“Reuniting is one thing.
Reconciliation is another. One
difference is the presence or absence of misery. Absalom was dissatisfied by his meeting with
his father. What was wrong with
him? Possibly he suffered from the same
thing many adults suffer from today.
When Absalom was a child, his daddy was his hero. Plenty of shortcomings existed, but the boy
could not see them until one day an emotional bombshell hit home—exploding in
the bedroom of the oldest son.”
”Although people got mad, no one cleaned up the mess. Lives continued to be torn by shrapnel no one
ever swept away. David did not—perhaps could
not live up to Absalom’s expectations. The
results were devastating. The revenge he
had taken on Amnon was not enough. The
fact his father still called him a son was not enough. He still cried out for vengeance and was
determined his father would pay.”
Obviously Absalom tried everything he knew—good and bad—to get
his father’s attention. He could not get
to David through his home, so he determined to get to him through his throne.
David had never asked for forgiveness. He had never taken his rightful place of
authority over family events. David made
plenty of mistakes but Absalom did not have to follow suit. He could have called on the mercy of God and
forgiven David for failing him, even if his father never admitted how wrongly
he had handled his family. God would
have held David responsible and Absalom would have been free. Instead he locked himself in the prison of
bitterness where character eroded in the darkness of soul. We may often resist forgiveness by saying, “It’s
too difficult to forgive.” Forgiveness may be excruciating for a moment. Anger and bitterness are excruciating for a
lifetime.”
Beth Moore, David Seeking a Heart Like His
Here Absalom and Amnon are grown men? David was always their father? Why didn’t Amnon ask for his sisters’ hand in marriage rather than take advice from his cousin and force himself on her? Why didn’t Absalom approach his father and demand justice? After 11 years why couldn’t Absalom having been granted the presence of his father and welcomed with a kiss, sit down and ask his father what were you thinking? Here is what I thought. You already know what I did. Daddy what do you think about me and the life I have lived since I had my brother killed?
I wonder if restitution does not only require forgiveness,
but requires conversation and understanding.
Most of all willing hearts to hear and respond when asked, “What do you
think?” “Who do you think I am?” “What does my life show that I am committed
to?” So many questions go unanswered and
so many messes lay like shrapnel . David
was a man after God’s own heart. He
walked with God, had victories, serving and believing God, and strayed away
from God. He saw and received
consequences for his actions and he returned to God and did not question God as
far as I can see. He acknowledged God
was sovereign, faithful and just and would do no wrong to him. He had experienced leaving judgment and
justice to God to perform his will. Was
this why he did not go hang punish his son?
Did he think it was God’s place to bless or curse Amnon? So many questions come to mind. However, as I read the life of David and see
his strengths and weaknesses as a human being, I still am in awe that he always
returned to his God, got his act together and tried again. I think David knew from the very beginning
when he picked up those five smooth stones that it was his God that directed
the blows and only in justice.
“I am and there is none besides me.” And we have to believe God meant it when he
said it. And as I reread the page I
wonder had Absalom been a believer and a doer as his father had been would
things have been different? Who did
Absalom put his faith in, David or God?
Who did he serve himself and what he thought to be right or what he knew
that God said was right?
2 Samuel 15:4 Absalom
said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath
any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
1 Samuel 18:18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what
is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the
king? Saul has persecuted David, took
his wife and gave her to another man and in all these things when the time
arrived for his revenge what did David do?
1 Samuel 24:12 The Lord judge between me and thee, and the
Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. In verse 10 David stated, “I will not put
forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed. And to really show the man’s character in
verse 21 he promises not to cut off his seed after him. He took Saul’s son Mephibosheth in and had him eat at his table free for the rest
of his life. Oh! It is easy to look at
the things David did not do but look at the God that worked through him for the
things that he did do and all David did was be willing and believe…
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