2 Samuel Series - Week 15: Stumbling Into the Lord

  It was October of 1986, the Red Sox had finally made it back to the World Series after a decade of being knocked out of the running. It was game six, and the Red Sox were up 3-2, one more win, and they would have ended a World Series drought that had lasted since 1920.  The game went into extra innings. The Sox retired two batters, and were one out away from the  championship. But they gave up three hits in a row, which brought the opposing team up to just two points from victory. 

What happened next shaped Red Sox fans for a generation. Mookie Wilson came up to bat for the Mets, and dinged off six foul balls, then this is happened next: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18caPNisP2U.

Bill Buckner, the first baseman, later said, “I can’t remember the last time I missed a ball like that, but I’ll remember this one.”

His stumble over that routine ground ball is considered one of the greatest blunders in Major League Baseball history.

And it’s this idea of stumbling that brings us back into our Second Samuel series, where we’ll be picking it back up in Second Samuel Chapter 15, starting in verse 13. And as we jump back into Second Samuel 15:13-37, let’s remind ourselves where we are in the life of David.

The situation we’re currently working through started with David’s sin with Bathsheba, which led to the death of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah, which led to the death of David’s first son with Bathsheba, which led to the breakdown of the spiritual covering in the family, which led to Amnon violating his sister Tamar, which led Tamar’s brother Absalom to kill Amnon, which led to Absalom being prematurely reconciled back to David, and finally led to Absalom seeking to overthrow his father David and install himself as king. From these weeks we have walked away with the idea that, God calls us to not allow sin to fester, because it will grow and destroy as much as it can. However, we cannot jump ahead of God in the reconciliation of relationships or it might end just as badly.

And now we’ll see how David responds to the threat of Absalom as we read Second Samuel 15:13-37.

13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 And the king's servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” 16 So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. 17 And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.

18 And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” 22 And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.

24 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

v.13-17

The passage transitions from Absalom calling on the people of Israel to join him, to David receiving a message that, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom. (v.13)” Now it may seem like that, but we know it’s not the case. Absalom is creating a conspiracy that actually has very few supporting it. But it was done in such a way that it seemed like everyone had turned against David.

So David does something that, at first, doesn’t seem like a good idea, he leaves the protection of the city. The reason this doesn’t seem like a good idea is because a city is a good place to fortify against an attacking army. Siege weapons, like the trebuchet, won’t be invented for thousands of years, so sieging a city is a hard task. You need a large army, and a willingness to spend months choking the resources of the city. Earlier in Second Samuel, we saw that Joab besieged the city of Rabbah (12:26-27), which took a while to overcome.

So, why doesn’t David wait for Absalom to beside the city and fight it out there? Well for a few reasons: First, unless you can outlast your opponent, or have allies outside the city who will fight for you, being stuck in a city isn’t such a good idea. There’s no retreat once you’re in the city. Second, David doesn’t know the strength of Absalom’s military. True we know there’s only about fifty people that will actually fight for Absalom, but David doesn’t know that. He knows that there were two hundred that went with Absalom to Hebron, and now he’s hearing that all of Israel is with his rebellious son. So It appears to David that he won’t have reinforcements coming to help him in a siege situation. 

So instead, David decided to leave the city and take his chances out in the wilderness. This actually plays to David’s strengths. He has won his greatest victories out in the wilderness. He spent years roaming all over Israel as he escaped from Saul. So out of the city is actually a better strategy for him, than would be staying in it.

v.18-23

But as he leaves Jerusalem, he stops at the last house and watches everyone who is coming with him march out of the city. It’s here that we’re told of three groups of foreigners that are marching with David. These are most likely foreign mercenaries who have come to fight for David in other capacities. Except they’re more than just mercenaries. Through Ittai we’re shown that these foreigners are actually faithful to David. His response to David questioning him about just starting, reveals that he believes David is the rightful king appointed by God. 

These foreigners may be there because they don’t have anywhere else to go back to, but even given the chance to change sides, they still choose David, even if it’s a loosing cause. So, even if all of Israel is against David, which it’s not, David’s actions still develop loyalty in the men who fight for him. This also shows us how militarily powerful David actually was. He had many battle harden men compared to Absalom’s “drafted” men.

v.24-31

It is then that the priests bring out the ark of the covenant, however David sends it away. This is something that David wouldn’t have done a few years earlier. By sending it back David shows that he learned his lesson about placing his trust in the ark rather than in God (2 Sam. 6).

In fact, his focus on God in this moment leads to the creation of Psalm 3. That Psalm reads,  “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! (Ps. 3:1-8)”

David once believed that it was the ark that housed God’s power, but he had learned to revere God as holy, and not trust in artifacts, but in the Living God himself. David doesn’t need the ark, he only needs the Lord.

v.32-37

The passage ends with David setting up his own spy network to gain intel on his son. He doesn’t trust his advisor Ahithophel, so he leaves behind a trust advisor to relay information through the priests to the outside. Through David’s actions he sets up the best possible situation as to cause the least amount of blood shed. Many people would have died at the besieging of Jerusalem, but David allowed his son to conquer it with no bloodshed. But there’s still a war on the horizon, and we’ll see the battle in a few chapters. 

Coming out of this passage we can see that, though David has his deficiencies in some areas of faith, he was still strong in others. Yes, he was weak in his sexual desires, and weak when dealing with his family, but he was still beloved by those who served under him. He was still a good military tactician. He still cared for the non-military personnel that lived under his rule, and he still trusted God above all else. 

This should give us encouragement. Just because we fail in some areas, doesn’t mean we can’t still be faithful. David had failed, and failed miserably. His situation was his own doing. If he didn’t follow his lingering eyes, Uriah would most likely be alive, and there would be no child that would have died. If David hadn’t failed, he might have seen his son’s sexual desire for Tamar and stopped it before it happened. And if it did happened he might have brought justice upon his son, so that it would have not led to his other son eventually rebelling.

Yes, David’s situation is because of his sin, but that’s the beauty of God’s grace. Though we are unfaithful, God never is. John, writing in his first letter to the Church, tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 Jn. 1:9)” God is always faithful, all he requires is a recognition of the sin we commit, because when we recognize our sin and confess it to God, we’re taking ownership of what we have done wrong. Only when that happens can true restoration occur.

David has accepted that he has sinned, he has even confessed it, now he holds only to God to save him. David has done something that shows that inner work of God which God saw when he first called him to be king, that though he may fail, he returns to God and accepts whatever God decides is right.

That’s the kind of faith God is calling us to, a faith that doesn’t stay stagnant, but grows in trust and obedience. We’re going falter in our faith like we’re Buckner in the 10th inning of the world series, there’s not question in that, but how we respond in turning towards God or away, shows whether we fail in our faith. 

I have always had the mindset that I only fail something if I don’t learn from it. I was told once that it was a cocky attitude, but I don’t think it is. Failure to me is if I keep doing the same thing again and again and never grow out of it. Growth is stumbling on something and learning to not step in the same spot.

God is calling us to growth, and that means when we stumble in our faith, we turn to him to cleanse us and grow us so that we don’t stumble in the same place twice. Its the turning to God for all things that will grow us out of stumbling, not just trying to be better. 

My challenge for you this week is pray these words daily, and especially when you stumble and falter because of sin, “Lord I confess that I faltered in sin, and I thank you for the forgiveness you gave me through Jesus’ work on the cross. Lord help me to rely on you that I may grow from this more trusting of you. Amen.”

Let us be a people who, when we stumble, we fall on to the Lord and nothing else. Amen.

2 Samuel Series - Week 14: Reconciliation in God’s Timing

  The acclaimed director, Christopher Nolan, released a new take on Homer’s Odyssey. The Odyssey is the second part of a greater epic about the Trojan and Greek wars. The Odyssey focuses on Odysseus, his men, and their adventure returning home. 

One of the most iconic scenes of Homer’s great epic is the Trojan horse. For ten years the Greeks have tried to break through the walls of the great Trojan city of Troy. But the walls are too heavily fortified. It is then that the Greeks get an idea, they will pretend to leave, but they’ll also leave behind a wooden horse with soldiers inside. The hope is, the Trojans will bring the horse into the city and from within, their destruction can finally come. 

Everything works out, Troy falls to the Greeks, and Odyssey’s adventure home begins.

The story has become one of the most well known examples of betrayal in history. Believing you are bringing something good into your home, and yet within it, destruction follows.

It’s this idea of hoping for good, but experiencing evil from that good that brings us back to our series in Second Samuel, where we’ll be picking it back up in Second Samuel Chapter 14, starting in verse 1. And as we are opening up to Second Samuel 14:1, let’s remind ourselves how we got here.

The Dark Days of David began when David allowed his eyes to linger on Bathsheba as she bathed. This led to adultery, conspiracy, and the murder of her husband Uriah. The judgement of God came to David and the child born through that adultery died. Then, because of David’s sin, the spiritual covering over his family was shattered. His oldest son, Amnon, violated his sister, Tamar. When David found out, he compounded the sin of his son by not bringing justice to his daughter. This let the sin fester, and Tamar’s brother Absalom took vengeance two years later, killing Amnon.

Through these series of events, we can walk away with the understanding that, God calls us to not allow sin to fester, because it will grow and destroy as much as it can. David allowed his sin to fester and it led to the destruction of his entire family. God is calling us to confession, repentance, and godly judgment which are the antidote to sin’s festering. But as we’ll see today, David’s festering sin still hasn’t been dealt with.

Let’s read together Second Samuel 14:1-15:12.

14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart went out to Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” 5 And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”

8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” 10 The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” 11 Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13 And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. 14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. 15 Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.’ 17 And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!”

18 Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.”

21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king's presence.

25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king's weight. 27 There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

28 So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king's presence. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. 30 Then he said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’” 33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

15:1 After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. 8 For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.’” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” 11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12 And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.

v.14:1-28

The passage begins on a hopeful note. Joab sees that David is having a hard time because he wants to bring his son, Absalom, home, but he can’t because he feels like that wouldn’t look good. Absalom is still seen as a murder.

So Joab takes a book out of God’s playbook, and gets someone to present a situation where David is given a way to bring his son back to Jerusalem. Except, instead of God being the author, it’s Joab. Notice that God hasn’t spoken. God hasn’t called for Absalom to return, so Joab’s taking this upon himself. We’re told at the end of verse 3, “So Joab put the words in her mouth.” In a sense, Joab is playing the part of God. It is his word, not God’s, that’s being carried out here. 

But Joab might not only be wanting Absalom back because David was distressed about his son. Remember, Joab’s a military leader. In verse 25 we get a description of Absalom for the first time. We’re told that he’s handsome, and there’s a sense that this is what Joab is looking at; to the outside of Absalom rather than inside. Like Saul, Absalom looks the part of a king. In fact he comes from royalty on his mother’s side. So Joab might have a dual purpose here. He wants to help David with restoring the relationship, but he also might see Absalom as the potential best bet to be the next king.

But because it’s not God that is calling on David to restore this relationship, Joab inadvertently caused more issues.

v.29-33

Another two years pass, and Joab’s decision comes to bite him. Absalom seeks to find out from Joab when he will see his father, but Joab doesn’t respond. So after a few attempts, Absalom gets frustrated and he turns to violence once again, burning Joab’s field.

That gets Joab’s attention, and from there Joab gets Absalom an audience with the king.

The chapter ends with the hope of its beginning being fulfilled. Reconciliation between father and son occurs. And by embracing Absalom, David shows that he forgives his son’s sin in killing Amnon. Everything is good, right?

v.15:1-12

No, because soon after Absalom shows his true colors. He begins to sow seeds of discontent with everyone who comes to bring their issues before David. Remember, Absalom has seen that David didn’t give his sister Tamar justice, and with Amnon dead, Absalom focuses his anger towards the king. He begins to tell people, “… there is no man designated by the king to hear you … Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice. (v.15:3-4)”

But there is a man to bring justice, that’s the king, but Absalom doesn’t believe that. He doesn’t believe that David is just, but he could bring justice to people if only he were the judge in the land.

It’s through these seeds of injustice, that Absalom shows he is seeking to overthrown his father. Except Absalom doesn’t have the military might just yet, but he has deception. Like he did before, he goes to his father and makes a request. This time it’s to worship the Lord. This is a good thing, and David grants it. 

So Absalom takes 200 men. These guys don’t know Absalom’s plan. They’re being used to make it look like Absalom has 200 young warriors coming to his side. It’s a ploy to scare his father. Absalom even called for one of David’s counselors to come with him, to bolster the idea that the son was stronger than he actually was.

The chapter ends, not on a hopeful note, but with civil war on the horizon. What was supposed to be a reconciliation turns out to be a fracturing of the nation. David’s sin is working itself out as the festering continues.

And here’s the take away: too often we try to play the part of God and force things that shouldn’t happen. Last week we talked about how vengeance is God’s domain and we must allow him to work out justice in his time. This situation of Absalom sowing seeds of discontent and rallying people around him to overthrow his father is a direct result of one man trying to fix a situation that God had not called to fix. 

Should there be reconciliation between David and Absalom? Yes, that’s the hope. But that reconciliation needs to be moved by God, not by man. We should desire that relationships be restored, that’s one of the big themes of First Samuel. However, sometimes time needs to pass for that reconciliation to actually be good. 

David was ready for reconciliation, but Absalom wasn’t. He still held deep anger for the injustices that his father allowed his sister to experience. Absalom wasn’t ready to reconcile. Instead, he was ready to destroy. Absalom was hurt by his father, and he wanted his father to fall because of it. 

Our intentions for reconciliation may be good, but good intentions are not what we are called to. God’s people are called to have godly intentions. That’s good intentions directed by God. God’s desire is that all people would be reconciled to himself and each other, but the reality is, not everyone is ready or wants reconciliation. And if given the opportunity, they will destroy more lives because they have been given unfettered access to do so.

Instead of trying to fix everything, we should begin in prayer, seeking the Lord for reconciliation. Allowing him to work in our hearts and the hearts of those we seek reconciliation with. Then, in the Lord’s timing, that reconciliation happens through mutual repentance and forgiveness. 

A heart that’s ready to be reconciled has a humbleness about it. We don’t see that in Absalom. When he didn’t get an answer from Joab, instead of waiting for God to move, he burned a field. That tells us where his heart was. He wasn’t ready for reconciliation, but Joab sought to force it. 

David would write in Psalm 37, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him … (v.37:3-7a)”

Maybe David thought that he had waited upon the Lord and that God was bringing about righteous reconciliation. I think that as soon as he realized that Joab was the one behind the words in the woman’s mouth (v.19-20), David should have remember that Joab was a wicked man, and that this wasn’t from the Lord, but from man. But David’s desire was reconciliation, and he went forward, most likely because of his own remorse over his sin. And that ungodly reconciliation, led to disaster.

It’s a hard place to be, desiring reconciliation, yet waiting on God to bring about godly restoration. But it’s what God calls us to. To seek reconciliation in his timing. 

My challenge for you this week is to pray for reconciliation. It might be for you and a relationship that has been broken. It could be for someone else’s relationship that you know their hurting because it was broken. It could be for our nation that needs reconciliation between neighbors. Whatever reconciliation you see that needs to happen, pray for it daily this week, asking God to move in his time, and to help you recognize when godly reconciliation is happening. One of the ways you know, is that people are humbly asking forgiveness without being forced to do so. 

God is calling us to seek him in reconciliation. We are to be a people who want our Father’s desire in his timing. Amen.

Week 13: God’s Place of Vengeance

  During home games at the Atlanta Braves’ stadium, they have a contest where one fan can challenge the person they call The Freeze, to a foot race around the warning track of the baseball field. Recently, one particular racer went viral across social media, when, at the start of the race, he blew a kiss to The Freeze, to mock him. It was as if he said, “Bye, bye, you won’t catch me.”

Let’s see if the runner was right or not:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PoyM3MbItCs.

What made the race go viral, is that we like to see people who are cocky get their comeuppance. We like to see un-humble people, humbled. In other words, we like to see justice happen in real time.

It’s this idea of justice being served, that brings us back to our summer series in the book of Second Samuel, where we’ll be picking it back in Second Samuel Chapter 13, verses 23-39. As we open up to Second Samuel 13:23, let’s look back at how we go to this point.

David’s sin with Bathsheba led to the murder of Uriah. This broke down the spiritual covering that a father has over his family. God told David this would happen and that it would be a punishment because of his sin.

From this breakdown we saw David’s oldest son, Amnon, violate his half-sister Tamar. Then, if that wasn’t horrible enough, David compounded that violation, but not bringing justice for his own daughter, allowing his son to go free. However, David’s third oldest son and Tamar’s full brother, Absalom held anger towards Amnon, and waited for a time to enact revenge. We walked away from last week with the understanding that, God calls us to not allow the festering of sin, but to do right by others through godly judgment. David allowed sin to fester. He allowed Amon’s sin against Tamar to fester, and by not taking action, he allowed Absalom’s anger to fester.

It’s Absalom’s festering sin that we now see come out as we read Second Samuel 13:23-39. 

23 After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. 28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way, news came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. 32 But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king's sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”

34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.

v.23-27 - So we see that two years had gone by as Absalom’s anger brewed over the injustices that were done to Tamar. Where he has held his tongue toward’s his older half-brother. But he is given the opportunity to take his anger out toward’s Amnon.

Now it seems like Absalom is calling his entire male family members to a grand feast as his sheep are being sheered. Could Absalom be plotting to expose Amnon’s sins to other people, or because David declined the invitation, did Absalom decide it was the perfect opportunity to get his revenge on Amnon? We don’t know. However, Absalom takes the opportunity to gather his men together and kill Amnon.

v.28-29 - However, it’s interesting that when calling for his servants to help him killing Amnon, he uses a variation of what God first said to Joshua, in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed …” Absalom uses God’s words, which has probably become a saying to encourage people by this time, to help him in killing Amnon.

This works, and the servants kill the brother. Now, I’m not is disagreement with Absalom at this point. Amon’s violation deserved death, David, who should have brought justice to Tamar didn’t, so I’m not mad at Absalom for what he did.

It reminds me of Gary Plauché. In 1983, Gary’s son Jody began taking karate lessons from Jeff Doucet (dew-say). Eventually, the karate instructor became part of the family. He attended game nights and other family activities. Soon Jeff the instructor began to groom Jody, by touching him passively at first, and then aggressively. The parents found out what was going on when Jeff abducted Jody and took him to Disneyland. The police got involved, and Jeff and Jody were found at a hotel in Anaheim, California. When the tests came back for positive sexual assault, Jeff was sent back to Louisiana. Jeff got off the plain, with officers escorting him, and reporters taking video. Then, out of nowhere, a man who had been on a payphone brought out a gun and shot Jeff. It was Jody’s father, Gary. Gary plead no contest to manslaughter and was given 300 hours of community service.

I get where Gary’s coming from, and I’m not sure he deserved the 300 hours of community service. I get Gary’s rage, and I get Absalom’s too. He did what he believed was justice. But we’ll see later on, how this act led him down a darker path.

v.30-39 - But after Amnon dies, the report first comes to David that Absalom has killed all of David’s sons. If that were true, it would make it seem like Absalom was making a move to become king. In that instance, David might be thinking that this was the breaking apart of his kingdom that God had told him about.

However, Jonadab, the one who hatched Amnon’s plan to violate Tamar, informs the king that it was only Amnon who Absalom killed. Even though Jonadab didn’t know this for a fact, he knew that Absalom must have been angry toward Amnon for violating Tamar. And Jonadab was right when David’s sons returned.

It’s here that Absalom flees for his life. The act of killing Amnon is seen as premeditated murder, and because of this, there was nowhere in Israel for him to go. He couldn’t return home, David would have to act this time. Absalom couldn’t go to one of the sanctuary cities, because they would have to turn him over immediately because of the act. So he goes to his mother’s father who is a king outside of Israel. 

But why would David have to bring justice down on his son, when Absalom was bringing justice down on his sister’s rapist? My inclination is that, though Tamar’s violation was known by the royal court, the people didn’t know. They probably believed that Amnon was just a good son of the king. And when another son killed the other, it was the killer who was the problem. Perhaps David didn’t want it known that he didn’t give justice to his daughter, and that’s possibly the real reason why we get this end to the passage.

The passage ends with David coming to terms with Amnon’s death. Perhaps he realized that it was a just killing. Then we’re told that David wanted to go to Absalom to see him again, but David would not go to him. I think it’s because if David went out, he would have to face his own injustice, and be exposed to the nation. David has tried to hide his sin in the past, so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities for him to do the same thing here.

But whatever the case, David’s inaction with Tamar, has led to the death of one son, and his other son on the run. And, it just gets worse from here.

So what can we take away from this. In my flesh, I identify with Absalom. Every time I hear of an injustice, my blood boils. I have thought about how I would go about getting justice for people that have been hurt. Whether that’s someone I personally know, or someone I hear about. 

And so one of the verses that I struggle with is, Romans 12:17-19, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Paul is quoting Deuteronomy 32:35, and its a call to allow God to take vengeance for situations like these. In fact, when Paul says, “… but leave it to the wrath of God …” he is saying, “give room for it to take place.” Like everywhere else in our lives, there’s a place for God’s work to be done, and we need to let God work in this particular spot. Vengeance is his spot, not ours. When we are not the ones to enact the justice, we have to leave it with God who lets us know he will deal with it. And that’s a hard thing to do.

One of the reasons for this is because when we take wrath into our own hands, greater evils may come about. For Gary and his son, their relationship actually suffered because of it. In a People Magazine article in 2025, Jody was interviewed about the situation. The article reads, “‘I would advise any parent whose child's been molested to be there for their child and not to take the law into your own hands and put yourself in a position to be prosecuted.’ Child sex abusers, he says, ‘gain the trust and the affection of the child. And that's really kind of their protection, because I didn't want Jeff dead, I didn't want Daddy to hurt Jeff. I just wanted Jeff to stop doing what he was doing …’” 

Because Gary took his wrath into his own hands, the healing separation of Jody from his abuser might have taken longer. I think Jody understands his father’s action, but as a child, his dad just killed his friend, even a friend that had hurt him.

For Absalom, that wrath eventually led him to despise his father, lead a rebellion against his dad, and to his own death. Where Absalom tired to do the right thing, it led him to become a villain in the end.

That’s why we must trust God in these circumstances. Not saying it’s easy, or that I wound’t do what Absalom, or Gary did, but God calls his people to a greater standard. And so, we must seek his way over our own, which is the more difficult path, but it’s always just. 

My challenge for you this week is to pray for those who have been dealt injustices. Pray for those who have been violated the way that Tamar has been. Pray for those who have been abused and abandoned. Pray for those, who have been hurt by powerful people and couldn’t get justice from earthly courts. Pray that God would move to bring his vengeance upon people, that his righteous wrath would go out, and that through it, his healing would be experienced, and many would turn to him for salvation.

Let us be a people who, in our desire for vengeance to be released on evil doers, that we cry out to the one who is just in his vengeance, that we may be godly in seeking justice for all. Amen.