The Death of Absalom

2 Samuel 17-18

            I have been hard on David in this blog, especially the last few days on his parenting, or lack thereof. We could read today as more of the same. He sends his troops into battle with the plea, “Be gentle to the young man Absalom.” Be gentle to the traitor? If the king’s heart isn’t in this war defending his throne, why should the army’s? At the end, too, David weeps over his lost son in the hearing of his troops. (Joab is going to have something to say about this in tomorrow’s reading.)

            I think that as we read 2 Samuel we are supposed to see David having wrong priorities: he is less concerned for his kingdom than he is for his rebellious son. We live in an era in which we are expected to value family over work. It doesn’t always come out that way, but I think it’s fair to say that’s what our culture expects. Not so in the Old Testament, and not so with David. He was supposed to prioritize the kingdom. He was, after all, in some way, the father of the whole nation.

            Still, I can’t help but read chapter 18 and gain an insight into the heart of God Himself. In the great drama of salvation, we play the role of Absalom: we humans are beloved of God, his greatest creation, and our privilege goes right to our heads. Sin makes us headstrong, arrogant, rebellious. Genesis 3: we think that we can do a better job of being God than God can. No wonder Romans 5 names us first sinners, then enemies of God!

            And God plays the role of David, mourning over His poor, misguided, lost children. He can’t bear the thought of our eternal death. Now this is at the heart of the mystery of our faith: the Father mourns over His fallen children, but He choses an equally painful path for our salvation, namely, the death of His Son. A perfectly obedient Son, a Son from eternity, in exchange for unruly sons and daughters, whose very life was only a gift from the Father in the first place. What a choice! A Son for a son. Something of far greater worth for something of much less worth. Great is the mystery of godliness (1 Timothy 3:16)!

            From one point of view, these chapters are just one more example of David refusing to discipline his sons. From another, it’s a beautiful reminder of how much our Lord God has loved us, saving us from our own rebellious misdeeds!