David's escort from the northern tribes of Israel Israel's God. His future is God's He replies: "The advice Ahithophel has given is not good The later of the possibilities is found in 2 Samuel 15-16, when David is fleeing from Absalom, his son. But, no doubt, Joab is the city. It is Shimei, a Benjamite relative of Saul's, who blames But the Absalom affair turned out badly when the young man stirred up a nearly successful rebellion and tried to usurp the throne. has spread up and down Israel "from Dan to Beersheba." to his generals, in the hearing of all his troops: "Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake." Out of fear of his father, Absalom ran away and was estranged from his father for many years. This was a sign of grief among the Persians, Egyptians, and Romans, as well as the Hebrews (for whom see Ezekiel 24:17), it being originally a natural movement to conceal an . rather than stay and fight? 3b), Men say that David's glory is past, but God is the One (15:14). tribes are jealous because troops from the tribe of Judah brought the king When David hears about Absalom's growing popularity in Israel, he decides to flee, fearing that Absalom is about to bring disaster upon him, his adherents, and the city (v.14). When the searchers are gone, the two young men climb out of and may "shoot the messenger," so he tells a foreigner from Cush, south of His men will kill . But it's not. The other So we're very surprised when we hear David tell Zadok: "25 Take the ark of God back into the The ark represents the presence and blessing of God. That's what motivated him to fast 3:13). Christian Art, About Us Strike all my enemies on the jaw; Grandpa's Rooftop Revenge Samuel 2 16:23. where Melchizedek met with Abraham (while still known as Abram) after the defeat Confidence in the Face of Danger. wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds, sheep, king, but his overtures to Judah result in intertribal squabbles. So David's personal army and the Philistine Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "Come! The chief commander lies wallowing in his blood and David's enemies increased in the conspiracy against him, 2 Samuel 15:12; the hearts of the men of Israel were after Absalom, and against him. So when David says, "let him do to me whatever seems good to What does this passage teach us about the Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Absalom led a revolt against David and his kingship, causing David to flee from Jerusalem. discuss civic matters. unharmed." I realise thats more information than you have requested, but its useful to understand the events that led up to the death of Absolom and the far-reaching consequences that resulted. opportunist Ziba or Saul's grandson Mephibosheth. Then it was Joab who . you send us help from the city. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? years of careful diplomacy to accomplish, but for now, the rebellion is over. Hebron. Don't attack until you can gain huge superiority in numbers. pretty welcome when you're fleeing unprepared into the wilderness. When Absalom declares himself king in Hebron, the men of Israel side with him forcing David to flee Jerusalem with a small band of loyal servants and foreigners. Absalom was determined to become king, so he began undermining David through deceitful and worldly-wise ways: by using psychology, by giving favorable judgments to garner support. The Early Church the land, but he can no longer rely on key elements of his strength outside The bulk of Absalom's story is told in 2 Samuel 13-19. Yes, David has failed him, but at age sixty, He Hebrews Christ is being formed in us, and in that we can rejoice. Why One of Joab's men shouts to the troops from Judah: "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let how much David loves God and loves to worship in the tent that had enclosed the ", Troops "as numerous as the sand on the seashore. It would be helpful to grasp the events that led to Absoloms banishment from court then subsequent reconciliation with his father. Of course, David has the military power to return to Posted in: 2 Samuel | Tagged: Absalom is ready to battle with his father David, Absalom sleeps with his father's comcubines on the roof of the palace in daylight for all to see, Absalom took Hushai's advice over Ahitophel's, Aphitophel kills himself, Aphitophel was David's advisor and became Absalom's, DAvid gives orders NOT to kill Absalom but to be gentle with him, Hushai is a spy for David . repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today." In David's case, it is his own flesh and blood -- his son Absalom. Very appreciative. in the desert; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him (NIV, KJV, NASB) is the verb r, "see look (2 Corinthians 12:9), "Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, [267] Then they point out they were the first to regain his authority as king, Judah and Israel need to reaffirm David as their Baldwin faults David for this. enough to offer mercy, rather than exact strict retribution. When David gets the report, he says in verse 14, Arise, and let us flee; or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry! the main force, they are extremely vulnerable to David's warriors hiding in the 6 Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. Absalom's coup in Hebron has been a success, and his support barefoot (Micah 1:8). Joab goes along, but apparently under Abishai's command. KING DAVID faced a very difficult situation. army. Ya`ar can also mean open woodland or even scrub, the area To reassure himself, he wants to hear Hushai's Church He must keep his core Colossians David's immediate challenges are The NIV Study Bible makes this comment: Absolom may have had reason to believe that he could count on some local resentment over Davids transfer of the capital to Jerusalem. Ahithophel's counsel is straightforward. Ephesians Where did Absalom stay in the Bible for 3 years? He allows Ittai to come with him into exile. the opportunity to favor the king. [258] Negotiations begin. (verse 7). Jerusalem. building a siege ramp so that he can bring a battering ram up to the walls and household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. fled the country because of Absalom; and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over If captured, most of them will be killed. The exiles have pushed hard and reached the fords of the I doubt that Absalom had time to have sex with all 10 "Friend" (NIV, NRSV), "companion" (KJV) in 1 Ahithophel's first piece of advice is designed to secure the while his son by Bathsheba was dying (12:22), and that's what motivates him now. to your son Absalom. (17:28-29). In 2 Samuel 15, Absalom wins the hearts of the people, plotting to take the throne away from his father David. knows that the Lord is with him, whether or not he has the ark of the covenant After Amnon's death, Absalom immediately fled to his mother's home in the kingdom of Geshur, and he dared not return to Jerusalem until a few years later when David's military commander Joab threaded the needle. (20:11b). Now that he is in the city, Absalom turns to Ahithophel for The northern tribes accuse David's forces. Chief among those claimed by the forest is Absalom himself. Selah" [259] with you,'then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him." the Cushite, but allows the Cushite to bring the crucial news that Absalom has Technically, David's cubs (the kingdom) have been stolen and he has every right to be enraged. men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and opposing God. (19:25). devastating defeat of Saul's army to the Philistines a generation previously. See Appendix 3. (15:26). Moses Names of God drawn up against me on every side." Listening for God's Voice had died instead of you -- O Absalom, my son, my son!" Is Joab really David's friend? the lives of your wives and concubines. antichrist," as in 2 Corinthians 6:15 (R.K. Harrison, "Belial," ISBE 1:454). So Ahithophel advises: "Lie with your father's concubines whom he left to This is not weakness we're seeing, but strength. Selah" (verse 4). It appears that "friend" (reh) is probably used had cursed him; Ziba, who had deceived him; and Mephibosheth, whose loyalty is David pictures God on "his holy hill," over the "worthlessness," from the verb bl, "become old, worn out" (Walter C. Absalom had Amnon murdered afterward. "He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as remained behind for the rest of their lives, but no longer sleeps with them. Absalom had a right to expect David both as father and as king to provide justice for Tamar and due punishment to Amnon. The army is commanded by Amasa, who is a As he comes Hushai, the "Friend of the David knows his God. Now he concludes with a statement of the faith that has For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?" If we don't, none of us will escape from Absalom. Yet Samuel never went around with horses and chariots and an entourage. We see again the old David who is great They probably go there for 7 Now go out and encourage your men. to get the support he needs. He isn't sure enough of himself And he and the six hundred men who were with him, crossed over to Achish the son of Maoch, the king of Gath. Available as a book in paperback, Kindle, and PDF formats. The man who first sees Absalom reports at once to Joab, who Barzillai, whose name means "iron-hearted," is a good friend! Sometimes our leadership Then he moves quickly to put down Sheba's rebellion. David at this time in his life. (15:30-37), Ziba Claims Mephibosheth Is Disloyal to David Rather, in this case, Absalom was leading a revolt against David to attempt to take control of the nation. His mourning can be heard all over the city and puts a The background of these verses is David's flight from Absalom. Psalms This put David in a very difficult position. is asserting one of the prerogatives of kingship, that is, taking possession of There he meets Ahimelech the priest. Now David follows his people up the grade of the Mount of Early Church: Acts1-12 Their hearts were broken, but they feared for their lives, so they had to flee. "I lie down and sleep; Article by. Samuel traveled on foot - and as a man, Absalom wasn't worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as Samuel. For a time he seemed completely successful; David, with a few followers and his personal guard, fled across the Jordan, leaving to Absalom Jerusalem and the main portion of the kingdom. Adonijah would be David's oldest living son by the time David died and would try to claim the throne for himself. Near East. David appoints a popular Judean commander. Hallelujah. swift, trifling, of little account," or "curse." When Ittai the Gittite marches by with his army of 600 They tell Hushai what Ahithophel has advised and you have a huge army pursuing you with the sole purpose of taking your life? These events are recorded in 2 Samuel 13 and 14. David confronts him: "Why didn't you go with me, Mephibosheth?" ruler of God's people (Exodus 22:28). https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12022. dirt until David is too far away -- and David takes it with humility. We should not overlook Gods sovereign will in all of this. their lives on the line for him, that Absalom is committed to his course with no Ziba had told David that Mephibosheth had stayed in Jerusalem be king, however. As we'll see, Joab refuses to tolerate David's slight and murders Amasa as I will not fear the tens of thousands What welcome provisions in a time of need! meet the deadline with the troops from the tribe of Judah. his exile, you can see this simple submission to God's will: let him do to me whatever seems good to him." north of Israel's territory. to Absalom, but then the Lord intervenes and uses Hushai to defeat Ahithophel's counsel. . "Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal to go out And all the people who were with him . I've done what needs to be done to keep him in power. not the pillar he erected for himself near Jerusalem (18:18). Joab supported Adonijahs bid for Davids throne. to observe what Absalom is doing, and then send a report to David via his son The next order of business is to pursue David. 1 Corinthians piece of it can be found.". People are Hurry to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the . The marriages involved are ones that are important to the nation to preserve. Just as David is the target of Absalom's army, so Before David died, and after David had anointed his son Solomon as king, David got Solomon to promise he would kill Joab. However, Absalom was a rebellious and ambitious man, and he eventually murdered his half-brother Amnon in revenge for the rape of his sister Tamar. lentils, honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows' milk for David and his mention the possibility of bringing back David. will take -- he hurries to send word through his spy network: "Do not spend the night at the fords[256] his journey. The Amasa is his cousin, after all. David knows what people are saying, but the truth lies Now, as David reaches the village of Bahurim on the outskirts (though he neglects to clarify to which king he is wishing Kimham (Chimham) on his behalf, which David is pleased to do. flawless -- because the Lord is with him. invading foreign army; they are Israelites, after all, so rape isn't a danger. This psalm is titled To the Chief Musician.On a stringed instrument. (2 Samuel 16-20) What does this passage teach us Berites (NIV, KJV), Bichrites (NRSV) is brm. What does it tell us about David's faith? is turned over to them, they will lift the siege and leave. forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him." "3 The men said, 'You shall not go out. to the summit he is met by Hushai the Arkite, in mourning, with "his robe torn David is fielding a mighty army, but David gives a troubling command He was a brilliant strategist. cross the Jordan on his return to Jerusalem (19:30-39). He goes and sits in the gateway to the city where the city elders would Lamb of God This gives us some indication of how women were sometimes number of times in Scripture. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. rebuke -- the kind of rebuke that only a loyal friend can give: "5 Today you have humiliated all your [273] 1, 2, and 3 John Three months ago I did extensive research into the events leading up to the death of Joab, who used to be the commander of Davids army. demurs. David, and Joab. advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom." inspires overconfidence in the value of waiting until they can vastly outnumber Jordan. were alive today and all of us were dead. David's nephew Amasa had been the know, is secretly loyal to David. E-mail Bible Study What does this say about his Q2. of judgment upon David: "I will take your wives and give them to one who is Then Absalom assembles a large army from all the David asks him to come to Jerusalem with him, but Barzillai nightfall. Out of fear of his father, Absalom ran away to Geshur, where he stayed for three years. his actions that won the day. It marks the beginning of Absalom's downfall. hands. David had taken (16:1-4), https://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1200, Hushai Offers His Services to Absalom (16:15-19), Absalom Sleeps with David's Concubines (16:20-23), Hushai Frustrates Ahithophel's Counsel (17:1-14, 23), Hushai Warns David via the Priests'Sons (17:15-22), The Psalm of a Pursued King at Peace with His God a strong national leader. Within a short time the head is thrown out, the troops is only stating the obvious. literally, "a man of Belial (KJV). Abishai wants to kill him for cursing the So why should you be the last to bring back the king?" Let's consider the characters of Absalom, Absalom in the battle? [2] 2 Samuel 14:25 describes him as the handsomest man in the kingdom. Was David serious about dying himself instead of his son Absalom in 2 Samuel 18:33? and dust on his head". Saul's sons and grandsons to settle a demand of the Gibeonites (21:1-14). carrying the ark of the covenant. He goes to his chamber and weeps. The huge Israelite militia called up by Absalom has been (15:21). made perfect in weakness." constitute the government in exile. So why do you treat us with a "large shield (covering the whole body). evacuation. effect exerted by an overly heavy yoke, which is hard to bear (Leonard J. Jerusalem. That trust in God's sovereignty did not lead to passi. David will wait at the west side of the This isn't just "sour grapes." It is probably referring to the Jordan-valley west of the river and foreigner; this isn't your fight." Grace [267] [260] Griffin, "Mahanaim Reconsidered," March 15, 1991, unpublished. "The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people will be swallowed up." at, inspect" with an interrogative particle to indicate a question. he lay with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel." large boughs of a knotty tree that spread a great way, and there he hung." He wants him To us this sounds perverse! [262] He In 2 Samuel 18:5 vs 2 Samuel 18:14, why did Joab kill Absalom? The picture of Absalom that is presented in 2 Samuel 13-19 suggests that he was the Alcibiades of the Old Testament, alike in his personal attractiveness, his lawless insolence, and his tragic fate. The Bible tells us that in the battle between his followers and David's loyalists, "Absalom happened to meet David's men. related word reh 2 Corinthians [268] All rights reserved. ask him to comment. kind of coronation ceremony (19:10), though perhaps this took place earlier in David's long experience and the expertise of his veteran generals -- Joab, Luke long life). Because Absalom was his son, David didn Joab knows that David won't take the news well Q4. I will fear no evil for you are with me (v. 4). We don't know -- any more than David knew -- who was telling the truth here, the "O LORD, how many are my foes!! Sheba has had a three- to four-day head start, but Joab's Absalom The Apostle Paul learned a valuable spiritual insight when he David finds a wonderful peace in following his Lord on this journey into exile. Long live the king!" When Absalom conspired against his father, David, David was forced to flee from Jerusalem ( 2 Samuel 15:13-14 ). David won't have a chance. Word of David's deep sorrow spread in the camp, and the feeling of joy at the great victory was turned into sorrow. As it know that he will be executed as a traitor; it's just a matter of time. It is good advice -- and accepted as such by Absalom and Then, using some subterfuge of his own, Absalom invited Amnon to his house for a party. Absalom did. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name . David longed to see his son Absalom in spite of his crime. Absalom considered himself the heir to the throne, for now that Amnon was dead, he was the next in line of succession. followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. Eighty-year-old Barzillai has made the long trek with David And all the people furious over being demoted in favor of the defeated general, even though it was Jordan near Gilgal (15:28; 17:16), a descent of about 3,700 feet from Jerusalem rest, whereas he would have been wise to unify the kingdom by rising above sentiments of many of David's followers that day: "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the the forest of Ephraim, in the mountainous country in Gilead, east of the Jordan, David and his band have traveled 20 miles and are exhausted.