Today we see the climax of the four year campaign by Absolom to take the throne from King David.  David was a strategist when it came to battles, and he deployed his men into military units of thousands and hundreds (2 Sam 18:1-2).  The war was about David, and if he were killed then the lives of his men would be forfeit as Absolom was following the advice of Hushai and would wipe out all of David’s men (2 Sam 17: 11-12). Although David was prepared to fight alongside his men he was convinced to remain behind and to command his armies from Jerusalem (2 Sam 18: 3-5).

David still had a great deal of love for his son Absolom, even though his intentions towards his father were malicious.  As parents we never stop loving our children no matter how right or wrong their decisions are. David gave clear instructions that his son was not to be harmed (2 Sam 18: 5).

However, Joab acted in what he thought were the kings best interest (see 2 Sam 3: 22-27).  There was an incident where Absolom inadvertently hanged himself leaving him alive but somehow entangled in a tree.  When Joab found out that one of the men had refused to execute Absolom no matter despite financial rewards (‘..even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands…..’) he immediately took three spears and plunged them into the heart of Absolom, who was ‘finished off’ by Joab’s armour bearers (2 Sam 18: 9-15).  Absolom surely deserved death, and killing him undoubtedly saved the kingdom future strife.

Absolom’s stone pillar erected in the kings valley as a monument to himself indicates that his three sons (2 Sam 14: 27) had not lived into adulthood, and hence he had no sons to continue his family name. (2 Sam 18: 18).

The remainder of the chapter is about how to tell David that the battle was over, without giving details about the death of his son who was secretly buried in the forest.  David’s reaction to Absolom’s death was intense grief. Every parent can understand David’s anguish and grief.  While we must let our children go when they become adults, and let them be responsible for their own choices in life, our pain when they make bad ones is very real.

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Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for the precious gift of children to those of us who are parents.  May you continually watch over them as you do us, especially the prodigals amongst them. In Jesus precious name. Amen.