In our latest story of King David we have seen how King David’s forgivness of Absalom paints a reflective picture of our Heavenly Father’s love and mercy. David’s love for Absalom was so great he forgave him before he asked.
On the other hand, most of us humans are more like Absalom. We want to take forgiveness for granted. Most of us neglect communicating our sorrow and repentance in a proper way.
Like Absalom with David, a lot of us have these one-sided relationships where we do all the taking and expect God to do all the giving. There comes a time when Our Father decides to draw the line. This is for our own sake. Maybe that was why David allowed Absalom to suffer for awhile in Geshur.
THE ROLE JOAB PLAYED
Though Joab had terrible flaws, in some strange ways we can see points within the story when Joab seems akin to God’s Holy Spirit. That is a very odd thing to say about Joab, but he had a tender spot when it came to the welface of Absalom. He also cared that David suffered while Absalom was away.
To suffer in silence while your son sits in danger of being judged for murder would be an awful situation. Sometimes parents just don’t know what to do. Often they feel they have no one to turn to for help. David knew YHVH. I’m sure he must have prayed a million prayers for Absalom.
Yet, David remained still and did not act. That is when Joab picked up the reigns and tried to pursuade David to settle the matter, whether it was honorable or not. So, we see Joab between David and Absalom acting as the one who connects the two. He took upon himself the hard job of helping them to communicate.
DAVID PARDONED ABSALOM
Yes, David pardoned Absalom, but that didn’t heal the relationship between them. Let’s think about that a bit. Through the story of the woman of Takoa, we saw how David realized he was the only one who had the authority to pardon Absalom. David knew that Absalom was guilty, but he could not face having to judge him. He knew his judgement would go against the law. Isn’t this the same predicament of our Heavenly Father when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? He had to make a tough decision.
Finally, David decided to let go of his conflicting feelings about the judgement of Absalom and pardon him anyway. All of this took place at the prompting of Joab. Since Joab was the one showing concern, David asked him to be the one to bring Absalom back home to Jerusalem.
LOVE TRUMPS LAW
This is the thought that might keep you awake at night. Sometimes love seems to defy all human logic and reason. Absalom was completely guilty, but the typically righteouos King David pardoned him anyway.
If this feels a bit familiar it should. We too are completely guilty, but Our King has also pardoned us. Through Yeshua YHVH devised a way to give us mercy. No one deserves this free pardon, but it is offered out of love. We don’t deserve to be pardoned any more than Absalom.
This pardon wasn’t a logical decision based upon law and order. It was a decision based solely upon love. The King who pardoned Absalom was also his Father. The King who pardons us is also our Father. His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, became the means of our pardon. God provided The Lamb. Yeshua voluntarily became our sacrifice for sin. God loved us that much.
PARDONED BUT NOT RESTORED
The scriptures describe Absolam as pardoned. He was able to come home to Jerusalem. However, he was not allowed to see King David face-to-face. Why do you think David made this stipulation?
How many times in other stories have we seen God turn his face away from His people? Even as Moses stood begging to see God’s face, he had to look at him from behind as YHVH passed through the cleft of the rock. That wasn’t God’s desire, it was a matter of caution and protection for Moses. No one could see the face of God and live. God is that much holier than we are.
Looking back through the many pages of history, there have been so many times when God has been forced to turn his back away from His people. He does this in order to teach them how to be holy. It isn’t any easier for Him than it is for us.
It is YHVH’s desire to draw us closer. These situations always seem to crop up when people turn to their own ways over God’s ways. When we make our own decisions instead of waiting and following God’s guidance, we cause Him to turn away. He lets us fall in order to know our mistakes in judgement. Our Father shows us what it is like to live with the result of our own selfish desires. Once we see this, most of us are able to put our ways aside and follow Him.
FORGIVNESS REQUIRES REPENTANCE
Holiness cannot abide in unholiness. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own self-importance and our own wrong decisons that we fail to repent and turn around from unrighteousness. More times than not our lives are lived out in an unholy manner. In those times, God turns His face away from our stubborn forms of unholiness.
However, it is good to know that the same Father who turns away can turn around again. He is always faithful to forgive us when we take the time and effort to seek Him out and sincerely repent. Every time this happens, we are allowed to move a little closer to seeing all of God’s Glory.
THE KEY TO DRAWING CLOSER
Absalom was far from this state. King David also sinned greatly, but he repented afterward. We never hear of Absalom repenting. He just expected his father to always give him unconditional mercy and forgivness. Though David unconditionally pardoned Absalom, he didn’t attempt to repair their relationship. No words were exchanged between them. That would have been Absalom’s place.
Absalom needed to be the one to go to his father and admit what was wrong. He needed to ask forgivness for ignoring David’s feelings in the hasty murder of his brother. Perhaps the two could have come up with a better way to handle the situation.
REPENTANCE REQUIRES CHANGE
For true trust to take place between father and son again, Absalom had to change. David needed to see that growth in his son. He needed to know that Absalom’s heart had changed. This silence must have been very hard for him.
David could not make the changes for Absalom. All he could do was to be there when Absalom finally came around to express his feelings. David waited. Absalom never came forward. The King of the Kingdom wasn’t hard to find. Absalom didn’t seek David with all of his heart. If he had done so, he would have found him.
JOAB IS TROUBLED
In the meantime, Joab is troubled. This separation of the family made Joab very uncomfortable. He had been the interscessor who persuaded King David to pardon Absalom.
Though David had told Joab to bring Absalom home, he also said “Do not let him see my face.” Maybe David was thinking Absalom needed some space in order to consider the importance of their relationship. David was willing to forgive Absalom, but he would not draw closer to him until he knew Absalom had realized the error of his ways and repented. This never happened.
Absalom simply returned to Jerusalem and took up residence within his house. He did all of this without repairing his relationship with his father. A long time went by and no words were spoken between them. Absalom seemed to be thinking David should be the one to come to him. When emotions are involved, we humans often can’t see the forrest for the trees. Nonetheless, neither party approached one another.
BEAUTIFUL ON THE OUTSIDE
In the meantime, Absalom’s handsome appearance was noticed by all of Israel. He was a very handsome man. His family was also handsome. Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom after he returned to Jerusalem. He named his daughter Tamar in honor of his sister. This most loved daughter grew into a beautiful young woman.
On the outside, everything looked right again. Absalom was busy living with his beautiful family and charming the people of the Kingdom.
ABSALOM DEMANDS ATTENTION
Two years passed with Absalom never seeing the face of David. Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to take him before the King, but this time Joab refused to come. The persistent Absalom requested again and again. Joab refused to answer. Absalom wasn’t used to be ignored.
In desperation, Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field of Joab on fire. This was such an Absalom-type thing to do. He wanted his way, so he acted impulsively. He would do whatever he had to do to get his way, even if it meant harm to others. Nothing had really changed about Absalom’s spirit.
FIELDS ON FIRE
Of course, this brought Joab to Absalom’s house. Totally disgusted and shocked at Absalom, Joab said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the King to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!” ’ Now then, I want to see the King’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”
THE KISS OF THE KING
So Joab reluctantly went to see King David. He talked with him about his conversation with Absalom. Then the King summoned Absalom. Absalom came into the throne room of the King, and bowed down with his face to the ground. Without uttering a word, the King kissed Absalom.
For some within the Kingdom the story was closed. In all outward appearances the relationship between David and Absalom seemed to be mended. Absalom did have the good sense to bow before David, but we do not hear any words of repentance coming forth from his lips.
That is when we realize for certain that David’s mercy for Absalom was unconditional. He asked nothing further from his son. Again, the relationship of David and Absalom was still alive due to the communications of Joab. Yet, they never spoke directly to one another.
NEAR YET FAR AWAY
Absalom seemed to think this public acknowledgement was all that mattered. He thought he was closer to David simply because he could get his attention through Joab. But that isn’t a true father/son relationship.
Have you ever known a person who walked down the aisle of the church and made a public decision to accpet Jesus as their savior? For some this is the end of the story. They think they have done all they should do. That is so untrue.
Coming to Yeshua as Messiah is only the very beginning of the story of salvation. It should never be the end of the matter. There is so much more!
SEEK THE MORE AND BE FILLED
This story gives us a clear message as to how our relationship with God should NOT be. After receiving salvation the followers of Yeshua should be constantly and consistently seeking God’s face. We should be speaking with him personally, every day. That is the trait of a true son of The Kingdom.
God addresses people as individuals. Everyone must make their own decision to seek a closer relationship. He doesn’t beg us to come and surrender. The choice is always ours. However, when we chose to draw closer, YHVH begins to turn back to us. His holiness accpets us. He allows us into His world. YHVH even shares his plans with us. We get to participate in his work.
DESIRE TO KNOW YOUR FATHER
So Absalom was now residing in Jerusalem near the King. Yet, his spirit was so very far away from him. Absalom’s opinion of David had already been formed. This very needed unconditional forgivness and mercy from the King’s pardon had not changed his heart. Hate still lurked in his memories.
At this point it might be fair to say that Absalom didn’t really KNOW David, nor did he make any attempt to know him better. You would think that the time apart from David might have made Absalom desire to know David more. He could have committed to trying to be a better son. He did not.
Joab remained the one communicating between them. Most likely the people of the kingdom who viewed their relationship from afar would not have noticed this or known the truth lurking beneath the surface.
APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEPTIVE
All seemed well with Absalom. He greeted the people with his head held high. They showed him great respect. Absalom looked wonderful. His family looked beautiful. They appeared to be among the finest of the upright citizens of the Kingdom. But was it really true?
Absalom still had not developed a close relationship with his Father. Appearances seemed normal, but deep down inside Absalom’s heart lurked a festering amount of unforgivness.
Unlike David, Absalom put many conditions on his love. He would not risk his heart to someone who had flaws. Absalom saw all of David’s flaws. Maybe Absalom even blamed David for his actions toward Amnon. Perhaps he thought if David had handled the situation he would not have had to do it.
The kiss from David on the day Absalom bowed down before him was a perfect picture of God’s unfailing mercy and love for us. This kiss from the King was totally undeserved.
Yet, David’s heart had completely forgiven Absalom. He only remembered that he was Absalom’s Father. The sins of the past became water under the bridge for David, remembered no more. His love was completely unconditional. The love between father and son wasn’t a two-way street though. Absalom still harbored revenge in his heart, He did not return this unconditional love to David.
WORDS MATTER
Absalom should have communicated with David. When we sincerely approach God to ask His forgivness, heart-felt words are required. They need to be spoken out loud. Words carry power. Consider Mark 1:14-15, After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
For a relationship to happen with God, one must first repent and believe. The words need to be spoken. This is emphasized again in Luke 13:3. Luke 13:3 says ” I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.“
Now look at Revelation 3:1-4, “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
A FORM OF GODLINESS
Perhaps everyone assumed Absalom had repented. Absalom was following palace protocol to percision. He was publicly displaying a form of loyalty to the King.
Many of us have a “form of godliness” but the truth is far from us. Our prayers are not heart-felt. We are going through the motions, pleasing those around us, trying to look godly to the public. That isn’t a relationship. That is a show with a rehearsed script.
God requires relationship. He knows our hearts. If we want to see Him face-to-face and become a true part of the Kingdom with Him, we must repent, believe and turn. This is the lesson we are reminded of during the season of Elul. Would you like to go deeper with these thoughts? This link might be of interest to you. https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/loving-the-month-of-elul-seasons/.
If only Absalom had observed a season of meditation and repentance followed by turning with David. What if he had turned and believed in the wisdom and power of his Father, The King?
If Absalom had turned, The house of David would have healed. The Father and Son would have been reunited in love. There would have been no disloyalty in the Kingdom. The tragedies we will need to discuss in our future lessons would not have taken place.
SUMMARY
The most important thing anyone can do is to be sure of their relationship with God. Absalom needed to receive David’s mercy and forgivness and love. He needed to repent and turn.
We must confess our sins and repent. The heart must believe that God is God. His thoughts and ways are so very far above our own. We must learn to trust them and walk in them. This requires talking directy with God. It means communicating honestly and openly from the heart. We must then decide to turn away from all that is against God’s will.
EACH LIFE IS A SMALL KINGDOM
In the living of daily life, everyone has a small Kingdom to tend upon this earth. There are things we all are responsible for. We all have a purpose. This is all part of God’s plan for mankind.
The first step in tending to your own Kingdom is to walk in God’s ways. You must KNOW Him to do this. This walk begins with repentance and turning. It is the glue that holds all kingdoms together. If you walk in this way long enough, abundance will come to you and all you rule on this earth.
SONG: Chris Tomlin – Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)–https://youtu.be/Y-4NFvI5U9w?si=n1EN12uu6nbLTgdQ
VERSE: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:1-13)
PRAYER: Father forgive us when we forget to consider your unfailing love and mercy. Please draw us closer and closer into a deep relationship with You. We want to KNOW You. Please help us to be aware of where we fall short of the mark. Accept our repentance and guide us into a holy life. Teach us to live Your way. Amen
Why not check out our book for the upcoming season of Elul? Just check this link to order:https://a.co/d/0e3E1IXB.
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