Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Life Lessons from 2 Samuel by Max Lucado.
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Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom.” — 2 Samuel 15:14
REFLECTION
How would you describe your relationship with your immediate family? What are some of the challenges you face?
SITUATION
Nathan’s prophecy concerning the child born to David and Bathsheba came true when the infant fell gravely ill and died after seven days. David, who had been fasting and praying for the child’s recovery, ended his time of mourning, worshiped the Lord, and comforted Bathsheba.
Later, she gave birth to their second child, whom they named Solomon. Meanwhile, David’s son Amnon deceived and raped his half-sister Tamar. Absalom, her brother, was enraged by the act and plotted for two years before killing Amnon at a feast. Fearing David’s wrath, Absalom fled to Geshur, where he lived in exile for three years. David mourned for Amnon yet longed to be reconciled with Absalom. So Joab orchestrated Absalom’s return to Jerusalem — though the king refused to see him for two years. Eventually, with Joab’s help, Absalom was allowed back into David’s presence, and the two reconciled. However, this would not be the end of their story, for Absalom began to ingratiate himself with the people and conspire to take the throne.
OBSERVATION
Read 2 Samuel 15:1–18 from the New International Version or the New King James Version.
EXPLORATION
1. Review 2 Samuel 13:21 and 39. What did David fail to do when he learned of Amnon’s horrible deed? What did he fail to do when Absalom then killed Amnon?
2. What was the significance of Absalom providing himself with a chariot and having fifty men run ahead of him? What was Absalom portraying to the people?
3. How did Absalom’s actions at the city gate help him gain the loyalty of the Israelites?
4. What does Absalom’s statement, “If only I were appointed judge in the land” (1 Samuel 15:4), reveal about his ambitions and intentions?
5. How did Absalom’s conspiracy gain strength over time? What role did Ahithophel play in it?
6. What was David’s response when he learned the people were supporting Absalom as king?
INSPIRATION
David looks older than his sixty-plus years. His shoulders slump; his head hangs. This is the longest path he’s ever walked. Longer than the winding road from fugitive to king or the guilty road from conviction to confession. Those trails bore some steep turns. But none compare with the ascent up the Mount of Olives.
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. — 2 Samuel 15:30
Look carefully and you’ll find the cause of David’s tears.
He wears no crown. His son Absalom has taken it by force. David has no home. Those walls rising to his back belong to the city of Jerusalem. He flees the capital he founded. Who wouldn’t weep at a time like this? No throne. No home. Jerusalem behind him and the wilderness ahead of him.
Thirteen years have passed since Nathan told David,
The sword will never depart from your house. — 12:10
Nathan’s prophecy has proved painfully true. One of David’s sons, Amnon, fell in lust with his half-sister Tamar, one of David’s daughters by another marriage. Amnon pined, plotted, and raped her. After the rape, he discarded Tamar like a worn doll.
Tamar, understandably, came undone. She threw ashes on her head and tore the robe of many colors worn by virgin daughters of the king. She “remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house” (13:20 NKJV). The next verse tells us David’s response:
But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. — verse 21 NKJV
That’s it? That’s all? We want a few verbs. Confront will do. Punish would be nice. Banish even better. But what did David do to Amnon? Nothing. No lecture. No penalty. No imprisonment. No dressing down. No chewing out.
Even worse, he did nothing for Tamar. She needed his protection, his affirmation and validation. She needed a dad. What she got was silence. So Absalom, her brother, filled the void. He sheltered his sister, got Amnon drunk, and had him killed.
David had eight spouses. He fathered other children through concubines. And he neglected all the children he had with them. Going AWOL on his family was David’s greatest failure. Seducing Bathsheba was an inexcusable but explicable act of passion. Murdering Uriah was a ruthless yet predictable deed from a desperate heart. But passive parenting and widespread philandering? These were not sins of a slothful afternoon or the deranged reactions of self-defense. David’s family foul-up was a lifelong stupor that cost him dearly.
Absalom ultimately resolved to overthrow his father. He recruited from David’s army and staged a coup. Loyalists of David eventually chased him down. When the would-be ruler tried to escape on horseback, his long hair got tangled in a tree, and soldiers speared him. David heard the news and fell to pieces:
O my son Absalom — my son, my son Absalom — if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son! — 18:33 NKJV
- Tardy tears.
How do we explain David’s disastrous home? Was he too busy to notice them? Maybe. He had a city to settle and a kingdom to build. Was he too important to care for them? Perhaps. Was he too guilty to shepherd them? Quite possibly. After all, how could David, who had seduced Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, correct his sons when they raped and murdered?
Too busy. Too important. Too guilty. And now? Too late. A dozen exits too late. But it’s not too late for you. Your home is your giant-size privilege, your towering priority. So do not make David’s tragic mistake.
(From Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado.)
REACTION
7. What steps do you take to ensure you are prioritizing your family in the midst of all the demands that are made on your time?
8. When have you avoided addressing a difficult situation in your family? When you look back, what might have been the consequences of your inaction?
9. What does David’s story reveal about the importance of showing support to loved ones and being present with them in painful times?
10. Read Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:4. What responsibilities do parents have when it comes to training and disciplining their children?
11. What role might guilt have played in David’s decision not to correct his sons? How do you handle feelings of guilt when it comes to your family relationships?
12. What legacy do you want to leave for your family? How are you building that legacy?
LIFE LESSONS
Absalom was a man with great charisma. He was “praised for his handsome appearance” (2 Samuel 14:25) and had such a magnetic personality that he “stole the hearts of the people” (15:6). He also had the best pedigree in the land. His father was a king and his mother, Maakah, was the daughter of a king (see 3:3).
Absalom had the potential to become a great leader — but he threw it all away when he sought to lift himself up.
Absalom’s attitude is prevalent in the world today. We are taught that if we don’t lift ourselves up, nobody else will. However, God teaches us that if we humble ourselves before Him, He will lift us up (see James 4:10).
DEVOTION
Lord, I don’t want to run from Your discipline. I welcome Your correction, as I know it will keep me in right standing before You. I humble myself before You and ask that You lift me up. Thank You for being a Father who loves me enough to not allow me to keep on sinning.
JOURNALING
Think about the relationship you had with a parent or other caregiver growing up. What are a few things you can name that you are glad that person taught you?
Excerpted with permission from Life Lessons from 2 Samuel by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
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Your Turn
David, the “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) also failed miserably throughout his life. As we study his life, we can learn and avoid the mistakes he made when it came to his family. How are you intentionally prioritizing your family? ~ Devotionals Daily