Friday, December 23, 2011

A Royal Party Pooper

Reflections on 2 Samuel 19:1-8
Use the frame on the left to read these Scriptures.

David was a highly emotional person who experienced both great despair, as when he was hiding from Saul in the Desert of Ziph (1 Samuel 23:16), and great elation, as when he brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14-16). Both emotions molded a great part of his lyric poetry and music in the psalms. Often, he was able to express his emotions in a way that comforted, encouraged, or motivated Israel, but on this occasion, his inconsolable grief over the death of Absalom nearly cost him the kingdom.

CELEBRATIONS CANCELED. David's victorious army returned to Mahanaim only to find David weeping uncontrollably above the city gate. No parades or celebrations greeted them. Instead, David's grief shamed them so that they entered the city like defeated, cowardly soldiers afraid to show their faces. Their "enthusiasm was soon depleted" (Bergen, 2001, p. 425). Unless David changed his behavior quickly, those who stole into the city would steal out of the city and leave David and his family deserted and vulnerable.

SAVED LIVES FORGOTTEN. David's army had saved David's life, the lives of his sons and daughters, the lives of his wives, and the lives of his concubines, but instead of rejoicing with his army over the many lives they had saved, David mourned for a single life that had been lost. The army, not congratulated and feeling unappreciated, would soon slip away unless David showed them his gratitude.

LOYAL LOVE SPURNED. David's army had served him loyally with the love they had covenanted with him when he became king, but David appeared more devoted to a rebel who had not only renounced covenant love but filial love as well. Joab put it more bluntly, "You love those who hate you and hate those who love you." Those he "hated" might soon oppose him unless David returned to them the covenant love they had shown him.

Joab was a pragmatic and blunt military officer who had often exasperated King David, but he usually observed courtly protocol in the presence of the king. On this one occasion, he cast aside all protocol to rebuke the king and command him to go out and encourage his men that very day. David put aside his private grief for the public good. He went down to the city gate, reviewed the victorious troops, and saved the kingdom.

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