Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a good time. It is 2019 already and I have (thankfully) finished reading 2 Samuel. I know I've been really, really slow but the book was also very complicated. Like Judges, it has a lot of characters. Also, I have to re-read some portions and to research so that I could really understand it.
The most popular story here is David and Bathsheba's. It will be quite dull if I focus on it. Though, their story is super duper important in how things unfolded.
I want to focus on the consequences of their sin. So it all started out with Amnon, David's first born son. He raped Tamar, his half - sister. David was furious but he did not punish Amnon to give justice to Tamar.
Because justice was not delivered, Absalom, Tamar's full - blooded brother, placed matters on his hands. He carefully devised a plan to kill Amnon, in which he succeeded. After he committed this grave crime, he fled to Geshur, his mom's place and stayed there for 3 years.
Joab, David's army commander, knew that the king really longed for his son so he planed to convince David to let the prince come back. He hired a widow who reasoned with him.
The widow pointed out that since David allowed her son (who is in a similar situation with Absalom) to come back, he should also allow his son. She further warned that time is running out and he might not be able to reconcile with Absalom if he won't do anything. Lastly, the widow said that even God is proactive in mending relationships. Why would he not?
The King agreed but Absalom would only be sent to his house. He didn't meet with the prince for another 2 years. The prince felt frustrated because he was better off at Geshur and if the king doesn't want to meet him, there is no point for him to stay. So Absalom used brute force and burned down Joab's field which was just adjacent to his.
Joab was then prompted to convince the King to meet with his son. They seemed to be reconciled because Absalom bowed down before his father and they kissed.
However, Absalom didn't really forgive his dad. He was still angry. He started a conspiracy which got a lot of support. It was firstly because he was a very good-looking man. (He had thick hair that grows so fast which was one of the factors why he got stuck on a tree and was killed.) Secondly, it was due to the lack of justice for Tamar's rape and for the treatment he got from the king when he revenged for his sister. He thought he was right in killing Amnon.
Nathan's prophecy came true. King David fleed from his son. Absalom became king and he slept with his dad's concubines publicly so that he could really show off he had overthrown his father. This was the advice of Ahithophel, who was also David's advisor.
We could see here some parenting wisdom. When Amnon committed the crime, David should have implemented justice. As his father and as King, he has the right authority to discipline his son and subject. That lack of justice and action nurtured bitter, hatred feelings in Absalom's heart.
Same with Absalom. When he killed his Amnon, David should have also talked to him and disciplined him but rather, he chose to ignore him for 2 years. (I could understand he couldn't pretty much do anything while Absalom was in Geshur.) But without Joab's push, he wouldn't really do anything and he remained distant to his son.
Because David was not really communicating with his son, Absalom really got confused and thought he was right though it was already evil. Perhaps, the King considered silence and alienation as a good punishment but I really believe that it just sent the wrong message to the prince that his father was not concerned about justice and that his father hates him. Why would he send his son back home and would not even meet him? Perhaps, Absalom got this crazy idea that he could just get away with anything because his dad won't make any actions. He thought that he could get away with anything.
Probably, the King was also thinking that God would give justice and so he shouldn't get involved with it. BUT he was their father and he was the king. So he had God-given authority/responsibility to discipline. If God would just punish all the people and we, the people, should not lift a finger to those who've done wrong, why are there law enforcement agencies and legal courts? Shouldn't we just abandon them as they are practically usurpation of God's authority to grant justice?
God could exact justice as He wants to because He is God but I guess, He wants us, as a people, to align to His will. Made from the image and likeness of God, we have free will. God respects that. He has also given us dominion in this earth and I guess, that includes we should be responsible stewards in preserving order, peace and justice in our community.
I guess that we not only learn parenting wisdom here but also, wisdom on authority. If we are in the position of authority, then we have the duty to make things right. That includes giving justice to where it is due. That includes assertive discipline and not turning a blind eye to the wrongs committed by those who we are responsible for.
In a way, God is illustrating here a good lesson. David sinned. As God is a God of Justice, He needed to punish him. He showed contempt to Him when He didn't follow God's rules. He had to allow the consequences of David's sin to happen. I don't think He really wanted to hurt David like any parent would be to their child but it has to be done. In contrast, David had failed to deliver the consequences of Amnon's and Absalom's actions. These had brought him great sorrow.
Another thing I noticed was David's relationship with Mephishobeth and Joab. The former is Jonathan's crippled son. Jonathan is David's best friend and he even claimed in 1 Samuel that Jonathan's love is far more superior than any woman's love. Strong words I know!
So out of his promise to Jonathan, he showed kindness to Mephishobeth. Through Ziba's (Saul's former servant) help, he was able to locate him. He gave him his grandfather Saul's estate and gave Ziba as his servant. He even elevated him to dine in the same table with him.
When Absalom got into power, Ziba betrayed his new master. As he presented provisions to David, he claimed that Mephishobeth was rejoicing as it means that their family could get back to power. Because of that, David said that everything Mephishobeth had was now his.
When Absalom died and David returned, Mephishobeth told the king that his servant betrayed him. David just told him they will divide the properties. Half goes to Ziba. Half goes to him. But Jonathan's son forego his share to Ziba as he said he was grateful that the king was safe.
I am not sure why David did not return all the property back to Mephishobeth. I think he didn't really believed that he was loyal to him. He was 50-50 about it. Probably, he was thinking if he was really loyal, why didn't he do anything? He could have done what his servant did and gave him provisions or followed him. Could it be because David don't want to contradict what he said before that Ziba gets everything? Or, maybe he was grateful of Ziba's help in time of need and he wanted to repay it with consideration and kindness. Mhmm, I'm leaning towards the last reason because it just fits David's character.
The last relationship I wanted to discuss is David and Joab's. Joab was fiercely loyal to David. He is the commander of his army. He had killed many people to protect his kingship. He killed Abner, who was Saul's commander of Army. He also placed Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, in the front line so that he will be killed as the King instructed.
He also killed Absalom who usurped power from his father. Moreover, he killed Amasa, who was Absalom's commander of army. (Note: As a way to win back the rebel's hearts, David actually made Amasa the commander of his army, in replacement of Joab. I think this has really hurt Joab but a part of me thinks that he knew that this is one of David's strategy or part of David's character. The king didn't really want to go back to Israel and Judah if the people don't want him back.)
In lots of times, he killed to protect David but he disregarded his King's instruction. Except from Uriah, David did not meant to harm Abner, Absalom and Amasa.
Joab really felt hurt that David was not grateful for his loyalty. When Absalom died, the king mourned rather than rejoiced. As a military man, he was just being practical and realistic. (After all, the people he killed are enemies or former enemies whose integrity is questionable.)
But he didn't listen to his master. If he was really serving David, he should follow his will which he doesn't. When other soldiers were hesitant to kill Abner, Absalom and Amasa, he did not. I think he belittled the King's choices and intelligence. He took David's genuine intention for peace and reconciliation as a sign of weakness and foolishness. The king was willing to negotiate to avoid bloodshed but his army commander did not see that.
We can be like Joab in our relationships. We think we are right. We may wrongfully think that since our intentions are pure and just, our actions would be right and justifiable. But it is not always the case.
I have no doubt that Joab is a super loyal person and he cared for David deeply. After all, he was concerned with the king so that is why he hired that widow to convince him to bring Absalom back. But he should have also been open-minded and humble. He was not humble enough to accept that he could not be right all the time. Only God is right all the time.
