GOD DEVISES A MEANS

GOD DEVISES A MEANS

Meanwhile, the story of the problems of King David’s family continue. As promised, the sword has not vanished from David’s House. Absalom has murdered his half-brother. Now he is estranged from his family, David and Israel. It is known that he plotted the death of his brother Amnon. Of course, this happened because he knew Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom’s sister. Nonetheless, it was well-plotted murder.

What could David have been thinking during all of this? Sometimes a King’s tasks seem impossible. Often it looks like there is no proper answer. However, if we wait long enough we eventually see how God devises a means to what man cannot comprehend. When the darkness surrounds us, we must turn around and seek the light.

Are there Psalms which record how David survived this agonizing time of no answers? We could look at certain Psalms. Psalm 38 expresses sorrow and mourning. Also, Psalm 51 shares thoughts on repentance. Psalm 7 and Psalm 9 give reflections on the need for justice and retribution.

DAVID’S FAILURE

It seems that one of David’s worse traits involved constant self-deception. He seems oblivious to all of the problems. David still refuses to address anything, either as a Father or a King.

Previously, we have devoted a whole lesson to Tamar’s point of view. If you would like to explore those thoughts further, I recommend this article written by Brad Hambrick. He gives an interesting comparison of David’s feelings vs. Tamar’s feelings. The link is: https://bradhambrick.com/tamarpsalm61/.

David’s main problem seemed to be his concern for himself instead of his concern for his children and his family. He was even using bad judgement for the whole Kingdom when he let these hidden sins of Amnon go unaddressed. Amnon was slated to be the next King. David could not address his faults without his finger pointing right back to himself.

ABSALOM’S HATRED

We’ve looked at how all of this affected David and Tamar. But what about Absalom? Absalom harbored hatred toward Amnon for two years. No one knows why Absalom did not go to Amnon and speak to him when the problem first happened. Perhaps they could have reached a truce followed by non-violent repentance and restoration. Was Absalom hoping David would take appropriate action? You can just feel the tension in the air between David and Absalom.

Maybe Absalom harbored hidden feelings against more than Amnon. It seems he must have been greatly disappointed when David did not react to the situation. Surely the King needed to acknowledge Amnon’s crime and make the proper decisions to correct things, or at least be honest with the Kingdom and let the pieces fall where they would.

As a Father, shouldn’t David care enough to bring some type of closure to the family? But, as one song telling the story explains, “there was a ghost of a Hittite hiding under the bed.” In other words, David had committed the same crime when he took Bethsheba from Uriah the Hittite. How could the King possibly address Amnon when he was just as guilty?

It seems Absalom was just as angry about David’s lack of concern for his family as he was about the rape of Tamar. When David did not act, Absalom slowly began plotting his own remedy to the situation.

JOAB NOTICES DAVID’S SORROW

When any family is living in a mountain of stressful relationships, people notice. Regardless of who acted what way in this tragedy, now we’ve come to a time when Joab, the commander of Israel’s armies, noticed the sadness of David in the loss of his son Absalom.  Absalom had been banished to Geshur where he took refuge under the protection of his maternal grandfather. Time passed on and David missed him.

Absalom was clearly guilty in the eyes of the law. As The King, David was the only one capable of pardoning Absalom.  However, David was a good and righteous King.  He did not want to altar a judgement simply because his son was the one accused.  David realized that would be wrong.  Absalom had murdered his brother.  David knew what Absalom did was wrong.  David would have pronounced severe judgement upon any other man who had done such a thing.  Yet, he simply did not have the heart to pronounce his own son guilty.  Consequently, though he missed Absalom, David was probably glad that Absalom had fled.

In his heart David knew Absalom had plotted this murder for approximately two years.  David did not want to be an unrighteous King who offered an unfair judgement because of his own personal feelings. He was definitely between a rock and a hard place in this matter.  However, David loved Absalom very much. Once again, in order to avoid the whole situation, David did nothing at all. Joab realized that David’s stalling was only making matters worse.

JOAB DEVISES A PLAN

It appears that Joab wished to see David back to normal instead of stewing over this family situation.  There was a Kingdom to be ruled and this needed no distractions. Joab, being in charge of the army of Israel, wanted all of the family feelings to be resolved.  Also, we know that Joab favored Absalom.  He wanted to unite the two by bringing Absalom safely back into Jerusalem and returned to proper standing within the palace.

So, Joab devised a plan.  He asked a wise woman from Tekoa to pretend she was in mourning.  Joab told her to dress in mourning clothes and act like someone who had spent many days grieving for the dead.  He gave her the specific words to use in addressing the King. Then he told her to go to speak to King David.

The woman from Tekoa did as Joab requested.  She came to speak to King David.  Her first words were “Help me, Your Majesty!”

SAVE THE LIFE OF MY SON

David asked what was troubling her.  She told him she was a widow with two sons.  Her two sons were fighting, and one killed the other. The whole family was angry. They wanted her to hand over the son who was still alive so they could put him to death for the life of the brother he killed. The woman stated how this son who was still alive was the only living heir of her husband.  If he died, her husband and his name would never be remembered.

Technically, under the laws of the land in those days this would also leave this woman without property.  Aside from losing her home and all of her property, she would be left with no way to provide for herself. There would be no man left with her husband’s name to carry out her business. 

So, of course, David took pity on her. He told her to go home. As King, he promised to take care of the matter.    

RESTORE MY PROPERTY

Legally, if this woman lost her last son, she would have no rights at all.  No one could change that, except the King.  The King could show mercy. He could allow the woman to keep her son and her property.  Because he was King, David could do this by offering pardon to the son who was still alive.

Now, she had her answer, but the woman did not leave.  She had more to request of the King.  Her next words were “Let my lord the King pardon me and my family and let the King and his throne be without guilt.”

David must have considered that request to be a bit odd.  Still, his reply was “If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again.”

THE AVENGER OF BLOOD

Then the woman brought up the matter of “the avenger of blood.”  In the laws of the land in those days each family had a designated person called “the avenger of blood.”  If someone was murdered in the family, it was that person’s responsibility to avenge the family name in relation to the murder.  Consequently, they had every legal right to take the life of the person who had committed the murder. 

So, the woman said to King David, “Then let the King invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.”

David’s reply was, “As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.” 

DOES THE KING NOT CONVICT HIMSELF?

Still the woman did not leave.  Instead she leaned in toward David and said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the King.”

David told her to come closer and to speak.

Then the woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the King says this, does he not convict himself, for the King has not brought back his banished son?  Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.

“And now I have come to say this to my lord the King because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the King. Perhaps he will grant his servant’s request. Perhaps the King will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’

PLEASE SECURE MY INHERITANCE

“And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the King secure my inheritance, for my lord the King is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’ ”

DAVID DISCERNS JOAB’S INVOLVEMENT

At that point, David realized the woman was making a personal point to him.  He knew that Joab was the one who had put her up to this. So, David asked her, “Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all this?”

The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the King, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the King says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this. It was he who put all these words into the mouth of your servant.  Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God—he knows everything that happens in the land.”

JOAB’S PLAN IS ACCOMPLISHED

Seeing his own situation in the story the woman told, David replied, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

Joab had been hopeful this would work, and it did.  He fell with his face to the ground to pay honor to King David. He blessed the King. Then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the King, because the King has granted his servant’s request.”

A PICTURE OF YOU AND ME

As surely as David can see his own situation in the story of this woman, we can also see ourselves. Mankind was guilty and sentanced to death because of his sins. God had to throw him out of the garden to prevent sin from living there for eternity. Once the death penalty has been given, there is no turning things around. Death seems to be the only answer. Like the woman described to David, you cannot take water spilled upon the ground and put it back inside a container. The damage is done.

However, One can pardon sins. He is the One who took the penalty for all sin upon himself. Unlike David, He is a totally righteous King. There is no reason to doubt his power and authority because of His sinless righteousness. He has pardoned all of mankind who have sought His pardon. This pardon has saved the inheritace of God’s people. We will be allowed one day to return to the garden and the life we were granted and intended, but only because Yeshua loved us enough to die for us.

THE KING REFUSES TO SEE ABSALOM

So, Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But King  David said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the King.

SUMMARY

We can summarize this part of the story with that same verse from 2 Samuel 14:14. For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.

This summary can be reduced to three words, “God devises means.” As David pardoned the woman’s son and set the woman’s world back out of chaos, so Yeshua has done for us. Our inheritance has been restored and our family name remains active forever.

A VERSE, A PRAYER, A SONG

VERSE:  For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.  (2 Samuel 14:14)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we know You are the God who devises a means. You are the only One who can help us. In Your perfect plan for us Yeshua became the means for taking away our sins. We are speechless with gratitude. Not only have You forgiven us, but You have restored our rights to the inheritance You once provided for us. One day we will walk with You again, in the cool of the garden. Please give us the wisdom, knowledge and power to listen, hear and do Your words. Help us to learn how to reverse the curse that has loomed over all of mankind. You are The King of The Universe. Only You have the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

SONG: Don Moen – God Will Make A Way | Live Worship Sessions https://youtu.be/_rSWXf2Y4z0?si=auQyShQvECvPLiFt