NBBC SS: 2 Samuel 14

Introduction: Brothers and sisters, I've got to admit to you that working through Second Seal 14 has actually been somewhat difficult for me, as I've worked through it, and I've looked at the... I've looked at the different portions of the passage. For me, there has been some confusion associated with it. Because of, of some things that some different voices in that passage are, are claiming. And so, with that, I believe that I, I finally got the clarity that I needed yesterday afternoon. So here's what we're gonna do. Just to give you a heads up. We're going to walk into King David's courtroom. And when I say courtroom, I don't just necessarily mean the royal court. But I'm actually referring to his court of establishing a legal precedent to be able to carry out justice. Someone is going to come to him for justice. And that in and of itself is also going to be somewhat problematic as we reflect on it this morning. But we're gonna hear the case. We're going to hear this person, this woman, make her case before the king. We're gonna hear the arguments that she's making, and we're gonna seek to evaluate the merit of those arguments according to God's word. And based on that, what I believe we're going to see, brothers and sisters, is we're actually going to see something that happens even to this day. where there are voices that are pulling us and prompting us to act in certain ways. that ultimately we need God's Spirit to give us discernment from God's Word to know how to act in the most faithful way. When we hear voices similar to this woman's, who are prompting us to act.

2 Samuel 14 “1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom. 2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days; 3 then go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

On the surface, this sounds selfless on Joab’s part.

According to v. 1, he notices that David’s heart is yearning (i.e. inclined) toward Absalom.

Brothers and sisters, is it good to exercise this kind of awareness of others?

To notice when they’re down and seek to do something about it?

Absolutely!

Brothers and sisters, the Apostle Paul admonishes us in Philippians 2:4 “4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Joab is seemingly looking out for David’s interests here!

Notice, though, what does Joab resort to in order to address David’s welfare?

A wise woman from Tekoa and a manufactured narrative.

Let’s consider this “wise woman” first.

The term that’s translated as “wise” does indeed have the connotation of someone who exercises wisdom in a wide swath of passages from the OT.

However, it’s used in the previous chapter in relation to Jonadab (2 Sam 13:3).

If you recall, Jonadab was the one who noticed Amnon’s sickening infatuation with the latter’s half-sister.

He was the one who suggested the overtures that Amnon used to take advantage of Tamar.

In that passage, Jonadab is described using the same term as attributed to the woman from Tekoa.

However, the term is translated as “shrewd” in that passage.

In this passage, this woman is going to disguise her appearance share a narrative that Joab has given to her.

I would prefer to refer to this woman from Tekoa as the “clever” woman from Tekoa.

In other words, brothers and sisters, she’s not exercising true wisdom, otherwise she would not be resorting to disguise as she is.

Let’s take a look next at this manufactured narrative sourced to Joab.

4 Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, “Help, O king.” 5 The king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead. 6 “Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him. 7 “Now behold, the whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.” 8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.” 10 So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.” 11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

What she’s describing is the Law of the avenger of blood that can be found in Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 4; 19; and Joshua 20.

Something that is critical to this law concerns that of the cities of refuge.

A murderer could flee to one of the cities of refuge in the event that the murder was unpremeditated.

What is missing from her narrative?

That her son fled to one of the cities of refuge.

What is the only option that the woman presents?

The king must intervene with protection for the son.

However, is this the only option?

No.

One of the cities of refuge would also be an option.

According to the woman’s story, the boys scuffle in the field turned deadly.

It wasn’t premeditated.

Brothers and sisters, what likely happened is that this woman’s cleverness got the better of David.

She starts with doubly emphasizing her widowhood (“I am a widow, since I have no husband.” cf. 2 Sam 14:4)

She paints herself as the victim since the family is demanding justice by knocking down her door (cf. 2 Sam 14:7).

This suggests that she may be housing her son and refusing to give him up.

Hence, the woman is not following the Law in hiding her son instead of encouraging him to flee to the city of refuge.

She paints the boy in terms of her only hope for survival (cf. 2 Sam 14:7).

However, the Law prescribed help for widows.

This could come through Levirate marriage (cf. Dt 25:5-10) or through the charity prescribed in the Law specifically for widows (Dt 14:28-29; 24:19-21; 26:12-13).

Brothers and sisters, there’s more than just the problem of manufacturing a story.

She has twisted this story in connection with God’s Word so as to back the king into a corner into choosing one option.

This woman manipulated the king emotionally and by presenting the king with only one option.

And, brothers and sisters, the manipulation doesn’t stop here.

12 Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” 13 The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one. 14 “For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him. 15 “Now the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservant. 16 ‘For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’ 17 “Then your maidservant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’ ” “18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.” 19 So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant; 20 in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.”

What does this woman end up comparing her narrative to?

The king’s situation with his own son, Absalom.

In fact, she creates even more urgency because she ties the nation’s wellbeing to this circumstance (cf. 2 Sam 14:14).

However, is there truly a one-to-one correlation between the clever Tekoan’s narrative and Absalom’s?

Points of similarity.

Brothers.

A brother has murdered his brother.

Tekoan

Struggling brothers (circumstantial; cf. 2 Sam 14:6).

One brother killed the other (cf. 2 Sam 14:6).**

Absalom

Holding onto a grudge for 2 years (cf. 2 Sam 13:22).

Strikes Amnon when he’s manipulated the circumstances (cf. 2 Sam 13:28-29).

Brothers and sisters, Absalom had hatred in his heart and planned to kill his brother whereas the Tekoan woman’s narrative place the death circumstantially.

There were flaws in the woman’s relation of the story - her son should have fled to one of the cities of refuge.

Now, there’s a flaw in her application of the story to Absalom.

Absalom did not kill Amnon circumstantially.

Instead, Absalom plotted with hatred in his heart, clearly in violation of Leviticus 19:17.

This is a misapplication of the law.

Do you see what this woman has done?

She has urgently made her case to the king (cf. Help! O king, 2 Sam 14:4).

In her urgency, she has played on the king’s compassion toward a helpless widow.

In what she has described, the justice that she has sought goes outside of God’s prescription (flee to the cities of refuge) to guarantee that her son will remain unharmed.

She has concluded her episode with extolling the king’s wisdom.

Prior to this, she questioned the king’s judgment in 2 Sam 14:13.

But she concludes by describing the king’s wisdom as the “angel of God.”

Brothers and sisters, she’s attempting to flatter the king!

In other words, through her urgent, emotional manipulation she has twisted God’s Word to present one option when there was another and attempted to seal it with flattering the king.

Brothers and sisters, what she’s done is something that happens even to this day.

Using urgent, emotional manipulation she has twisted the meaning of God’s Word.

There are those who would attempt to make the argument that the most loving thing that one can do for someone who wants to assume a gender identity other than their birth identity is to affirm them.

God’s Word says the He is love and that we are to love our neighbor.

God’s Word upholds the importance of life, and these folks are in danger of taking their own life if they do not have their gender identity affirmed.

Therefore, we must affirm their assumed gender identity that is different from their birth gender.

But, brothers and sisters, when we seek the wisdom of the Lord, His Word through His Spirit provides for us the clear and faithful way to live and encourage others to do the same.

Does His Word not promise that He transforms lives?

Of course He does, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father is the best in the business to transform a sinner into His child.

Let us reject the urgent, emotionally manipulative, even flattering pleas of the world that would twist the Scripture into telling us that we have only one option when the Lord gives us the opportunity to be faithful as we seek Him, empowered by His Spirit.

21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I will surely do this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 However the king said, “Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face.” So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

What does Joab resort to that we saw in the Tekoan woman?

Flattering.

David should have learned his lesson with the Tekoan woman who flattered him up and down.

Brothers and sisters, just because someone says that the relationship is ok doesn’t mean that it is!

Absalom may have returned to Jerusalem.

But, things still weren’t right between David and his son.

25 Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. 26 When he cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, for it was heavy on him so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king’s weight. 27 To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.

This may seem like a random statement.

It actually reveals the sentiment of what was going on at the time.

What’s our impression of Absalom?

He’s a handsome guy, blessed with lots of hair.

What’s the impression of the people of Absalom?

The same.

This is exactly the point!

God’s Holy Spirit preserved this for us so that we could know the mind of the people here.

They were attracted to Absalom on account of his appearance and, apparently, his physically attractive family (i.e. Tamar, cf. 2 Sam 14:27).

But, what do we know about Absalom’s character? (let’s keep reading)

28 Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come. 30 Therefore he said to his servants, “See, 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. 31 Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death.” 33 So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.”

What does Absalom resort to when he doesn’t get what he wants?

Destruction.

Brothers and sisters, Absalom is throwing a temper tantrum.

Some might argue, “But the guy has been waiting 2 years and can’t get any help from his cousin (remember, Joab is the son of David’s sister, Zeruiah, cf. 2 Sam 2:13).

However, brothers and sisters, is it ever justified to resort to destruction in order to get someone’s attention? (No.)

Brothers and sisters, Absalom is revealing his rotten character here that is set in contrast to his appealing physical appearance.

An attractive appearance is no substitute for character.

And, this is something that Israel has had to learn with its first king and will have to learn again with this king’s son.

Conclusion: Brothers and sisters, we were initially met with a man who was concerned for the wellbeing of his king. Unfortunately, he resorted to deception and twisting God’s Word. We can help others when they’re down, and we’re supposed to. But, God’s Word encourages us away from using deception as such a tool and, instead, pointing others to God’s faithfulness.

The woman hired by Joab cleverly manipulated the king’s emotions, twisted God’s Word, and flattered the king into doing what she wanted. God’s Word had the answer but she twisted things in such a way that the king was backed into a corner. Rather than giving into the urgent, emotional manipulation of others who would twist God’s Word into pointing to one option in keeping with their choices, we need God’s Spirit to empower our discernment and lead us to the right application of God’s Word as the circumstances warrant.

Finally, an attractive appearance is no substitute for character. In the end, choosing the former will only lead to destruction and worse as we will see in 2 Samuel 16-17 next week.