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.
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