Joab's intercession
2 Sam 14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
As captain of the Kings army, Joab was concerned for the king and his relationship with Absalom. A bitter son might rise up against his father. Reconciliation was needed.
2 Sam 14:2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
2 Sam 14:3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
Joab uses deception to bring a parable to the king, so that he will listen to what needed to be said. He would have mercy on an elderly widow and would hear her message. We are to seek to reconcile families, especially the family of God. but do we use deception to bring truth?
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Cor 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
1 John 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1 John 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Woman of Tekoah
2 Sam 14:4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
This is the way to approach a king, in humble adoration. This is the way for a sinner to approach God.
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
2 Sam 14:5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
2 Sam 14:6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
2 Sam 14:7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
A similar story to that of Cain and Abel.
Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
Gen 4:11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
Gen 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
God put a curse on Cain, but did not destroy him. He said he would take vengeance on the one who destroyed Cain. God is the avenger. His justice and mercy work together.
2 Sam 14:8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
2 Sam 14:9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
The widow was given the right to appeal to the king himself. We have the right to appeal to our heavenly father through our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. His blood has bought us from satan and given us to the Father's family. We may come to the throne room of God and make our requests. As the woman was content with the kings justice, so shall we be.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
2 Sam 14:10 And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
2 Sam 14:11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
Mercy came through the king and the promise of grace comes to us through king Jesus, son of David and righteous Son of God. No matter how hard the problems of life. We can come to God and receive grace, through Jesus.
2 Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Speak one word
2 Sam 14:12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
What is this one word, after so many words that is so important? She wishes to say something important to the king.
2 Sam 14:13 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.
The woman accuses David in this parable, his unforgiveness is a fault. She was doing as Nathan the prophet did with the king, having him respond to a parable in righteous judgment, and then applying the parable to his covered sin.
2 Sam 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man...
When we are unforgiving and judge another, we shall be judged the same way.
Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
2 Sam 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilled 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.
Life on earth is short, we are here for a time and then return to the earth as water is soaked up into the ground. We cannot bring back the dead. It is good to forgive, and forget offenses, for even God is forgiving towards us. Our heavenly father always receives us, especially if we are in Jesus, for we are his children. In other words, David, forgive and allow your son to return to the kingdom.
2 Sam 14:15 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 Sam 14:16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaidson out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my together out of the inheritance of God.
2 Sam 14:17 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.
The widow woman continues with her parable, as if it were a true story. Having made her point, by giving him the word. We are to give the "word" of God to others, to bring them to repentance, forgiveness and salvation. If we have only one word to speak, it would be "Jesus," the name above all names and the source of life, the living word of God. Speak life; Jesus is life.
Partial restoration
2 Sam 14:18 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.
It was now the king's turn to ask a question. When we come to the king of kings, we come hiding nothing, for he sees the secrets of our hearts.
2 Sam 14:19 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 Sam 14:20 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.
David had the Holy Spirit with him to discern between truth and lies. He discerened correctly and the woman confessed to the king, praising him. We should enter the courts of our Father with thanksgiving and praise. He knows our hearts better than we do, allow the Spirit of God to search your heart before speaking to the king.
2 Sam 14:21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
2 Sam 14:22 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.
David did what was requested of him. The Lord sometimes gives us what we want, even if it is not his perfect will. We often get ahead of God, before the proper time.
2 Sam 14:23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
2 Sam 14:24 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.
The king allowed the return of Absalom, but he had not reconciled him into his fellowship. There are blessings when there is fellowship and love between father and son. Our sins separated us from God, now through Jesus we are brought close into the fellowship with the Father. What good is anything without the fellowship of our Lord? What good would come from returning Absalom and not speaking to him?
Wool
2 Sam 14:25 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.
Beauty commands respect from the world. It is easy to gain favor with many, but of an outward kind of relationship, a surface relationship. He was of great beauty, as was Saul so favored in looks. The world chooses by outward appearance. God chooses by the heart.
In the spirit we are to be beautiful to our Lord. He is coming for a bride without spot or blemish.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
2 Sam 14:26 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.
He was proud of his mop of hair. Each year he cut it and it would weigh five and a half pounds. That is a lot of hair. You could make a sweater from so much wool.
2 Sam 14:27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
Absalom honors his sister by naming his daughter Tamar.
2 Sam 14:28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
2 Sam 14:29 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.
Absalom had killed his half brother who was the crown prince. Absalom would be next in line as king. As the relationship was broken between king Saul and David, so it was again broken between David and Absalom. Joab was loyal to king David. Relationships in the natural are learned. Beauty makes friends in the world. But beauty doesn't always make for the best leader. Absalom would make others pay attention to him. He was used to getting his way.
Reconciled to the father
2 Sam 14:30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
Blatant disrespect for the property of the kings battle hardened servant. Absalom uses his pampered position as the king's son to make a demand on Joab. Had he have been just a citizen of the kingdom, Joab would have done away with him, but this was the kings son, he got the attention he wanted through destruction of property. Look around at our nations teens, many are seeking attention, some use mind blowing drugs. Undisciplined and ignored children sometimes do desperate things, they need to believe in Jesus.
2 Sam 14:31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
2 Sam 14:32 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.
Absalom knew how to use his position of power. He would now test the king. If there be any iniquity in me? He killed Amnon, but he thought that this was his right and duty as an avenger. Absalom knew how to manipulate people and to get his way. Even suicide can be used to get back at others, to cause them grief. Absalom had no intention of dying, he wanted all he could get, starting with forgiveness from his father.
2 Sam 14:33 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.
All seemed proper and right. If we humble ourselves before God he will receive us. This is somewhat as the parable of the prodigal son.
Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
True repentance brings restoration. Our father runs to meet us and favors us with many blessings. We do not come demanding of him. We come expecting. God is able to do more than you can imagine, we do not limit him, but yield to him, face down if you wish. Absalom knew his father's heart. Do you know your heavenly father's heart? He is not as a man, trust Him and obey.
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