Absalom and David part 1
Notes
Transcript
Recap
Recap
4 horsemen of sin
deceit
loss of loyalty
conceit
distortion
Untreated infections
neglecting concerning matters in life because they are difficult to address in the moment
left untreated they become a systemic problem you can’t avoid
marital issues
child behavioral concerns
employees at work
David and Bathsheba take away
The sword will be in David’s house
10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”
Solomon is born
24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him,
Ammon and Tamar
Ammon and Tamar
1 After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2 Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her.
Jonadab contrives a plan for Ammon to have Tamar
Ammon acts sick.
Requests of the king to have Tamar serve him
Then rapes her
11 Now when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! 13 And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. 15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!” 16 So she said to him, “No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her.
The forbidden fruit is never as joyful as we imagine
1, 2 Samuel (5) Amnon Rapes Tamar (13:1–22)
Amnon’s criminal activity condemned Tamar to live the life of “a desolate woman” because she was now disqualified from active consideration for any royal marriage contracts.
Family dynamics post rape: No action from the King
20 And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house. 21 But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. 22 And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
King David is upset but takes no action
The only penalty prescribed in the Torah for Amnon was the payment of fifty shekels of silver (Deut 22:29), an insignificant sum for the king’s son. While David could have also forced Amnon to marry Tamar (cf. Exod 22:16; Deut 22:29), doing so would have created an emotionally explosive situation that only multiplied the family’s heartache: besides, the Torah prohibited marriage between near kinsmen (cf. Lev 18:11; 20:17; Deut 27:22). Thus David found himself in a posture of weakness in the matter.
Absalom’s revenge
Absalom’s revenge
2 years later Absalom takes revenge and kills Ammon at a party that he throws for all his siblings
After David hears of Ammon’s death, Abasolm runs to Geshur
David longs for Absalom to come back after he finds comfort in Ammon’s death, but he does nothing.
Chapter 14
Joab, commander of the army, sees king david overly concerned for Absalom
Joab, comes up with a plan to bring Absalom back with the help of an actor.
Eventually David brings Absalom back, but doesn’t see him
23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.
In order to see the king, Absalom sends for Joab to facilitate a meeting with the king, but Joab doesn’t respond until Absalom sets his field on fire to get his attention…it works.
33 So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.
Absalom’s Treason
Absalom’s Treason
Absalom wasted no time building a name for himself
1 After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.”
4 Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.” 5 And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. 6 In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
David doesn’t respond to Absalom, there is no reprimand. Absalom’s behavior is concerning, he is acting like a judge without any appointment.
David’s silence allows for a momentum shift in the kingdom.
7 Now it came to pass after forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. 8 For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’ ” 9 And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’ ”
ironic, that David began his reign in Hebron and now Absalom begins in Hebron as well.
Absalom is methodical in his approach to taking the kingdom as he invited 200 hand picked representatives/administrators
His key success was getting one of King David’s close advisors to defect. Ahithophel
12 Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city—from Giloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number.
This was the cherry on top that tipped the scales in Absalom’s favor.
David escapes from Jerusalem
David escapes from Jerusalem
13 Now a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
In this rapid exodus David instructs certain people to stay behind and others to come along.
A key exchange happens between David and the priest on the way out of Jerusalem. The priest meet David on the way with the Ark. (where the ark was, there was God)
David’s response is peculiar
25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. 26 But if He says thus: ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”
QUESTION: What do you make of David’s response?
David new that Jerusalem was God’s chosen city.
David was known for bringing the ark into the chosen city…he didn’t want to be the reason for its removal
David realized his mistakes and lack of action that lead to this. He let the complexities of life interfere with good judgement.
He knows God will judge the situation appropriately and that God wouldn’t be swayed by the act of taking the ark....God sees the heart of man always.
STOP
A defeated David
30 So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. 31 Then someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
Fighting the wisdom of the world
When things in life get worse and worse, we frequently feel out numbered and out-witted.
It feels that everything that can go bad has gone bad and worse…the odds are against us.
Our efforts always seem insignificant and insufficient.
David was in the lowest pits upon hearthing about Ahithophels defection.
Fighting the world seems daunting. The church knows this and acknowledges this challenge.
Vespers/Matins - Litany of the assemblies
Litany of the Assemblies: “…The enemies of Your holy Church, O Lord, as at all times, now also humiliate. Strip their vanity, show them their weakness speedily. Bring to naught their envies, their intrigues, their madness, their wickedness, and their slander, which they commit against us. O Lord, bring them all to no avail. Disperse their counsel, O God, who dispersed the counsel of Ahithophel.”
Love in Chastisement
Though David is reaping his consequence and is likely feeling rejected by God, God remains faithful to David, as He is always faithful to us all.
David is met at the top of the hill by a trusted friend and advisor.
A flicker of hope for David
32 Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God—there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me.
Hushai complies with David’s request
37 So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city. And Absalom came into Jerusalem.