Friday, January 3, 2025
Thursday, January 2, 2025
2Samuel, chapter 19, comments
2Samuel 19:1 ¶ And it was told Joab, Behold, the king
weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 2 And
the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for
the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. 3 And the people gat them by stealth that day
into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 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! 5 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; 6 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. 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. 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.
The victory elicits no joy from the king. King
David is shaken out of his wallowing in his grief by Joab’s threat that if he
does not appear before the people and execute his duties as king then he will
lose all. The victory in the civil war with Absalom will be a loss after all if
he does not get a grip, so to speak. Joab’s rebuke is timely and does save the
situation.
2Samuel 19:9 ¶ 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. 10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back? 11 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. 12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? 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. 14 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. 15 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.
The entire kingdom of Israel repents and
wishes King David to return. But Joab’s threat and his behavior in undermining
the king’s wishes on previous occasions, particularly killing David’s son,
Absalom, in spite of his orders not to do so, makes Joab lose his position as
captain of the armies of Israel. Amasa is placed in his stead. Remember now
that Amasa was Joab’s cousin.
2Samuel 17:25
And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa
was a man’s son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the
daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother.
The people of Judah, David’s people, are
provoked to send a delegation to escort the king back over the Jordan to
Jerusalem rather than let the other tribes of Israel receive that honor.
2Samuel 19:16 ¶ 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. 17 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. 18 And there
went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he
thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was
come over Jordan; 19 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. 20 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. 21 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? 22 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? 23 Therefore
the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.
Shimei had insulted the king and said some
pretty terrible things when David was fleeing Absalom.
2Samuel 16:5 ¶ And when king David came to Bahurim, behold,
thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was
Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. 6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the
servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his
right hand and on his left. 7 And thus
said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man
of Belial: 8 The LORD hath returned upon
thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and
the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and,
behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the
king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray
thee, and take off his head. 10 And the
king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse,
because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore
hast thou done so? 11 And David said to
Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my
bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him
alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine
affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
13 And as David and his men went by the
way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he
went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. 14 And the king, and all the people that were
with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
David is laying a foundation for his return
to authority by his mercy. This day, Shimei does not face death. He will at a
later time, though. His wrongs are not forgotten. It’s just that for now it is
important for David to be merciful and seen as a benevolent king. David’s
wisdom will be passed onto his son, Solomon, with much wisdom added to it.
2Samuel 19:24 ¶ 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. 25 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? 26 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. 27 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. 28 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? 29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. 30 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.
The returning king again pursues a policy of
magnanimity and grace by not condemning Mephibosheth, who has been accused of
treason by his servant, Ziba.
2Samuel 16:3
And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the
king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of
Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
David did not decide which of the men were
lying and simple told them to divide the property of Mephibosheth which is okay
with him as, according to his words, it is enough that David has returned. Of
course, he is probably very glad he still has his head on his shoulders. Who
knows the truth here? I tend to lean toward the lame Mephibosheth who has much
to be grateful for.
2Samuel 19:31 ¶ And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from
Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
32 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. 33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou
over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. 34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long
have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 35 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? 36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan
with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
37 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. 38 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. 39 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.
The old loyalist, Barzillai, accompanies the
king over the Jordan. He had provided for David’s care while he was hidden from
his son, Absalom. He does not accept David’s offer of including him in David’s
court, claiming his advanced age, but sends a trusted servant in his place to
represent himself. This strikes me as similar to an angel being an appearance
of someone who is in Heaven while the person is here or here while the person
is somewhere else.
Matthew 18:10
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto
you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which
is in heaven.
Acts 12:13
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken,
named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew
Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how
Peter stood before the gate.15 And they
said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so.
Then said they, It is his angel.
2Samuel 19:40 ¶ 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. 41 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? 42 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? 43 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.
Judah was David’s tribe and they sought to be
noted as the first to bring the king back into power but the tribes of Israel,
the ten tribes, contended with them. Judah won the argument in the end. Apparently
this was not a contention that should have resulted in bloodshed. Whatever the
case, David has been returned to his throne and the rebellion of Absalom, the
greatest threat to his kingship, is over.
What strikes me about this chapter is the
lesson it teaches us in being gracious in victory, even to those whose loyalty
is in question.