illness and death of the son born to him by Bathsheeba. Then followed the incestuous act of his eldest son, Amnon, with Absalom's sister Tamar, leading up to Absalom ordering his servants to kill Amnon to avenge Tamar. Absalom fled Jerusalem, which caused David even more sorrow once he had reconciled the whole incident and death of his oldest son. He finally told Absalom he forgave him and asked him to come home, and in return Absalom revolted against his father and conspired to take his throne. And now, Absalom was dead also. In a relatively short period of time, David lost three sons, including his first-born and his third-born. His heart was broken. The victory, to him, was meaningless.
David sinned against God. The one dear to God's heart, chosen and anointed by Him to rule over His people. The one promised that the future King of kings would come from his line. The one saved time after time by God sinned against God. The Lord forgave David, but he could not avoid the Lord's punishment. In this the Lord assures us that He will forgive us when we acknowledge our sin and repent of it, but we may very well still suffer the inevitable consequences of our sinful actions. We must pray not only for His forgiveness, but also that our Lord be lenient and merciful, lest our victory turn to mourning. Amen.
Lord God, like any good father, You will punish Your children when they have done wrong. And just like our earthly father, You do it not out of spite or cruelty, but to teach us a life lesson, to help us understand what is good, to enable us to differentiate between right and wrong. Father in heaven, please forgive us our sins and be merciful to us when we must face the consequences of our actions. In the holy name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
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