2 SAMUEL 18 - THE KING’S SON DIES

2 Samuel 18

King David had no other choice but to respond to the rebellion Absalom. David would go to war against his own son. It’s clear that David was far more experienced at war than Absalom. Absalom grew up in the palace of his father, whereas David grew up fighting bears, lions, Goliath, and the Philistines. David knew the mountains, caves, and forests of Israel like the back of his hand.

David was willing to fight in the battle, but his three commanders persuaded him to stay back in the city. Joab, Abishai, and Ittai knew the high cost it would be if David died at war. The King accepted their council and stayed within the gates of the city. However, when the armies marched through gates and into battle, David gave a final command, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” (v. 1-5)

The battle took pace in the forest of Ephraim. The lack of experience within Absalom’s army was evident because more men died from the conditions of the forest than by the sword. In fact, Absalom is the chief example of their unpreparedness. Absalom was riding through the forest on a mule (not the best war animal) and while he was riding his head got stuck in the thick branches of an oak tree. His mule kept riding which left Absalom hanging from the tree by his head. (v. 6-9)

The irony is that Absalom’s hair was his pride and glory, and now he was helplessly hanging by it from a tree. One of the soldiers found Absalom in this vulnerable state and he ran to tell Joab. The commander was frustrated to hear that Absalom was not killed the moment he was found. But the soldier had remembered the words of the King, and was afraid to raise a hand against Absalom.  (v. 10-13) 

Joab quickly gathered three spears and ten men and went to find Absalom again. When they found him still hanging in the tree, Joab drove the three spears into Absalom’s heart and the ten men beat on Absalom until he was dead. They pulled his body from the tree and threw him in a pit and covered his body with stones. No memorial or monument was given for the rebel prince except for one he had previously built for himself. (v. 14-18)

All that was left was to tell David. However, the people were not sure about when or how to tell David that his son was dead. Joab decided to send a Cushite messenger to run and tell David.  However, the king’s main messenger, Ahimaaz, also felt a need to tell David. Ahimaaz outran the Cushite messenger, but when he arrived, he only told David half the message and said nothing about Absalom’s death. When the Cushite arrived, he gave the rest of the news and David then understood that his son Absalom had died. (v. 19-30)

David responded like any parent would respond at the news of their child’s death. The King was shaken. No matter how rebellious Absalom had become, David still loved his son and was deeply moved by the news of his death. David went into a time of mourning and was heard crying out, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (v. 31-33)

This story is all too tragic and true – how families are divided and destroyed because of sin. We can learn a warning from this story and understand that sin steals, kills, and destroys families. Absalom’s rebellion was the fruit of David’s sin and parenting failures.

However, we can also learn a redemptive lesson from this story - in how David demonstrated the heart of God toward sinners. David loved his enemy, because past the rebel he saw his child. He desired to show mercy to his rebellious son. David was crushed by the death of his son and would have given his own life if he could to spare his own son.

Although David was unable to do that, we know that God did not spare his only Son, but gave him up for us, so that we could be called his children. We who were once enemies, are now God’s children, having been shown mercy. We have been saved from death because Jesus bore the curse of sin when hung from a tree.