Day 138 – 2 Samuel 14:12-33
Scripture Review
2 Samuel 14:12-33
"Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on."
(2 Samuel 14:12)
The woman asks permission to speak one more word and David tells her to speak. She does not speak carelessly. She has led him far enough into the story that he is now willing to hear the point behind it. David once listened to Abigail when she stopped him from shedding blood in anger. Now he listens again, though this woman's words were placed in her mouth by Joab.
"And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished."
(2 Samuel 14:13)
Now she turn the story directly upon David. He has promised mercy for her supposed son, but he has not fetched home his own banished son. She tells him that his own words make him appear "as one which is faulty." Yet Absalom is not innocent. He murdered Amnon. The woman is pressing David toward mercy, but mercy must not pretend guilt never happened.
"For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him."
(2 Samuel 14:14)
The woman says life is like water spilled upon the ground. Once it is gone, it cannot be gathered back. Amnon is dead. David cannot bring him back, and keeping Absalom away will not reverse the murder. Then she says God "doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him." There beautiful truth in those words. God is just, yet He is also merciful. He makes a way for those who are far away to be brought near. Although, Joab's scheme is not the same as God's way. God does not restore by disguising truth or ignoring guilt. In God's dealing with David, Nathan named the sin, David confessed it, and the LORD put it away.
"Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid."
(2 Samuel 14:15)
She returns the story to her supposed trouble. She says fear drove her to the king and that she hoped he would grant her request. She is keeping the story alive so David will continue feeling its pressure. Her words are humble, but they are also carefully arranged. Joab knows David's heart. He knows the king is tender toward the suffering, so he sends a story shaped to reach that tenderness.
"For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God."
(2 Samuel 14:16)
She expresses confidence that David will protect her and her son. David knows how to protect the helpless. For me it is often easier to show mercy to someone outside my house than to deal with the pain inside it.
"Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee."
(2 Samuel 14:17)
She tells David that his word will bring comfort. She praises his ability to discern good and bad and compares him to an angel of God. There is encouragement here, but also hear flattery. David is being told that he is wise at the very moment he is being guided toward Joab's desired decision.
"Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak."
(2 Samuel 14:18)
David desires to speak and I see his discernment awakening. He knows something more is behind the story. He asks the woman not to hide the truth from him. David does not want another layer of carefully arranged words. He wants to know who is behind this.
"And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:"
(2 Samuel 14:19)
The decrement of the Holy Spirit has led David to ask the right question. "Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?" He knows Joab's ways well enough to recognize his fingerprints on the plan. The woman admits it. Joab instructed her and put the words in her mouth. The whole performance is now exposed. This is not the first time Joab has acted without a direct command from David. He murdered Abner even though David had sent Abner away in peace. Joab is loyal to David in his own way, but he is also willing to take matters into his own hands.
"To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth."
(2 Samuel 14:20)
She explains that Joab used this form of speech to bring the matter around without approaching David directly. She again praises David's wisdom. Joab knew a plain request might be refused, so he came around the side with a parable. The method worked, but it still feels different from Nathan's confrontation. Nathan came with the authority of "Thus saith the LORD." Joab came with strategy.
"And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again."
(2 Samuel 14:21)
Now David acts. He tells Joab to bring Absalom home. Longing of David's heart finally becomes a command. Three years of separation is about to end. The son who fled to Geshur will return to Jerusalem.
It is weird that David calls him, "the young man Absalom." There is distance even in the wording. David wants him back, yet the murder of Amnon has not been dealt with openly in this passage. A heart after God may long for reconciliation, but longing alone cannot repair everything sin has broken.
"And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant."
(2 Samuel 14:22)
Joab says he has found grace because the king has fulfilled his request. Absalom's return was Joab's desire and even though he used the woman to make the request, he is pleased because his plan succeeded.
"So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem."
(2 Samuel 14:23)
Joab goes to Geshur and brings Absalom back. After three years, the exiled son sees Jerusalem again. I can just imagine the road home was carrying many mixed emotions. Absalom is returning to his city, his house, and his family. But returning to Jerusalem does not mean he is returning to fellowship with David.
"And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face."
(2 Samuel 14:24)
David allows Absalom back into Jerusalem, but he will not let him see his face. Absalom is home, but not received. He is near the palace, but still separated from his father. Perhaps David is trying to show mercy without ignoring justice. Perhaps he is still angry or uncertain. Whatever the reason, the relationship remains unsettled.
This is a sharp contrast with Mephibosheth. David did not merely bring him into Jerusalem; he gave him a seat at the table continually. Absalom receives a house in the city, but no place before the king. A heart after God must understand that nearness is not reconciliation.
"But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him."
(2 Samuel 14:25)
Now the Scripture describes Absalom's outward appearance. He is praised throughout Israel for his beauty. From head to foot, no visible blemish is found in him. He has carried hatred for two years and murdered Amnon. Outward beauty cannot cleanse inward guilt.
Saul had also stood above others in physical appearance, yet outward stature did not make his heart obedient. David himself was chosen when the LORD looked beyond what men saw on the outside. A heart after God remembers that beauty may draw the eyes of people, but God looks upon the heart.
"And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight."
(2 Samuel 14:26)
Absalom's hair was unusually thick and heavy. He cut it at the end of the year because the weight became burdensome. The exact modern weight is uncertain because the Bible specifies "the king's weight," but the point is clear, even his hair attracted attention. Absalom's outward glory is becoming part of his public reputation. People are looking at him. People are praising him.
"And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance."
(2 Samuel 14:27)
Absalom's family is growing. He now has three sons and a daughter, and he names the daughter Tamar. That name brings his sister back to mind. Tamar had been violated by Amnon and left desolate in Absalom's house. Naming his daughter Tamar may show how deeply his sister remained in his memory. Life is moving forward, but the old wound has not disappeared.
"So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face."
(2 Samuel 14:28)
Now two more years pass. Absalom is in Jerusalem, yet he still does not see David. That means five years have passed since he fled, three years in Geshur and two years separated from the king while living in Jerusalem. The distance is now measured in silence. This is what makes partial restoration so painful. Absalom can see the city of David, but not the face of his father.
"Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come."
(2 Samuel 14:29)
Absalom is sending for Joab twice. Joab had been eager enough to bring him from Geshur, but now he refuses to come. The man who opened the door has stopped answering. Absalom wants Joab to carry another message to David, but he receives silence.
Absalom now forces Joab to respond. He orders his servants to burn Joab's barley field. Absalom has been treated poorly, but frustration does not give him permission to destroy another man's property. Instead of responding with patience or humility, he creates another offense.
I also notice another repeated pattern: David used servants to carry out his sinful order against Uriah, and Absalom now uses servants to damage Joab's field.
"Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?"
(2 Samuel 14:31)
The fire gets Joab's attention. He comes to Absalom and asks why his field was burned. Joab can ignore two messages, but he cannot ignore flames. Absalom has learned that destruction will gain the hearing that respectful requests did not gain.
"And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me."
(2 Samuel 14:32)
Absalom finally explain himself. He says it would have been better to remain in Geshur than to live in Jerusalem without seeing the king. He wants the matter settled one way or the other. His words are bold, "if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me." Yet there was iniquity. Amnon had committed terrible wickedness against Tamar, but Absalom had still taken vengeance into his own hands and murdered his brother.
I do understand his frustration. He has been brought home without being heard, judged, forgiven, or fully received. But his demand also shows no clear confession. A heart after God wants matters settled, but it must be willing to face its own guilt honestly.
"So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom."
(2 Samuel 14:33)
At last, Joab speaks to David. The king calls for Absalom. Absalom comes in, bows with his face to the ground, and David kisses him. The kiss signals royal acceptance and the end of the visible separation. The banished son is finally allowed to see the king's face.
But as I read it, I notice what is not recorded. There is no conversation about Tamar. No confession of Amnon's murder. No clear repentance. No careful rebuilding of trust. David kisses Absalom, but the passage does not show their hearts being opened to one another. Here the reconciliation looks outwardly complete, but something still feels unsettled.