2 Samuel 15:1-17:14
After all that David had done to reconcile his son Absalom, who murdered
Amnon for sexually abusing Tamar, Absalom conspired to take his father’s place
on the throne. Over the course of a few years, Absalom turned the hearts of the
people against David, raised an army, and returned to Jerusalem to take the
city by force. Rather than fight and risk the destruction of the city and the
death of his loved ones, David chose, instead, to abandon Jerusalem.
David on the run sounds familiar doesn’t it? If anyone knew how to
escape into hiding, it was David. He had evaded King Saul in the desert for
years, trusting in the Lord for his protection; now, here he was again trusting
in God to save him from his son, who was threatening to take his throne. However,
when David hid in the desert the first time, it was for reasons outside of his
control; this time, he was having to hide for reasons of his own doing.
Absalom’s conspiracy to take the throne from his father was a
consequence of David’s sin with Bathsheba. It was also a fulfillment of
Nathan’s prophecy, when God said, “Because of what you have done, I, the Lord,
will cause your own household to rebel against you” (12:11). The betrayal of
Absalom was part of David’s punishment for adultery, deception, and murder.
Isn’t it interesting, then, that David ascended the Mount of Olives, weeping
over his sins, when Jesus, a descendant of David, will ascend the same mountain
the night that He was arrested, when He began to carry the weight of and be
punished for the sins of all men?
Because David understood that this displacement was a consequence of
his sins, he endured it patiently and with humility. As Shimei, a member of
Saul’s family, followed him, cursed him, and threw rocks at him, which is
itself a
picture
of Satan our accuser, David had to suffer the reminders of his failures.
Although as King, he had the power to kill Shimei, he chose not to respond to
his accusations; sounds again like Christ, who although he was reviled did not
respond to His accusers. Furthermore, the long line of people that David had
inconvenienced — wives, children, advisers, guards, friends, and other family
members — reminded him too of his mistakes. His sins had affected many. However, he knew
in time that God would restore him and everything would be alright. For now, he had
to endure the pain of his punishment.
Daily Reflection
Can you remember a time when you had to endure the punishment for a
sin that you committed? What do you remember? What was the most painful part of
the process?
God is good to forgive our sins and to restore our relationship with
Him, but that does not mean that He releases us from the consequences of our
sins. Why not? Why does He allow us to endure such pain and punishment?
BiAY.org | Day 118 — 247 Days to Go
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