Day 151 – 2 Samuel 18:19-33
Scripture Review
2 Samuel 18:19-33
"Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies."
(2 Samuel 18:19)
Ahimaaz sees the battle as a victory from the LORD, and he wants to tell the king that God has avenged him of his enemies. He is not trying to steal glory for the army. He says the LORD has done this. This verse also shows me he didn't understand the situation. Ahimaaz sees the victory, but he may not fully feel the sorrow inside the victory. To him, the rebellion is defeated. To David, his son is dead.
"And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead."
(2 Samuel 18:20)
Joab stops Ahimaaz because he knows David well enough to understand that this is not good news. The king's son is dead. Joab is not always tender, but here he understands the weight of the desired tidings to share. He knows David had commanded them to deal gently with Absalom. He knows this news will crush the king's heart. There is a lesson here about timing. Not every true word should be rushed. Not every eager messenger is the right messenger.
"Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran."
(2 Samuel 18:21)
Joab sends Cushi instead. Cushi likely means a Cushite, possibly an Ethiopian servant or messenger. He bows himself and runs. Cushi is sent to tell what he has seen. He is being sent as a witness.
"Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?"
(2 Samuel 18:22)
Ahimaaz still wants to run. He says, "howsoever," meaning regardless or anyway, let me run too. Joab asks a good question: "Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?" In other words, "Why are you so determined to run when you do not have the full message ready?" Some people want to run before they are ready to speak. Zeal is good, but zeal without clarity can create confusion.
"Do I have the message God wants me to carry?" "But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi."
(2 Samuel 18:23)
Ahimaaz asks again, and Joab finally allows him to run. Ahimaaz takes the way of the plain and outruns Cushi. That means Ahimaaz is faster, but not necessarily better prepared. He reaches David first, but Cushi still has the clearer message.
"And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone."
(2 Samuel 18:24)
David sitting between the two gates. The gate was a place of authority, judgment, and public business, but here it becomes a place of anxious waiting. The watchman goes up to the roof over the gate and sees a man running alone. David cannot see the battlefield, but he can see the road. He is watching for news, and every step of that runner matters. Sometimes the hardest place is not the battlefield, but the gate where I wait for the report.
"And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near."
(2 Samuel 18:25)
The watchman tells David, and David understands the meaning. If the man is running alone, he is probably not fleeing in defeat with a crowd. He is bringing news. The word "apace" means quickly. The runner is drawing near fast. But fast news can still be heavy news. David's heart must have been beating hard here.
"And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings."
(2 Samuel 18:26)
The watchman calls to the porter, meaning the gatekeeper. Another messenger is coming. David says, "He also bringeth tidings." Now there is more tension. One messenger might bring victory. Another might bring details.
"And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings."
(2 Samuel 18:27)
The watchman recognizes Ahimaaz by the way he runs. David says, "He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings." David trusts Ahimaaz's character. That is a strong testimony. Before Ahimaaz says a word, David thinks well of him because he knows what kind of man he is. That makes me ask myself what my name brings to people's minds. When I approach with a message, do people expect truth, help, and faithfulness?
"And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king."
(2 Samuel 18:28)
Ahimaaz arrives first and crying, "All is well." Then he falls on his face before the king and gives glory to God. He says the LORD delivered up the men who lifted their hand against David. He gives the LORD the praise. But I also see the strain in this verse. Is all really well? The kingdom is preserved, yes. David's life is spared, yes. The rebellion is broken, yes. But Absalom is dead. Ahimaaz is speaking truly about the victory, but he is not yet speaking fully about the grief.
"And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was."
(2 Samuel 18:29)
David asks the question that has been ruling his heart: "Is the young man Absalom safe?" He does not first ask how many died, how strong the army is, or whether the throne is secure. He asks about Absalom. The rebel is still his son. Ahimaaz gives a careful answer. He says he saw a great "tumult," meaning confusion, noise, or commotion, but he did not know what it was. He avoids saying what he either does not know clearly or does not want to say plainly. This makes me think. David's father heart is stronger in this moment than his king heart. That tenderness is touching, but it is also dangerous if grief makes him forget what God has just delivered him from.
"And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still."
(2 Samuel 18:30)
David tells Ahimaaz to turn aside and stand there. Ahimaaz has brought part of the report, but David knows the full truth has not yet come. So Ahimaaz stands still, his running is over and his message has reached its limit. The quiet lesson here is a messenger must know when to speak and when to stand aside.
"And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee."
(2 Samuel 18:31)
Cushi arrives with the official message. He says there are tidings for the king, and again he gives the LORD the glory. The LORD has avenged David of those who rose up against him. The LORD has answered David's prayer from the Mount of Olives. But I can feel the weight of what is coming. The same deliverance that saves David's life has cost Absalom's life.
"And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is."
(2 Samuel 18:32)
David asks the same question again: "Is the young man Absalom safe?" He cannot move past it. This is the cry of a father, not merely the question of a king. Cushi answers carefully. He does not describe the oak, the darts, the pit, or the stones. He says, "The enemies of my lord the king... be as that young man is." Absalom is dead. Cushi's answer is wise because he tells the truth without unnecessary cruelty. He does not hide the message, but he does not crush David with extra details.
"And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
(2 Samuel 18:33)
David is completely overcome with grief. The Bible says he was "much moved," meaning deeply shaken and troubled. He goes up to the chamber over the gate and weeps. Then comes one of the saddest cries in all David's life, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom!" He says it again and again. This is a father breaking under the weight of loss. David says, "would God I had died for thee." He would rather have died than see Absalom dead. That is deep love, but it is also a grief so strong that it almost forgets the mercy God has just shown in preserving the kingdom. I see two things at once. I see a father's love that still reaches toward a rebellious son. But I also see the awful harvest of earlier sin in David's house. Amnon's sin was not dealt with rightly. Absalom's bitterness grew. The reconciliation was partial. The rebellion rose. Now the son is dead, and David's heart is shattered.