2Samuel, chapter 18, comments

 

2Samuel 18:1 ¶  And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2  And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. 3  But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city. 4  And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. 5  And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. 6  So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 7  Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. 8  For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

 

David divides his army into three parts to receive the enemy. He is convinced by his stalwarts that he must not lead the men in battle due to his importance as the king. The king represented God and the people of Israel. He, they said, was worth more than all of them in importance. He gives a charge to his commanders to spare Absalom for his own sake.

 

This battle in the dense wood of Ephraim went bad for Absalom and his forces and well for King David and his. This woods could not have been in the territory of Ephraim as they had crossed over Jordan so it may have been named such for the slaughter made by Jephthah in Judges 12:4-6.

 

2Samuel 18:9 ¶  And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. 10  And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. 11  And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. 12  And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. 13  Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. 14  Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15  And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. 16  And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people. 17  And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. 18  Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.

 

The battle commences and Absalom’s death takes the wind out of the Israelites’ attack and they flee. Notice how Joab starts the killing after a man faithful to David refuses to do so as per David’s instructions. Joab often works contrary to David but then some of David’s behavior is to blame as I am sure you have considered as we read.

 

An interesting thing here is the statement that Absalom had erected a pillar lamenting his lack of a male offspring.

 

2Samuel 14:27  And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

 

The likely explanation for this apparent contradiction is that Absalom’s sons died in their youth, perhaps by disease, although we are not told. No male offspring of Absalom are mentioned later either. Several older commentators say they had died and one Aramaic translation of this passage is supposed to say “no surviving sons.” It does seem logical that they predeceased their father.

 

2Samuel 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. 20  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. 21  Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. 22  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? 23  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. 24  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. 25  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. 26  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. 27  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. 28  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. 29  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. 30  And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. 31  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. 32  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. 33  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!

 

Here is the detailed account of how King David found out that his son, the rebellious Absalom, had died. This was a great grief to the king in spite of all of the pain and trouble this son had caused. From the time of Tamar’s rape this seemed like it was inevitable, this rebellion. Now, David has suffered in his family for many reasons we have discussed. Many a man and woman of God has seen a child go astray. I am reminded of my comments on Proverbs 17:25.

 

Proverbs 17:25 ¶ A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

Everything said in verse 21 applies here, as well.

Proverbs 17:21 ¶ He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

 Literally, we are looking at the shame of parents who have a child who acts like a fool. Terrible, ungodly relationships, bad attitudes about money, and an inability to control their impulses make children a sorrow to their parents.
Imagine raising a child with the Bible read in the home every day and prayers made daily with the family and that child grows up to be as much a reprobate as the kid down the street raised on a steady stream of popular culture, rock music, and Marxist, evolutionary theory in public school. What a heartbreak that would be. I know, some of you say that can’t happen if it’s done right. Well, human behavior is much trickier than you’d like to admit and people from Godly families can go astray.

Just look at the offspring of some of the great men of God like Presbyterian Billy Sunday. We expect Charles Darwin’s children to fall into alcoholism and drug addiction and madness, which they didn’t, but Billy Sunday’s? Now this is what I’ve read so if you find different information let me know. George dies from a questionable “fall” from a hotel window which most believe was suicide and had some criminal charges in his background, Billy Jr. in a drunken car crash after a night of partying, and while test pilot Paul died in an airplane crash, and Helen from what seemed to be multiple sclerosis or pneumonia, between four kids all drinking and partying you have nine marriages, with some of the boy’s wives actually blackmailing the Sundays about their boy’s unfaithfulness. Talk about grief and bitterness to mother and father. Three grandchildren produced one great-grandchild who was murdered by his homosexual lover in San Francisco in 1982 or thereabouts. Some other foolish children of Protestant and Baptist preachers of different persuasions that made their parents ashamed were David Hyles’, son of Jack, Vice President Aaron Burr who shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel and committed acts of treason against the US government, sick rock and roller, Alice Cooper, Gudrun Ensslin, one of the founders of the Baader-Meinhoff terrorist gang in Germany, Camilla Hall, one of the founders of the Symbionese Liberation Army of Patty Hearst’s kidnapping fame, Kim Il Sung, the communist founder of North Korea, Friedrich “God is Dead” Neitzche, the German philosopher, Vincent “I cut my ear off for a prostitute” Van Gogh, famous painter, and Malcolm X, Black Muslim radical in the 60’s. Now, do you believe a man of God can produce foolish offspring? Think of the shame those preachers felt.

All parents, no matter what their own relationship with the Lord is, need God’s mercy every single day. If you, young person, ever think that you’re just doing a fine job and you’d like God to he’p you and don’t constantly realize that even if you are doing everything perfectly you need God’s hand of mercy on your child and your parenting and your family every single day, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. Parents, humble yourselves before God and plead with Him for guidance. Don’t ever expect your child to learn about Christ by osmosis, just being near you.