1-2 Samuel Week Forty-Seven: 2 Samuel 18:1-33

¹ Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² David sent the people out, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” ³ But the people said, “You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” ⁴ Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. ⁵ The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.

⁶ Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. ⁸ For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. ¹⁰ When a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” ¹¹ Then Joab said to the man who had told him, “Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” ¹² The man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect for me the young man Absalom!’ ¹³ Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” ¹⁴ Then Joab said, “I will not waste time here with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. ¹⁵ And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.

¹⁶ Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. ¹⁷ They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. ¹⁸ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to preserve my name.” So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

¹⁹ Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king news that the Lord has freed him from the hand of his enemies.” ²⁰ But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. ²² Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going?” ²³ “But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up the Cushite.

²⁴ Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. ²⁵ The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. ²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” ²⁷ The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “This is a good man and comes with good news.”

²⁸ Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “All is well.” And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, “Blessed is the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” ²⁹ The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was.” ³⁰ Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹ Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for the Lord has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” ³² Then the king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!”

³³ The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

—2 Samuel 18:1-33

Sermon Outline

1. David’s (MULTILINE)
2. God’s (MULTILINE)
3. David’s (MULTILINE)
4. David’s (MULTILINE)

References

Weekly Study Guide

Several times in America’s recent past, we have witnessed fairytale-type stories involving common people ascending to a place of royalty. A few generations ago, some will remember the actress Grace Kelly marrying Prince Rainier and becoming the Princess of Monaco. More recently, Meghan Markle married into the royal family of England and became a duchess. Each time, the coverage in the press was all-consuming. What is this fascination we have with royalty? Why have we agreed as a culture to create this class of people and place them on such a high pedestal?

Have you ever wondered where this idea of nations having kings came from in the first place? It is a concept and construct with which history and literature are littered. Some trace the idea of kings back to the feudal systems of Medieval Europe. Others, rightly recognize that the idea goes back much further than that. Some would follow this institution’s thread through history back to Sumeria or ancient Egypt. But when you recognize that the Bible is not just one account of history among many, but is the only authoritative, divinely inspired text that takes us back to the very beginning of time, then you understand that all of secular history somehow ties back to, and is derived from, the history described in the Bible in one way or another. In scripture, the idea of kings goes back much further than just Saul, David, and Solomon. Way back in Genesis 14, Melchizedek was called a king and a priest. But even before that, Nimrod is said to have a kingdom in Genesis 10. But as we’ll see, this idea of God setting up a Kingdom actually goes all the way back to the beginning in the Garden of Eden. This idea of people being ruled by a “king” is God’s idea.

In our study of the books of 1^st & 2^nd Samuel, we are exploring a unique time in the history of Israel. This time is known as “the United Kingdom”—a time when Israel saw its first kings. But to properly understand the role that this time period plays in the history of God’s people Israel, we must be clear on what precisely “Israel” is all about. This has been our task in the introductions to Books 1 – 4 of our study guide. Who—and what—is Israel, and what role does it play in the overarching plan of God? The mechanism we have used to explore this question has been the contracts or covenants, God has made with the human race, as revealed in scripture. Through these covenants, we discover that Israel is the center and focus of God’s plan of redeeming the world back to Himself.

So, in our efforts to understand 1^st & 2^nd Samuel better (by exploring who Israel is), we come to the moment in their history when the people of Israel ask God for a human king. Up until this point, Israel has subsequently been a family, a people, a nation, and finally a group of not-so-united tribes. But starting with Samuel, Israel now is entering a time when they will be a kingdom. Why is this important? It’s because the way that God has chosen to establish His relationship with His people is through the form of a kingdom—not just in Israel, but for all His people through the rest of time. The theme of the coming Kingdom is the most dominant theme all throughout scripture. It was what God initially inaugurated in the Garden of Eden, and it is what Messiah will fully establish when He returns. The Millennial Kingdom will be the climax of history and will serve as the precursor to and preview of the Eternal State. Some people believe that the Kingdom is just the endgame—that it is the bow on the present, or the icing on the cake. They think that the Kingdom will simply be the end result of God fixing everything that was broken in the Fall. And, in a sense, this is true. But what they miss is that the Kingdom is not just the endgame, it is what God intended all along for how He would relate with His people. The implementation of the Kingdom actually began in the Garden. It is also what was lost in the Fall. And the journey from Genesis to Revelation is the journey of God restoring what was lost and broken, namely, that Kingdom.

The Kingdom is also the third topic we are exploring as we look at the ramifications of what the Davidic Covenant is all about. The first topic we examined dealt with whether or not the everlasting Kingdom that was promised to David was indeed literal. We saw that, without exception, scripture presents the coming Messianic Kingdom not as spiritual, or Heavenly, in any way. It is literal, physical, and earthly. The second topic we addressed was whether or not this Kingdom is yet future. And we saw that, for many reasons, the throne of David has not existed on planet Earth since the time of the Babylonian Captivity. Thus, the promised Kingdom is yet future, and Jesus will sit on David’s throne only when He returns. That brings us to our third question to explore. What exactly is the Kingdom that scripture refers to so often? There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about this idea of “Kingdom” found both in our theology and in the terminology used in the church today. We have briefly touched on various aspects of what the coming Kingdom is, and is not, over the past few study guides. But let’s take this opportunity to explore, in a little more depth, what this important concept of “Kingdom” involves.

Much has been said and taught in the church over the years about the Kingdom of God—much of it helpful, but a good deal more of it, not. The topic of the Kingdom of God is one that lies at the very heart of the presentation of the gospel message in the New Testament, and is also one that is woven throughout the Old Testament. In fact, the entire Old Testament really is the story of God pouring out His love on this singular people of Israel and promising them that one day Messiah would come, and that this Messiah would bring with Him a Kingdom of peace and rest.

If we look back throughout salvation history, as the message of the good news gained more clarity over time (through progressive revelation), the prophets spoke more and more about this promised Kingdom that Messiah was to bring. This Kingdom was the hope of Israel. Messiah was coming to restore that which was lost. Mankind had given up paradise in the garden. Through our rebellion, we forfeited that place and experience of perfection. God then chose a people through whom He promised He would rectify that sad state of affairs. God’s plan involved creating a nation through whom He would bless the world. We need to read that word “bless” in terms of salvation and restoration. The blessing that He promised was indeed salvation—salvation from sin and from sorrow. But it would also be a return, of sorts, to those Edenic conditions where we would fellowship face-to-face with God. He would be our King and we would be His people.

So, this idea of what the Kingdom would be carried within it two different ideas. In one sense, when Messiah arrived, He would establish a Kingdom through which He would renovate and restore creation back to its original design. Yet in another sense, all of Israel had woven into their national DNA a memory of the greatness of the reigns of David and Solomon. This golden age was the peak of their nation’s greatness as God had set up an earthly kingdom where He fought their battles and they had rest on every side. It was at this point in the story that God chose to reveal so much more of what was in store for His people. It was then that the moment of clarity came. Right in the midst of David’s reign, God promised David and his descendants a coming Kingdom that would never end—one that would be ruled by Messiah Himself from David’s throne. He would rule with a rod of iron and peace would abound. The description of these anticipated Kingdom conditions radiates from the pages of many of the prophets. The memory of this golden age filled out the expectations of Israel as they longed for the coming of Messiah—namely a return to this Davidic picture of the Kingdom. These were the two aspects of the promised coming Kingdom: the renewal of what was lost in the Fall, and a restoration of the glory of what David’s kingdom represented.

Several years ago, in our journey through the book of Acts, we briefly discussed the idea of “Kingdom,” and why it is such an important topic to understand when reading scripture. It is one of two promises to which Israel clung throughout history—promises by which they interpreted every event or teaching that pertained to Messiah. The first promise was that God would send a Messiah to save them. The second promise was that God would ultimately raise them from the dead—so that they would be able to enjoy the earthly Kingdom that Messiah would bring. Thus, the question that the people in the gospels were asking in one way or another was: if Jesus was indeed Messiah the king, then why had the Kingdom not yet come?

This implied question about the Kingdom lies behind much of what happens in the New Testament. The disciples confirmed the centrality of this connection between Messiah and the Kingdom in many of their interactions with Jesus. For example, when Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:5-7 that shortly they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit (an event that was identified with the end of the age), their natural reaction was to assume that the restoration of Israel would now happen, and the Kingdom would be arriving. They said, “Lord is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Did He then reply, “No, you foolish little disciples, do you not know that Israel’s time has passed, and it is the church that now receives all the blessings promised to Israel for the last several thousand years?” No, Jesus does not say that! He said that it was not for them to know the times or epochs that the Father had determined.

Jesus did not rebuff the thinking that was revealed by their question, but rather upheld it by not undermining the pre-suppositions supporting the question—and rather, simply told them that they did not need to know the timing of that coming future restoration. Jesus affirmed the validity of their questions by not denying the assumptions lying behind them—namely, that a literal Kingdom was coming. He simply redirected their eagerness by not revealing to them any sort of timetable. According to Andy Woods, what Jesus was saying was that this is not the Kingdom age. It is not the Davidic age. This is a different age where Israel is not on center stage. No, we are in the midst of an age Jesus called “the Times of the Gentiles”, where the predominantly Gentile church is tasked to go out and reach and teach and fulfill the Great Commission. The Kingdom will be something the Father will set up on His own timetable through the revived and restored nation of Israel. What Jesus clearly did not do was undermine the foundation of their question: namely, that He was going to bring a literal Kingdom to exist here on earth. He clearly was.

The coming of Messiah and the establishment of the Kingdom were synonymous. And this could have happened in the first coming if Israel had accepted Jesus as Messiah. But they did not. Thus, the Kingdom program was put on hold until Messiah’s Second Coming. This is the first piece of the puzzle we must consider when exploring how the Kingdom idea is presented in scripture. It was a theme that saturated the entire Old Testament and the experience of God’s people Israel. And it was inseparable from the arrival of Messiah. Thus, we see that the Kingdom is yet future.

(MULTILINE)

Discussion Questions

1. A couple of men competed to be the first to bring David some news in this chapter. What is some of the best news you have ever received? How did it change things for you? (MULTILINE)
2. What benefit came from the delay that Hushai afforded David (v. 1)? What are some of the reasons David’s men wanted him to stay behind? What is significant about the role that the terrain played in David’s victory? Why would this detail be included? What do you think about Joab’s decision to kill Absalom, in direct violation of David’s orders? Was he right in doing so? What factors went into that decision? (MULTILINE)
3. What do we learn about loyalty in this chapter? How are the loyalties of different characters tested, and what do their actions reveal? How did the death of Absalom affect David? What impact do you think David’s reaction had on those around him? How much blame ought we lay on David for the indulgence he showed with his children? In what ways does David demonstrate good leadership, and in what ways does he demonstrate poor leadership? Where do you see God at work in this story? (MULTILINE)
4. Where do you see the effects of parental indulgence in your world today? How do we find the correct balance between gentle correction and firm judgment in our families? Where do we see this issue arise in the church? How do you see others navigating the line between justice and mercy in how they interact with others? What have you personally learned in this regard? (MULTILINE)
5. What do you think of David’s reaction to his son’s death? Should the love of a father outweigh the impact this event would have on the nation, and the sacrifice those around David had made to secure the victory? Why or why not? What lessons can we learn today from David’s approach to dealing with disobedience and rebellion in his own house? What changes do you think you might make in how you exercise discipline with your children, and how you model navigating the tension between justice and mercy? (MULTILINE)

Going Deeper

1. Where do we see divine justice on display in this chapter? Assuming Absalom’s fabulous hair played a role in his head getting caught up in the tree, what irony do you see here? How does vanity and pride lead to Absalom’s downfall? We see quite a contrast in this story between victory in battle and the personal loss David experienced. Where might we find parallels to this in our own lives? What cost do we or our families bear for our own achievements? (MULTILINE)
2. What do we learn about the consequences of sin in this story? What lessons might we teach our children from the events in this chapter? How would you evaluate David’s response to the news about Absalom? How would you evaluate how Joab handled this whole situation? What would you have done if you were in Joab’s shoes? (MULTILINE)

Transformational Activity

Community

We are not meant to do life alone. We need a community around us, supporting and guiding us, loving and challenging us. It probably was difficult for David, being a king, to truly have the kind of community he needed. Where did David’s community help and support him in this story? Where do you think David’s community failed him in this story? What advice should they have given him? What does your community look like? How do they support, guide, love, and challenge you? Take some time this week to evaluate where you are connected to the body of Christ. Are you in a small group? Are you surrounded by the kind of people you need to fully pursue Christ? Ask God to help you wisely navigate any next steps He might have for you in this.