Skyscraper Ministries/Lectures/2005 Baptisms/The Other Seventy Training Academy
A Brief
Look at the Life & Familial Trials of David
From 2 Samuel 11 To 2 Samuel
19
An excerpt from The Kings of Israel &
Judah
written
by
Dr. Ammar Saheli, Evangelist
After
David assumed his public role of king of Israel and Judah he experienced extreme
military success and delivered the Ark of the Covenant into its rightful place
in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:3-5,7; 6:15-17).
In the life span of king David during eight chapters above, two of his
six son’s (Amnon & Absalom) are of unique importance.
David’s legacy of familial troubles
began with his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and their pregnancy (2 Samuel 11:4-5). In an attempt to
conceal the true identity of the father, David summoned Uriah (Bathsheba’s
husband) to return from war to be with his wife. However, Uriah was a man who
refused to look back after having put his hand to the plow and would not
physically return to his home of abode (Luke
9:62). David was hoping that Uriah would return to his living quarters and
sleep with his wife. That would have allowed Uriah to naturally assume that he
was the father of the child his wife carried. When David perceived Uriah’s
dedication and persistence to return to battle, he mandated Joab to assign
Uriah to the frontline of battle to facilitate his death (2 Samuel 11:14-17).
After all David’s trials, sinful
schemes, and blunders he was in need of some spiritual cleansing. To initiate
and spark the development of a clean heart and right spirit within David
(Psalms 51:10), God sent him a man named Nathan (Psalms 12:1-14). David was self-righteous and blinded, easily
commenting on the sins of others while failing to confess and repent of his own
sins. As a result of the illicit sexual relationship between David and
Bathsheba, God required the death of their infant son. Nathan said to David, “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast
given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also
that is born unto thee shall surely die” (2 Samuel 12:14). As a consequence
to the sexual affair and murder, David was also informed that the sword would
never depart his house (2 Samuel 12:10). Sadly,
Bathsheba’s son died after being terribly sick. Yet, as a man after God’s own
heart, David worshipped God before and after the death of his son to cope with
the pain, grief, and loss (2 Samuel
12:15-23).
The first of David’s consequential and familial pains came in the form of rape, vigilantism, and murder. David’s son Amnon had a sick yearning to be with his sister Tamar sexually. Amnon’s cousin Jonadab (2 Samuel 13:3) arranged a scheme that fostered an environment for Amnon to rape his sister Tamar. This situation infuriated Absalom and he waited two years and then arranged for his men to successfully murder Amnon (2 Samuel 13:23,28-29).
After the murder of Amnon Absalom
fled to Geshur and remained three years and David was saddened by his absence (2 Samuel 13:37-39). Joab began
negotiating Absalom’s return, but David’s behavior as a father presented as
strange. He mourned for his son in his absence, consented to his return, but
refused to allow him in his presence (2
Samuel 14:23-24). Surely this must have frustrated Absalom and gendered
feelings of rejection. Why would David refuse his son in such a fashion?
Absaloms murderous actions were not directed toward his father. He was avenging
his sister that he loved so much he named his daughter Tamar (2 Samuel 14:27).
Absalom was forced to deal with the psychological issues of having a famous father that ignored him but an Israel that praised him. Absalom was a beautiful man from the bottom of his feet to the crown of his head (2 Samuel 14:25). He was a man with long hair and no physical blemishes. He was a perfect specimen.
Absalom was back in Jerusalem two
full years and never spoke to his father or saw his face (2 Samuel 14:28). A king without time for his children could truly
provoke them to wrath and that is exactly what happened with Absalom (Ephesians 6:4). Absalom sent word twice
to Joab in an attempt to arrange a meeting with his father but Joab failed to
respond (2 Samuel 14:29). This
apparently left Absalom sad, rejected, bitter, and vengeful. Absalom reacted
with arson and set Joab’s barley field on fire (2 Samuel 14:30). The drastic measures of Absalom gained Joabs
attention and Absalom complained to him about his lack of contact with his
father. Absalom had a message and mandate for Joab: “Wherefore am I come from Geshur? It had been good for me to have been
there still: now therefore let me see the kings face; and if there be any
iniquity in me, let him kill me” (2 Samuel 14:32).
Joab arranged a family meeting and Absalom
met with his father David. Absalom bowed before his father and David kissed
him. Apparently the father/son reunion described in biblical brevity was not
enough for Absalom. Like any son, Absalom apparently yearned for and needed
more than a epigrammatic meeting with his father because he soon began
establishing himself and subverting his father’s kingdom (2 Samuel 14:33; 15:1-4). Absalom began acting as a pseudo judge in
Israel, providing a type of attention to the people his father was not giving
him. “…When any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his
hand and kissed him” (2 Samuel 15:5). In his methodical efforts to
overthrow his father, “…Absalom stole the
hearts of the men of Israel (2 Samuel 15:6).
After forty years he returned to Geshur and linked himself to his fathers covert rival, Ahithophel, the grandfather of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3; 15: 12; 23:34). His tragic strategy spurned by his reactions to his partially disconnected fathers rejections, was to overtake the kingdom. Absalom’s conspiracy grew and more and more people were drawn to his cause. David fled Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:13-14). A king again on the run, imagine how David must have felt:
(1) Saul tried to kill him several times.
(2) Abner fought against the completion of his kingship.
(3) He had a child-producing affair with Bathsheba.
(4) He ordered the death of a co-worker.
(5) He suffered through the death of his infant son.
(6) His daughter was raped.
(7) His son Amnon was killed by his brother Absalom.
(8) His son Absalom attempted to overthrow and assassinate him.
The neglect of David toward his son festered in Absalom for at least forty years. Absalom sought out the perfect man to help him conquer David, Ahithophel. The unfilled void Absalom yearned for his father to fill thrust him into psychological and physical destruction. Absalom was so bent on and consumed by feelings of anger and revenge he became a defenseless victim to deplorable counsel. Absalom, his men, and his demonic counselor Ahithophel returned to Jerusalem to begin their coup d'état (2 Samuel 16:15).
In an attempt to foster and publicly promote the fabricated
outrage of David for Absalom, Ahithophel counseled him to have sex with his
fathers’ concubines (2 Samuel 16:20-22). How great the depths of sin can
become when a person fails to walk after the Spirit and reacts carnally to
fleshly hurts. Like his father David, Absalom committed his sinful acts of lust
upon the top of the house (2 Samuel 11:2; 16:22). Absalom and other men
of Israel respected the words of Ahithophel as if they were the words of God (2
Samuel 2 16:23).
In an attack masterminded by
Ahithophel, twelve thousand men pursued after David, but David was warned of
the attack (2 Samuel 17:1). In midst of the evil attack, Absalom, while
riding his mule became caught by his neck within the trees above and his
mule continued forward. This left Absalom hanging in the air. When Joab heard
of his condition he thrust him in the heart with three darts and then his ten
men completed the execution (2 Samuel 18: 9-15). Despite the
assassination attempts of Absalom, David was deeply saddened by his death (2
Samuel 19:1-8).
David’s kingdom was restored, but throughout his reign he paid an emotional price for his sins. Remember, the birth of Solomon to David and Bathsheba is recorded in 2 Samuel 12:24-25. Therefore Solomon was an eyewitness to his father’s relationship and experiences with Absalom and his siblings.