2 Samuel 14:1

2 Samuel 14:1 says, Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.  Joab perceived that David’s heart was toward Absalom, or that he was mourning Absalom’s absence.  Even though Absalom had killed one of David's other sons, David was not seeking his destruction but his restoration.  We as sinners, in order to have a restoration with God are guilty of the necessity of Jesus dying on the cross, but God still seeks our restoration to Him and not our destruction.  Verse two adds, And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:  Joab sought out a wise woman to engage in a bit of role playing. She was to dress as a long time mourner.  Matthew Henry says that Joab was attempting to make himself look good to both David and Absalom and might have also been acting from the knowledge that he himself had killed someone to avenge a wrong.  Still, we can never justify the actions of others because we are guilty of sin ourselves.  Verse three continues, And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.  Joab told the woman to come to David and even then told her what she was to say.  People may engage in plots to deceive Christians today, sometimes even believing it is for our own good, but we should never be a part of such deception.  Verse four states, And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.  The woman fell on her face before David and begged for his help.  She was just playing a part, but she was evidently good at it.  Some people today are just playing a part when thay profess to be Christians, and some are very good at it.  Verse five adds, And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.  When David asked her what was causing her so much grief, she said she was aw widow woman.  We need to remember that widows in that day had very little help from others but were dependent on their family for help.  Verse six continues, And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.  She said she had two sons and that in a fight, one son killed the other.  This was all a story that Joab had made up and it was the same as what Absalom had done to his brother.  I don't believe Joab was concerned about what God might think of his actions, and sometimes today Christians often act without asking for God's guidance.  Verse seven concludes, And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.  The woman then claimed that the whole family had risen against her demanding that she deliver her remaining son so that he could be put to death for killing his brother, which would have left her with no heir nor anyone to care for her.  We should be careful about demanding justice for others while seeking mercy for ourselves.  Verse eight says, And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.  David told her to go home and he would consider her the situation.  He may have wanted time to verify what was happening and this would not be a good thing for her.  We should be wary of people who want us to act without first verifying the situation.  Verse nine adds, And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.  The woman asked David for immediate help and said if things did not turn out to be as she said that she would bear the burden of the iniquity.  Of course, since the whole story was made up, she would already bear the iniquity of the situation, but she could not bear David’s iniquity if he acted wrongly.  Even if they promise to, no one else can ever accept the responsibility for our iniquities, except Jesus Christ Who paid the price for all sins forever.  Of course, we must accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord for His gift of salvation to apply to us.  Verse ten continues, And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.  David then made a decision to grant her wish.  As king, this could set a precedence.  What we do as Christians could be used by the world to either justify or condemn actions whether they are consistent with God's will and law or not.