The Book of second Samuel

Chapter 14a

[1] Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
[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:
[3] And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

1) The Plan to Reconcile (Vs 1-3)

Absalom, upon murdering his ½ brother flees into Geshur and remains in exile for 3 years

No doubt David longs to see Absalom BUT he has adverse feelings towards Absalom

General Joab (a trusted advisor) intercedes for Absalom, his friend, the kings son (a rising star in Israel)

Joab feels it is dangerous to have Absalom stewing away in a distant land

Joab believes that reconciliation between David and Absalom would prevent a rebellion (mutiny)

Joab plans to bring a widow before David with a parallel case of estrangement

[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.
[5] And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
[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.
[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.
[8] And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
[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.
[10] And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
[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.

2) The Plea to the Ruler (Vs 4-11)

The widow brings the case of her 2 sons that fought,1 killed the other with a family wanting to avenge

Joab wants this widow to play the part to ensure a sympathetic ruling

A) Old....for dignity B) Widow... C) Clothes of Mourning D) Stranger E) Case of compassion

At first David, w/o dismissing the case, will investigate further before he rules

But the widow persuasively pushes for a ruling now, willing to release the king from any results

David says “not one hair shall fall to the ground”

The king has promised protection and favor .......he is the final judge in the land

Here King David ignores justice for sympathy...........Gen 9:6

[12] Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
[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.
[14] 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.
[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.
[16] 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.
[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.

3) The Petition for a Rebel (Vs 12-17)

The woman takes her parallel case and confronts King David about his own son Absalom

David was willing to pardon an unknown stranger (criminal) but not willing to pardon his son

King David is confronted for not initiating reconciliation

The people of Israel want Absalom home

Joab thinks Absalom may be growing more & more bitter (a threat to Israel)

“We die and are as water spilt on the ground”

A. The opportunity for reconciliation is over when we die (cant get it back)

Interpersonal relationships VS the relationship of judge & criminal

B. Amnon is dead by the hand of Absalom, banishing Absalom will not bring life again

“Yet God devises means that his banished be not expelled”

Yes God does find a way for reconciliation, but not at the expense of justice

God reconciled us by satisfying justice NOT BY ignoring or suspending justice

Devising a means to bring the banished & expelled back by providing a substitute JESUS

JESUS stood in the place of guilty sinners & received our punishment

II Cor 5:18 & Col 1:20

[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.
[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:
[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.

4) The Prompting for Revelation (Vs 18-20)

David asks is Joab behind this? Yes, the widow responds, Joab orchestrated this entire event

David knew because of the politics involved & Joab is Absaloms friend

David knows also Absalom never admitted his wrongdoings, he never repented

[21] And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
[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.
[23] So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
[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.

5) The Pardon of Reluctance (Vs 21-24)

Again, Joab believed Absaloms reconciliation would prevent a rebellion

* Before David was over-indulgent of his children II Sam 13:21 He did nothing to Amnon for rape

* Now David is too harsh, maybe provoking his children to wrath Eph 6:4

King David allows Absalom to return home

He tells Joab to go and bring Absalom home (Be careful, he may be bringing home trouble)

(The intercessor is told to bring the reconciled home)

Yet David will not see Absalom himself....a return, a residence but not whole hearted forgiveness

This set the stage for rebellion

Absalom will be a scourge to David in the long run

Gal 6:1 We should never be reluctant to forgive, or mean spirited, unloving or critical

* David blundered in not forgiving his son as God had forgiven David (Mt 18:32,33)