Thursday, October 19, 2023

2 Samuel 18:9

 

2 Samuel 18:9 says, And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. Absalom seemed to have been proud of his long hair, but now he was left swinging by it from under a tree.  Sometimes the things we put too much pride in can lead to our downfall.  This is especially true of things that become more important to us than God, as it would seem was the case with Absalom.  Verse ten adds, And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.  A certain unnamed man saw Absalom hanging there and went and told Joab, who was the head of David's forces.  Even if we don't act, if we see a possible way to end conflict with people of the world, we should at least tell someone who has the power to act.  We certainly shouldn't just ignore the situation.  Verse eleven continues, And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.  Joab asked the man why he didn't kill Absalom when he saw him hanging there defenseless.  Joab also said he would heave paid the man if he had done so.  Still, we should never take any action simply for material reward as followers of Christ, and we should also make sure we are doing God's will before we do.  I believe that the man was not seeking self-glory and believed that Joab would be in a better position to make a decision about what to do.  At times, we may believe that other Christians are in a better position to make certain decisions, but what we must realize is that we all have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to lead us to the right decision.  Verse twelve states, And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.  The man said that he would not defy David the king for any amount of money, and David had charged Abishai, Ittai, and Joab to go gentle with Absalom.  We as Christians must never go against the word of our King, God Himself, for any amount of money if we are to live a successful Christian life.  Verse thirteen adds, Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. The man said that since nothing was hidden from David  that he would have endangered his own life had he killed Absalom  and that Joab himself would have been hunting him.  We can never expect to defy God's word for any reason and believe that He will not know about it.  Verse fourteen continues, Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.  Joab told the man that he could not tarry with him, but instead went to where Absalom was and took three darts and thrust them into Absalom’s heart while he was still hanging in the tree.  Joab did not consult David nor God about this action.  Even if we ask no one else about our actions as Christians, we must always ask God what He would have us do, and it will never be contrary to His word.  Verse fifteen says, And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.  Though we are told that Joab thrust three darts in Absalom’s heart, this tells us that he wasn't yet dead and ten young men beat him and then killed him.  Not only were they killing Absalom against David’s orders, they were wanting him to suffer before he died.  I don't believe that we should ever go against God's word and want to cause the lost people of the world to suffer, since Jesus Christ died for them just as surely as He died for us.  Verse sixteen adds, And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.  After Absalom had been killed, Joab sounded the retreat from pursuing the rest of those who had followed Absalom.  We will never conquer all the evil in this world but at times we may need to fall back in our pursuit of destroying it and simply live our life at peace.  Verse seventeen continues, And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.  They threw Absalom’s body in a great pit and covered it with a large heap of stones.  Though Absalom had rebelled against David, he was still a son of David the king and he was denied even a proper burial.  Though how we are buried really doesn't matter, those who are followers of Christ should always be reaching out to everyone with the love of God and forgiveness while they are alive and should be treated with respect even after they die.  Just as Absalom was still David’s son even when he rebelled against him, if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will always a child of God, even if we rebel against His word at times.  Those who had followed Absalom had fled when he died, so this was a good outcome, but it still went against David’s orders.  Even if we have a good outcome in a situation as Christians in the eyes of the world, if what we have one goes against God's word, it will never be a good thing.  Verse eighteen concludes, Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.  Absalom didn't have a son to carry on his name, so he had made a pillar, or monument to himself to be remembered by and the pillar remained.  We don't really need to wonder if people will remember our name after we die, but only need to be concerned with whether our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

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