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2 Samuel 14:12–24
So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face” (vv. 23–24a).
Once David has granted the “widow’s” appeal for the life of her son, the woman takes off her mask, as it were, and reveals that she, like Nathan, has been telling a parable, not a real story. Suddenly, “the king is surprised, but not at all displeased, to find his humble petitioner … become his reprover, his privy-counselor, an advocate for the prince his son, and the mouth of the people, undertaking to represent to him their sentiments,” Matthew Henry writes.
The woman equates her case to David’s. He has vowed to protect her son, who killed his brother, but he is letting his own son languish in a foreign land instead of extending the same protection to him. The woman sees this as a sin not just against Absalom but against the people of Israel. In saying this, she may be assuming that Absalom is now the heir to the throne and that David, in driving him out, has deprived the nation of its crown prince. Thus, though he is willing to protect her husband’s line, he is endangering the line of succession in Israel. She even appeals on theological grounds, saying that while we all must die in time, God is not quick to take life for transgressions, but graciously works to recover His “banished ones.” These arguments certainly play on David’s heartstrings and his devotion to God, but they ignore the differences in Absalom’s crime (premeditated murder) and her son’s (a spontaneous act of passion). Also, she fails to grasp that Absalom is apparently unrepentant. He is an enemy of God who, in effect, has banished himself. He deserves justice, not mercy.
Having delivered her reproof, the woman reverts to her cover story, saying that she was certain David would hear her appeal and act with wisdom. But David has not missed the thrust of her words, and he has guessed their source. When he asks the woman whether Joab put her up to this appeal, she confesses that he did, acknowledging her admiration for David’s wisdom with perhaps a bit more sincerity.
At this point, having seen through the scheme, David should think hard about what he is being pressed to do. Unfortunately, being carried away by his soft spot for his son, he agrees to Joab’s request, though he refuses to receive Absalom when he is brought back from Geshur. Absalom thus remains “banished” within his homeland—and becomes a focal point for dissatisfaction with David.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
David falls victim to a poor argument. Of course, our first parents made the same mistake. It is vital that we know what God has said in His Word so that we may not be led astray by appeals to our emotions. We need to look to Him to know what is right and what is wrong. Do all that you can to understand and memorize Scripture.
For Further Study
- Ps. 119:10
- Amos 2:4
- 1 Tim. 4:16
- Titus 1:13–14