David’s Final Advice To Solomon

Some time after making Solomon king, David realized he didn’t have long to live.  He ad watched Solomon run the kingdom and knew he would make a good king, but he wanted to advise him about some potential problems.  The first thing he warned him about was how easy it woud be to forget about how god had placed him as king and forget to serve him, in I Kings 2:1-4.  “Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.”

He warned that if Solomon woud be faithful, God would fuflfill his promise to David through Solomon’s family, but if not God would not bless him or his family.  He also warned him not to trust Joab,even though he had served David fr all those years, in I Kings 2:5-6.  “Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.  Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. “  Though Joab had served David, twice he had murdered other men who were working with David.  While he could use the excuse of Abner having killed his brother Asahel, his murder of Amasa was inexcusable, and he had shown no loyalty to Solomon or David in helping Adonijah.  Old as he was, he still had a lot of influence, and Solomon would be wise to deal with him before he caused trouble. 

He advised Solomon to treat those who had supported David well because of the part they had played, in I Kings 2:7.  “But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.”

On the other hand, Shimei was not to be trusted.  When Absalom attempted to usurp the kingdom, Shimei had personally attacked him verbally, but had quicly changed his tune when David returned to the throne.  He might well switch sides again if he thought it would benefit him.   Like Joab, he deserved death, and it would be best to eliminate the threat before it became a problem, as he explains in I Kings 2:8-9.  “And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.  Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.”

A short time later, David passed away, as I kings 2:10-11 tells us.  “So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.  And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.”  David had reigned a total of forty years, although he had not become king over all Israel until Ishbosheth was murdered. 

Defeating The Conspiracy

As David had gotten older, he became distracte with his health issues and wasn’t paying as much attention to leading the country.  He hadn’t realized his son Adonijah was plotting to take over the kingdom until Nathan and Bathsheba approached him about it.  When he realized what was happening, he took immediate steps to see that things were done the way he intended, in I Kings 1:32-35.  “And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.  The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.  Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.”

The old leader can make a tremendous difference in how smoothly a transition goes by letting the people know what is expected.  The Israelites were thrilled to know what David intended and were glad to follow his plans, as I Kings 1:36-40 tells us.  “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.  As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.  And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.  And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.”

Adonijah and his followers were celebrating declaring him as king when they heard the celebration about the mation declaring Solomon king.  At first they didn’t know what was happening, but a short time later, Abiathar’s son Jonathan came to tell them what had happened, in I Kings 1:41-48.  “And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?

And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.  And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule: And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.  And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.  And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.  And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.”

Suddenly the people realized that their crowning Adonijah meant little if David and the rest of the nation had crowned Solomon and David’s army was backing him.  Their attempt to make Adonijah king was an attempt to bypass the people’s will and was an act of treason.  They all began to distance themselves, leaving Adonijah to face the music by himself, in I Kings 1:49-50.  “And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.  And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.”

Fearing Solomon’s ire, Adonijah fled to the temple for sanctuary.  Solomon promised not to punish kin for his actions as long as he made a point of doing what was right, but that if he went against what was right again he would be executed for what he had done, in I Kings 1:51-53.  “And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.  So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.”

This is the proper way of giving sanctuary.  If no one hads been seriously hurt by the person, he can be given a second chance, and his crime overlooked, but if he does not take it seriously, committing even a minor crime in the future, he should be penalizedfor both crimes.  Sanctuary does not ignore the fact that he has committed a crime, it just allows him not to pay the penalty immediately.  The idea of giving a person a second chance is a scriptural idea, but the idea of giving him amnesty is not.  We will see more on this subject in I Kings 2.    

Another Plot Against David

As a person gets older their body gradually stops functioning as it did when they were young.  As David approached seventy, his metabolism slowed downand his body produced less heat.  Since they didn’t have central heating or electric blankets, he got cold at night.  His wives were old also, and were probably barely able to keep themselves warm, so a young lady was found to care for him and keep him warm, in I Kings 1:1-4.  “Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.  Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.  So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.  And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.”  David was only interested in getting warm, and although the lady cared about him there was no sexual relationship between them.   

Two of David’s older sons had been killed, and seeing his father’s failing health, his fourth son, Adonijh decided he should be the next king and conspired to take usurp the throne, in I Kings 1:5-8.  “Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.  And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.  And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.  But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.”

 Two of his co conspirators were Joab, David’s general, and Abaithar the priest, both of whom had been faithful supporters of David in the past, but most of David’s supporters were not involved.  Adonijah held a big gathering at Enrogel where he he was to be declared king and they could plan their takeover if israel.  He deliberately did not invite those he though might oppose him in hopes of being able to take over before David realized what was happening, according to I Kings 1:9-10.  “And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.”

David was so focused on his physical problems he had neglected his office, and thus was unaware what was going on.  When Nathan learned about the plot, he enlisted Bathsheba and others to help him make David see the threat Adonijah posed, in I Kings 1:11-28.  “Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?  Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.  Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.  And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king.

And the king said, What wouldest thou?

And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.  And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not: And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.  And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.  Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.

And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.  And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?  For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.  But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.  Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

Nathan knew that David had told Bathsheba that Solomon was to be the next king.  He made a point of reminding David that if Adonijah became king, he would probably have Solomon and Bathsheba killed to remove any questions.  Though David’s health was failing, he was still sharp enough to understand what was happening and make plans to prevent the effort to unseat him, as I kings 1:28-3 informs us.  “Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.  And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.” 

David Sacrifices For The Sin Of The People

When David recognized the impact of his sin and asked God not to hurt the people any more, God directed him to build and altar and worship God and present offerings for his sin, and David obeyed.  The pleace where he built it belonged to one of the original inhabitants of the land who the Israeliteds had conquered.  Not holding any rancor against David for what had happened to his people, Araunah offered to donate the land and his own work animals and farming implements for the sacrifices, in II Samuel 24:18-23.  “And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.  And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.  And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?

And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.   All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.”

David wanted to offer a sacrifice for his sin.   If he just offered what Araunah gave him, it would be Araunah making the sacrifice, not David.  He insisted on paying for those things so it would be his own sacrifice as II Samuel 24:24-25 tells us.  “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.  And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.”

 The primary cause of the epidemic had been the people’s sin and David’s lapse of faith was only the trigger, but God accepted David’s sacrifice for all the sin, ending the epidemic, just as he accepts Christ’s sacrifice for the sins of everyone who believes even though he was not the cause of the sin.   As I John 2:2 tells us, “…he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  He paid the price in full so no one else had to make the sacrifices.  Thanks to Christ’s sacrifice, we can receive eternal salvation freely. 

The Effects Of A “Minor Sin”

Throughout his reign, David had sought to follow God’s lawto the best of his ability.  Unfortunately, the people were not all as dedicated to the Lord as David, as is obvious from their having followed Saul when he was going against God, and as well as their readily turning to followIshbosheth, Absalon and Sheba.   Over the years, David’s pride had grown almost imperceptibly, and when the people continued to  turn away from the Lord, God used that pride to bring judgement on the people, as we see in II Samuel 24:1-2.  “And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.  For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.”

Joab was not a spiritual man at all, having murdered at least three men, yet even he realized David’s motivation in taking the census was motivated by pride rather than any godly impulse, as II Samuel 24:3 tells us.  “And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?”  Knowing exactly how many people they had would serve no useful purpose unless they wer eplanning to invade some other country, and would cost a lot of unnecessary time and money. 

Even godly men can become focused on the wrong things, and David overruled Joab and all his advisors, with the result they took the census as commanded, in II Samuel 24:4-9.  “Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.  And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon, And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.  So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.  And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.”

When David saw the results and realized how much time and money he had wasted, he realized he had not been thinking about what was right, or about trusting God at all, but had been focusing on what he could do in his own power.  It was the same kind of sin many Christians today make, worrying about how big their retirement account is or how much insurance they have, rather than trusting to use what they have been able to save.  While we need to exercise good stewardship with what he gives us, we must not get to depending on our earthly things to save us. 

David did not fully realize what he had done until the prophet Gad told him what the consequences of his sin would be, in II Samuel 24:10-14.  “And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.  

For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.  So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.”

Given a choice as to which punishment he would prefer, David chose to allow the Lord to choose, knowing God was far more merciful than other people would be if they were allowed to invade Israel, as II Samuel 24:15 tells us.  “And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.  So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.”

God showed his mercy, stopping the epidemic before it affected Jerusalem, although seventy thousand people had already died.  David repented and took responsibility, asking that God not allow any others to be hurt by h is actions, in II Samuel 24:16-17,  “And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.”

Far too often we do not realize the impact even what we consider a minor sin has on the people around us.  David had understood the seriousness of his adultery and murder, but he only understood the seriousness of shifting his faith to hiwn power when he saw the effects on the people around him.  David’s heart was proken when he saw the effects of his sin. 

Expressing His Appreciation

At the end of his life, David looked back at how God had blessed him in spite of his failures and sinful nature and thanked the Lord for having had such a great life, and for the promises for the future, in II Samuel 23:1-5.  “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.  And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.  Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.”

In his mercy and grace, God had promised an everlasting covenant with David’s family.   Even though they frequently were unfair and di not always obey God, he had honored their efforts to do what he said.  Those who refused to make such an effort could expect no such promises, as he stated in II Samuel 23:6-7.  “But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.”  Anyone who associated with the wicked would need to be constantly on guard against them, and eventually they face eternal destruction. 

One of the things that made David a great leader was his recognition of what it cost his people to follow and support him.  He went out of his way to avoid asking too much of them, and as a result they were willing to give everything they had for him, as we see in II Samuel 23:13-17.  “And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.  And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.  And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.”

David had just said he would like a drink from the well in Bethlehem and three of his most highly skilled special forces went to get it for him, risking their very lives to get him a drink.  David realized what they had risked, and refused to drink it just to satisfy his own desires, instead pouring it out as an offering to the Lord.  He realized he did not have the right to risk men’s lives just to satisfy a whim, although he appreciated their willingness.

Contented Or Complaining?

Throughout his reign, Saul had constantly sought to control everything, and was constantly unhappy and afraid someone would take his power.  Eventually that constant fear and unhappiness drove him crazy, resulting in an evil spirit controlling his thinking.  David had had it much harder than Saul, but he constantly gave God thanks for blessing him, and asked God what he wanted him to do.  As a result, David had a very satisfactory reign, and is remembered as one of Israel’s greatest kings. 

The book of Psalms, or songs of praise records many of David’s expressions of thankfulness.  II Samuel 22:1-51 records another.  “And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.   I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.  He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.  And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.  And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.  Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.  The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.  And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.  And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.  They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.  He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.  The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.  For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.  For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.  I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.  Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright.  With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavoury.  And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.  For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.  For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.  For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?  God is my strength and power: And he maketh my way perfect.  He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.  He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.  Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.  I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.  And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.  For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.  Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.  They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.  Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad. Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.  Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.  Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.  It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me, And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.  Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.  He is the tower of salvation for his king: and showeth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.

Like many people in churches today, Saul spent his entire life trying to earn God’s favor so he would bless him with what he wanted, and was never happy.  David David just trusted the Lord to do what was right, and followed his commands, and as a result, he was able to face far worse problems than Saul had ever faced with confidence and enjoy far greater peace and satisfaction.  The difference between a blessed life and a miserable one is our attitude, as Proverbs 15:15 points out.  “All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”  If we are focused on the problems, we seldom see the blessings through the problems, but if we are focused on the blessings, the problems fade into the background.  

Learning to Step Aside and Let Others Take Responsibility

Some people refuse to learn or to get along with others.  The Philistines had been soundly defeated repeatedly, but every time they recovered from the beating, they tried again.  As David aged, they hoped they would be able to defeat him and the Israelites more easily.  Although David could no longer do as much as he had in his youth, God enabled other men to step up and do great things as well, as we see in II Samuel 21:15-17.  “Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.   And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.  But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.”

Other men stepped up to take responsibility, realizing that effect David’s death would have on the nation.  They insisted David focus on governing and allow them to do the physical fighting, just as it was necessary for David to allow other men to lead the battles and do the physical fighting.  It is crucial for the pastor of a church to allow others to take responsibility and step out on thir own if the church is to survive.   Like the Phillistines, Satan mever stops trying to take over.  No matter how completely the present pastor may have defeated Satan, he will attack again when he gets a chance, and there needs to be somebody prepared to stand against him.  Exercising too much control prevents the development of potential leaders, and will eventually leave the church susceptible. 

When the Philistines attacked again, there were other men prepared to defeat their giants just as David had defeated Goliath years before, as II Samuel 21:18-32 demonstrates.  “And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.  And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.  And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.  And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.  These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.”

We need to realize it is God’s church and people and that its survival is not dependent on the pastor.  God is able to empower and guide other men to do what is needed.  When we don’t allow them to exercise their faith and allow God to lead them, we set them up to fail and the church to collapse. 

Dealing With The Effects Of Someone Else’s Sin

In Joshua 9, Israel had made a treaty with the people of Gibeon.  Five hundred years later, Saul had attacked Gibeon, apparently in an effort to purge Israel of foreign groups, violating the treaty and promises Israel had made.  The attasck had been forgotten until God brought attention back to it, in II Samuel 21:1.  “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.”

After three years of insufficient rainfall, Israel was starting to suffer, and David prayed asking God why they were experiencing theis.  God said it was because of Saul’s murdering the Gibeonites.  David immediately sought how he could make things right, in II Samuel 21:2-6a.  “And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)  Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel.

 And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.

And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose…”

The Gibeonites were not trying to get rich or take advantage of innocent people, but wanted punishment for those who had committed the crime.  Sine Saul was already dead, they only asked that his family suffer a little of what they had suffered. 

God does not forget what people have done.  Sometimes he allows things to go for years before they have to face the consequences of their actions.  In this case, Saul was already dead, but God held the entire nation accountable for having not dealt with the murders as commanded in Numbers 35:30.  “Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.   Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.  And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.  So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.  Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.” 

By letting Saul get by with murder, the entire nation was affected.  The Gibbeonites asked that seven of Saul’s descendants be executed as judgement on him.  David readily agreed, in order to Placate God, in II Samuel 21:6b-9.  “…And the king said, I will give them.   But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.  But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.”

Michal, David’s wife had developed a disrespect for David that had destroyed their relationship, even though they remained together.  She had raised some of Saul’s relatives as her own children, and David sent those five boys, as well as two of Saul’s sons by a concubine to be executed by the Gibeonites and satisfy their demands for justice.  It is hard to realize how bitter things can become in an unhappy marriage.   Because of his promise, Mephibosheth was spared. 

The mother of the other two boys, mourned their deaths, going out of her way to protect their bodies.  When David learned of her grief, he took pains to make sure not only they but Saul and Jonathan were properly buried in their family’s burial plot, as II Samuel 21:10-14.  “And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.  And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.  And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa: And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.  And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was entreated for the land.”

God was mollified by the efforts to give the Gibeonites Justice, and caused the famine to end, and the burial of her husband and her sons helped to alleviate Rizpah’s grief, but probably did nothing to lessen the tensions between David and Michal.     

Addressing A Problem Before It Grows.

By not involving the other people in reinstating David as king, Judah had caused a major split in the nation of Israel.  If it was not dealt with immediately it could destroy the entire nation.  Though he had not caused it, David was forced to take action, in II Samuel 20:4.  “Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.”

Not registering the urgency of the situation, Amasa did not respond as fast as needed, so David sent Abishai to initiate action and prevent the rebellion form getting too strong, in II Samuel 20:5-7.  “So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.   And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.  And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.”

Joab had deliberately disobeyed orders in murdering Absalom.  As a result, David had replaced him with Amasa.  When Amasa didn’t act quickly enough, David appointed Abishai to lead instead of Joab.  Unwilling to relinquish his power, Joab murdered Amasa, in II Samuel 20:8-10a.  “When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.  And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.  But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died.”

The people understood why David had replaced Jab, and were hesitant to follow him.  One of Joab’s men told them they had to choose whether they wanted David as king or not, but as long as Amasa’s body was visible the people hesitated.  Once the body was removed it no longer distracted the people and they followed Joab’s leadership, in II Samuel 20:10b-13.  “So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.  And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.  And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.  When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.”

Sheba had been out recruiting supporters and Joab finally caught up with him at Abel of Bethmaachah, and besieged the city, as II Samuel 20:14-15 tells us.  “And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.  And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.”

Joab’s record of success in besieging and destroying far stronger cities was well known.  Knowing they would eventually be defeated, one of the wiser women of the city contacted Joab, to see if there was any way to keep him from destroying the entire city, in II Samuel 20:16-21.  “Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.  And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab?

And he answered, I am he.

Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid.

And he answered, I do hear.

Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.  I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.  The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.  And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.  Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.”

Upon learning Joab’s only concern was that Sheba be executed, the woman promised to have him executed and his head thrown over the wall as proof of heis death.   Satisfied Sheba was dead and no longer posed a threat, Joab returned to Jerusalem with the army.  David had tried to replace Joab, but he was highly respected, and with Amasa dead and Abishai having yielded his leadership to Joab, David had little choice but to allow him to continue to lead the army, although he placed his personal guard and special forces under Benaiah.   Even the strongest and smartest leaders have to yield to reality, and sometimes allow someone other than their ideal to hold a position of authority and to start a conflict with Joab at that point in time would have severely damaged David’s administration.   Far better to work with him than to him and his followers into enemies.   II Samuel 20:23-25 names some of the ones who served as David’s cabinet members.  “Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites: And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder: And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.”

By dealing with the threat Sheba posed immediately, David was able to minimize the effect with the result only one person was killed and a war was averted.  Had they delayed, who knows how many thousands might have been killed or how hard his influence would have been to eradicate?

The Hazards of Ignoring Other People’s Opinions

After Absalom’s death, David had contacted the tribe of Judah, many of whom were his own relatives, asking why they were not seeking to reinstate him as king, as we saw in II Samuel 19:11.  As a result, the tribe of Judah declared him king without consulting with the other tribes, believing most of the people supported the idea.  Although they wanted to reinstate David as king, the other tribes resented not being asked or allowed to participate, leading to conflict as II Samuel 19:41-43 tells us.   “And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.”

Just taking the time to get the other people involved would have prevented the entire conflict.  While Judah won the argument and got their way, it left the people divided and gave opportunity for someone else to take over, as II Samuel 20:1-tells us.  “And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.  So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.”   

By acting unilaterally without consulting the others, the Tribe of Judah disrespected the others making them feel unwanted and unwelcome.  They chose to follow Sheba in hopes he would care about them.  The same thing happens in modern business, in churches and in homes when oneparty acts without consulting the others, and often leads to business breakups, church splits and divorces.   Right now the United States is in turmoil because of politicians who refuse to consider other people’s opinions.   

Though David understood Absalom had raped his concubines, and it was not their fault, David was never able to completely overcome the emotional impact or go back to way things had been before between them, as we see in II Samuel 20:3.  “And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.” Neither logic nor forgiveness can completely eliminate the emotional effects of things that happen.  Although time allows the wounds to heal, the scars and pain frequently remain for a long time.

Although Absalom was dead, the effects of his rebellion aginst David were still being felt, both politically and in David’s home.  Many times we don’t realize all of the effects of certain events until years in the future, or how wide spread those effects may be.  How we handle the effects initially can make them even worse. 

Showing Appreciation For People’s Support

Mephibosheth was one of Saul’s sons, and for Jonathan’s sake, David had given him all Saul’s property, and made him almost a member of his family.  When David fled from Jerusalem, he had not gone with David’s supporters, and Ziba had accused him of staying behind in hopes of being made king.  As a result, David had told Ziba all the property would be his. 

When David returned, Mephibosheth met him and David asked why he had stayed behing, in II Samuel 19:24-25.  “And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.  And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?”

Mephibosheth obviously was not anticipating being made king, because he had not even changed to clean clothes or trimmed his beard and combed his hair.  Because he was handicapped, he had been forced to catch a donkey to ride, and by the time he did so, it was too late, as he explained in II Samuel 19:26-28.  “And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame.  And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.  For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?” 

Mephibosheth realized that another king might well have executed him to prevent an attempt to usurp the throne, and instead David had treated his as a close friend.  He felt he had no right to make any further claims on David.  Because Ziba had brought supplies, and David appreciated it, he told Mephibosheth to divide the property with Ziba.  Mephibosheth said he was so glad that David had survived that Ziba could have everything for having helped David, in II Samuel 19:29-30.  “And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.”

Barzillai had brought David many supplies to make their exile more comfortable.  When David returned to Jerusalem, Barzillai and his men escorted David back across the Jordan, in II Samuel 19:31-33.  “And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.  Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.  And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.”

David wanted to show his appreciation for what Barzillai had done, but Barzillai said he was too old to really enjoy moving to the city.  He was just going to go a little way, then return home, as he explained in II Samuel 19:34-40, asking David to allow one of his men to receive the honors instead.  “And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?  

Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?  Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.  And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.  Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.”

People were glad to help David, and he made a special effort to show his appreciation, strengthening their relationships. 

Reinstatement

When David quit focusing on his pain and reached out to the people, they responded willingly.  Even the people who had supported Absalom remembered what David had done for Israel and began to reconsider having him as king, especially since Absalom was dead, as II Samuel 19:9-10 tells us.  “And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.  And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?”  They began to question why the leaders were not moving to restore him as king. 

Hearing the people wanted him back as king, David sent the priest to ask members of his own tribe why they were not recommending it, in II Samuel 19:11-12.  “And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.  Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?”  If anyone had a vested interest in him as king, it should have been his own tribe and family.   

David had learned about Joab’s role in killing Absalom, and remembering how he had hindered uniting Israel by murdering Abner, David decided to replace him with his cousin Amasa,  in II Samuel 19:13.  “And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.”  Though Joab was a tremendous general, his insistence on doing things his own way without concern for other people made him undependable. 

When he reached out to them, the leaders of Judah united in support of his kingdom, as well as a thousand men of the tribe of Benjamin and several of Saul’s descendants, according to II Samuel 19:14-18a.  “And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.  So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.  And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.  And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king.  And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good.

As soon as he was ferried over the river, Shimei, the man who had cursed David on his way out came to apologise, knowing David had every reason of rhating him.  He had not hesitated when he thought David was disgraced and would be killed, but when David was gaining fame, he wanted to get on his good side by saying he was sorry that he had gotten carried away in the moment, in II Samuel 18b-20.  “…And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.  For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

Shimei had no idea how close his mouth had come to getting him killed the fwhen he cursed David.   Abishai, Joab’s brother had asked permission to kill him then but David refused to let him.   Abishai was still angry about what he said and said they ought to still kill him.  David was concerned that his cousins were so quick to kill people, insisting that the celebration of his restoration not be marred by and execution, in II Samuel 19:21-23.  “ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?

And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?  Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.”  In showing mercy and not having Shimei executed, David was doing what Paul commands in Romans 12:17-21.  “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Though David had mercy on Shimei, he didn’t believe his apology was sincere.  Years later, in I Kings 2:8-9 he advised Solomon to not let him think he had gotten by with his sin. 

We Mustn’t Dwell On Our Losses

The people knew David had asked that Absalom not be hurt if it could be avoided.  Knowing he had been deliberately killed, even those who had not been involved had a sense of guilt for not stopping it, in II Samuel 19:3.   “And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.”  At the same time, David was undoubtedly feeling guilty for not having immediately forgiven Absalom years before, wondering if things would have turned out differently if he had behaved differently as we see in II Samuel 19:4.  “But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

The son of a family I know just killed his aunt, and his parents are devastated wondering what they could have or should have done differently.   It is impossible to know whether different actions would have made any difference.   Such a sense of guilt can take over a person’s life and destroy them even though they had no way of knowing what going on, and nothing they did may have made any difference.   Joab realized that giving in to his ense of guilt was destroying not only David, but the entire nation.   He was allowing his sense of guilt and loss to isolate him from the very people who had done everything possible to help him, making them feel he blamed them. 

It was essential that David accept the fact that Absalom was dead and nothing they could do would change that.  David would have to put the hurt and guilt on the back burner and get on with his life or he would destroy the entire nation.  The people were getting the impression that he cared only about Absalom, as Joab told him in II Samuel 19:5-6.  “And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.”

We are told that losing a child results in divorce in about two out of three cases, because one or both parents get so caught up in the loss and the sense of guilt their mate feels they no longer matter, and many times the other children feel the same way.  Joab told David he would have to make a special effort to show he cared if he did not want them all to leave him, in II Samuel 19:7.  “Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.”

When David made the effort, the people came back, knowing he was not blaming them for what happened, in II Samuel 19:8.  “Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.”

When someone dies, there is nothing we can do that will bring them back or make everything right.  We can either spend the rest of our lives blaming ourselves or others, or we can acknowledge the fact that that the person has died and and go on with our lives.  We will never forget them, and there will always be a certain amount of pain, but we don’t need to keep irritating th wound,  If we change our focus, the level of pain will eventually become less severe.  If we stay fixated on the pain, we will drive others away, and lose even more.  It’s up to us whether we get over the loss or not.  When David began to reach out to others, they began to come back to him, and the same thing will happen for us.    

Why Are They Running?

David had given specific orders that Absalom was not to be killed if it could be avoided.  He had been hanging by his hair from tree, when he was found, and could easily have been arrested without risk.  Instead, still holding agrudge against him for burning his field, Joab, thrust three darts into his heart, then had ten other guys attack him with swords and clubs so that it would appear he had been killed in battle.  Knowing David would be upset about his death, the people buried him and slunk away. 

Absalom’s death ended any excuse for continuing the battle, and David needed to be informed about what was going on.  One of the priest’s sons, Ahimaaz had felt very important bringin the warning to David, and wanted to experience the same thrill again, but Joab refused to let him, in II Samuel 18:19.  “Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.

And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.” 

Joab refused to use Ahimaaz because he was so excited about carrying the message he would not think about how the news of Absalom’s death would affect David.  Instead, he chose a more experienced man, Cushi, who knew more of the details about what had happened, but would be more respectful of David’s feelings, in II Samuel 18:21.  “Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.”

Ahimaaz insisted on running, to show he could do it, and Joab asked him why, since he had no message to deliver.  Ahimaaz insisted anyway, so Joab allowed him to go.  Taking a shortcut, Ahimaaz beat Cushi getting there, but when he arrived, he really had little information to give, as II Samuel 18:22-30 tells us.  “Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi.

And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?

But howsoever, said he, let me run.

And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.

And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.  And the watchman cried, and told the king.

And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.

And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone.

And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.

And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.

And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe?

And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.”

Ahimaaz had been very fast to get there, but he had little of value to offer when he arrived.  When asked about David’s most pressing concern, he had no answere.  His run accomplished nothing of value.  Unfortunately, too often because churches have a group of young people who want to do something, they organize a mission trip and send the kids.  Unfortunately, the kids are excited about the trip but have little or no real understanding of what is needed or why.  Armed with a sales script about salvation they go out to win souls with no real understanding of what the people might need to know to genuinely believe in Christ, and because they get a number of people who buy into the script think they have accomplished something important, never realizing that even many of those who professed christ were not really saved. 

When Cushi arrived, he was far less excited about the trip, but was mature and experienced enough to understand what David needed to know,  as we see in II Samuel 18:31-33.  “And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe?

And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

With more understanding of what was involved and more concern about the impact of his message, Cushi was able to answer David’s questions in a diplomatic fashion, accomplishing the purpose of sending the message.  In most cases it would be far more effective to involve teenagers in local church activities, so they can learn to effectively serve the Lord at home and only allowing those who have demonstrated a level of spiritual maturity and an interest in ministry to take part in mission projects.  If not done carefully, mission projects tend to weaken the churches they are supposed to help by letting them avoid taking responsibility for themselves.  The local people should already be doing what the teen mission group comes in to do, in most cases.