2 Samuel 14:11

2 Samuel 14:11 says, Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.  The woman then asked David to remember the LORD and not allow those who would avenge the death of her one son to kill her other son who had killed him.  Since this story was made up that wasn't going to happen anyway, but she needed David’s assurance before he checked the situation out.  As stated before, we should never make decisions without knowing all the facts.  David promised her no harm would come to her son.  Verse twelve adds, Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.  The woman then asked David for permission to say one more thing to him, even though he had given her what she supposedly wanted, and he granted granted her permission.  Verse thirteen continues, And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.  She asked David how he could grant her request while his son Absalom was banished.  She said his reasoning was faulty in doing so.  If we are willing to forgive others no matter what they have done, which is the way that God forgives, but will not forgive our own family members for whatever they may have done, then our reasoning is faulty.  Verse fourteen states, For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.  She told David that everyone would die and be like water spilled on the ground but that God did not respect people, or value one over the other and that He made it possible for all the banished to return to Him.  This restoration is still available to all who will accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.  The woman was telling David that if he spared her son and not Absalom that he was showing favoritism to her son, even though he really didn't exist.  We as Christians cannot show favoritism in forgiveness.   Verse fifteen adds, Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.  The woman said she made her request because of fear of what people would do to her son.  Verse sixteen adds, For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.  She added that she made her appeal because she knew David had the power to deliver her.  We can only appeal to God for deliverance from the penalty of sin, because He is the only One Who can give it.  Verse eighteen concludes, Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.  The woman said that God would give David the ability to discern the truth of the situation, and He will still do so today.  Verse eighteen says, Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.  David then told the woman to answer his question truthfully.  All we can ask from people today is that they speak truthfully with us.  Verse nineteen adds, And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:   David asked the woman if Joab was responsible for her coming to him with her story, so it would seem that the Spirit of discernment was with David.  The Holy Spirit will give us the ability to discern the truth if we rely on Him.  The woman admitted that Joab had sent her and told her what to say, even though that could have put her in danger with David.  Even if it may put us in danger, we must always tell the truth.  Even though she hadn't been truthful so far, the woman now told the truth.  Verse twenty continues, To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.  She then said that David had shown wisdom in his answer to her supposed problem and that he needed to apply it to his situation with Absalom.  We cannot apply one standard of forgiveness to one person and a different standard to others.  Like God, we should not show partiality to people.  Verse twenty-one concludes, And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.  David told Joab to go and bring Absalom home.  We need to forgive others if they have harmed us in some way, and do our best to bring them home to God. 

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.

2 Samuel 13:30

2 Samuel 13:30 says, And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.  David received a message that Absalom had killed all his brothers.  This was not true, and often the things that we hear today are not true.  It is up to us as Christians to ensure that we are telling the truth and verify the truth of what we hear to the best of our ability.  Verse thirty-one adds, Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.  David began to deeply mourn what he heard had happened without first verifying it and his servants mourned with nim.  We should certainly never lead others into mourning over something that may not be totally true.  Yes, David would likely have still mourned over the death of Amnon, but his despair would not have been as severe.  Verse thirty-two continues, And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.  Jonadab at least brought David the truth, and that is what we need to do as followers of Christ.  Only Amnon had been killed by Absalom and this was done to avenge what Amnon had done to Tamar.  David himself really should have been the one to punish Amnon.  If we as Christians allow sin that we know of to go unpunished, someone else may take action to punish the one who committed the sin.  Verse thirty-three concludes, Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.  Jonadab told David to not be so deeply troubled, because only Amnon was dead.  This was still a reason to mourn, but not a reason to be so desolate.  We should not mourn for things that we hear about that have not happened, but only for those that have.  Verse thirty-four states, But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.  Absalom fled, but the rest of the people returned to David. If someone that we know has committed sin, they may flee from God's presence, but we as Christians must return to Him instead.  Verse thirty-five adds, And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.  Jonadab told David to look and he would see his sons returning to Him.  Through the whole situation with Amnon we never read about David seeking God's guidance in the situation, and if we are encountering a sinful situation today, if we do seek God's guidance immediately, it may lead to even greater problems.  Verse thirty-six continues, And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.  As soon as Jonadab had concluded speaking, all of David's sons, except Absalom and Amnon, came to him and they mourned together for Amnon.  Amnon may have been guilty of something worthy of death, but he was still a son and brother.  We should mourn the death of our our brothers and sisters in Christ today, but we should mourn the death of those who die without God's forgiveness even more and the only way to forgiveness is through accepting Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty-seven says, But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.  Absalom went to the king of Talmai the son of the king of Geshur for help.  David mourned for his son, whether this was for Amnon’s death or Absalom’s absence is not clear, though it might have been both.   Verse thirty-eight adds, So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.  Absalom remained in Geshur for three years.  The king of Geshur did not send him back and David did not go to bring him back.  If someone commits a sin today, especially our fellow believers, we should not just ignore their sin, but we should actively seek to return them to a right relationship with God.  Then verse thirty-nine continues, And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.  David longed to restore his relationship with Absalom, and he was comforted with Amnon’s death.  Once a person dies, there is nothing more that we can do for them, so we must go on with life and be more concerned with those still alive than with those who are dead. 

2 Samuel 13:21

2 Samuel 13:21 says, But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.  When David heard about what had happened, he was very wroth, or angry.  If we hear about terrible, sinful things happening today, we should be filledcwith righteous indignation, or anger, and not allow the sin to go unchecked.  We are not told that David took any action though..  Verse twenty-two adds, And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.  Matthew Henry says Abimelech had nothing good nor bad to say about Amnon because he hated him for what he had done to his sister Tamar,  but it seems to me that he quit talking to him.  Amnon had created a lot of anger and hurt in David’s family by his actions, and if we act sinfully as Christians we may cause discord in the church, especially if we don't repent and take responsibility for our actions.  Amnon had basically blamed Tamar for what had happened instead of taking responsibility himself.  We as followers of Christ should never attempt to place responsibility for our sins on someone else.  Verse thirty-three continues, And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.  Two and a half years later, Absalom had sheepshearers at Baalhazar and invited all of David's sons to come.  He had a plan to avenge his sister, and he was in effect involving all of David's sons in it.  We should never attempt to hide sinful plans by involving others even without their knowledge.  I believe that David should have addressed this problem, but since he hadn't, Absalom decided to do things his way.  We should never allow sin to go unaddressed in the church today.  Verse twenty-four states, And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.  Absalom even invited David to go with them.  Maybe he figured this would make it seem less likely that he had a plan to kill Amnon in mind.  Sometimes people may attempt to hide their sinful actions in plain sight.  Verse twenty-five adds, And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.  David said that he wouldn't go.  Matthew Henry says this was because David didn't want to be a part of Absalom spending so much to have a feast.  We can say that we should never encourage others to spend money in what might be a foolish manner.  Verse twenty-six continues, Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?   Absalom asked that since David wasn't going to allow Amnon to go with him, and David asked him why.  He may have been concerned about Absalom’s reason for wanting Amnon there, but as we will see, David allowed him to go.  If we suspect that someone is up to no good, we shouldn't simply question them and then allow them to go ahead with what they plan.  Verse twenty-seven says, But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.  Absalom pressed David to allow Amnon and David’s other brothers to go.  Matthew Henry says that Absalom had hidden his hatred of Amnon so well that David didn't expect him of planning to kill him, but by David’s earlier question of why Absalom wanted Amnon to go, I believe he may have been concerned.  All the brothers went.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.  Absalom commanded his servants to kill Amnon when he was merry with wine, or basically drunk and less likely to be able to defend himself.  Even though they were acting under Absalom’s orders they were also becoming complicit in his actions.  We should never allow someone in power over us to cause us to do anything sinful.  Absalom said he would take responsibility for their actions, but no one else can really take responsibility for our actions.  Verse twenty-nine continues, And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.  The servants did as Absalom had told them to do, and afterward all of David's other sons fled.  I don't know if this as because they feared they might be next or if they feared that David would think they were all involved.  I personally believe that at this point they should have held Absalom responsible, and we as Christians should hold others responsible for sinful actions instead of just running away from them.  

2 Samuel 13:11

2 Samuel 13:11 says, And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.   When Tamar came close to Amnon to feed him by hand, he took hold of her and asked her to sleep with him.  Verse twelve adds, And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.  When Amnon attempted to get Tamar to sleep with him, she said no and added that such a thing should not happen in Israel.  Even though they sometimes do, there are certain things that should not happen with Christians, and we certainly shouldn't be the ones to attempt to initiate them if they do. Verse thirteen continues, And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.  Tamar then told Amnon if he forced himself on her that he would be as one of the fools of Israel, and anytime we give in to sin, we are acting as a fool.  This is because at that point we are acting as if there is no God.  Tamar said instead that Amnon should ask David and he would give her to him.  I don't know if she was serious or not or was simply trying to get away, and I would hope that if she had successfully escaped that David would not have agreed to such thing.  We should never agree to sinful conduct of others as Christians today, and we certainly shouldn't participate in it.  Verse fourteen states, Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.  Amnon would not agree with Tamar and raped her.  If we begin to think about evil things, they can often end up in sinful actions.  Verse fifteen adds, Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.  Afterwards, Amnon hated Tamar even more than he had claimed to love her.  Of course, he had never really loved her to start with, but was only filled with lust for her.  Now he blamed her for his sinful action.  Those Christians who fall back into sin often look to blame someone else instead of just confessing their sin and asking God's forgiveness.   Verse sixteen continues, And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.  Tamar told Amnon that there was no reason to compound the evil by sending her away.  Being married to him would be less of an evil than sending her away after he had raped her.  She would probably have been the one to bear most of the consequences of his actions.  Hopefully, we will never be in a situation where choosing the lesser sin seems to be our only option.  If it does, we still should never commit one sin to cover up another.  Verse seventeen says, Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.  Amnon called his servants and they ministered to him, and he told them to send away this woman, not even referring to her by name, and to bolt the door behind her.  If we have caused someone to sin, there is often a tendency to dehumanize them and put the blame on them.  Verse eighteen adds, And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.  She was wearing a robe of many colors that signified that she was the kings daughter and a virgin.  We have no identifying clothing today that signifes that we are a child of the King, but once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we become a child of the King and we should do all that we can under the power of the Holy Spirit to remain pure from sin.  Verse nineteen continues, And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.  Tamar no longer felt worthy of the robe and repented by putting ashes on her head and tearing the robe up, even though she had not willingly committed any sin. It is certainly too bad if our actions cause anyone else to feel unworthy before God, Who is our King.  Verse twenty concludes, And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.  When Absalom knew what had happened, instead of supporting Tamar he told her to not say anything, because Amnon was his brother. He had more loyalty to Amnon than he did to Tamar, even though she was more closely related to him.  We certainly should never ask others to keep quiet to cover up the sins of others, especially if they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.   Having been betrayed by two brothers, Tamar remained desolate in Absalom’s house.  Of course, she should have gone to her father, the king, and told him what had happened, but she might have feared that he would take Amnon’s side and have blamed her for his actions.  As Christians, we should never be afraid to go to our heavenly Father, the King, if we have been forced into a sinful situation. 

2 Samuel 13:1

 2 Samuel 13:1 says, And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.  David's son Absalom had a sister, Tamar, who was loved, or lusted after, by David’s son Amnon, who evidently was a half-brother to her.  Matthew Henry says Amnon, though a son of David, must not have been of good moral character to have these feelings.  We as Christians cannot ensure that our children do not have sinful thoughts.  Of course, David had not always set a Godly example, and it is possible that at times we may not either.  Verse two adds, And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.  Amnon’s lust for his sister made him sick because he didn't feel that he could act on it because of her purity.  Sin can make us physically sick if it becomes an obsession that we cannot act on, but that is better acting on it.  Verse three continues, But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.  Amnon had a friend who was a subtil, or sneaky man we might say.  If we are looking to sin, we can most likely find someone who is willing to help us.  Verse four states, And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.  Jonadab, Amnon’s friend asked him why he was so lean, or sad, from day to day being the son of the king.  Others may think that our status in life should keep us happy and give us certain rights that others don't have, but as Christians we are all equal in God's sight.  Amnon told Jonadab that he loved his brother's sister, but I believe a more accurate statement would have been that he lusted for her. Verse five continues, And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.  Jonadab devised a plan for Amnon to be alone with his sister.  He was to go to bed claiming to be sick and when David came to ask about him, he was to ask that Tamar bring him food and feed him.  We may find others who are willing to assist us if we want to commit some sinful action.  They might even be willing to plan things out for us.  Verse six says, So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.  Amnon put the plan in action.  Now, I would think that David would have been curious about why it had to be Tamar who did this, since he had plenty of servants.  Sometimes, we may need to question the motives of others when they ask for something, and a followers of Christ, we need to at least ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit at all times.  I believe that had David been in prayer about the situation that God would have allowed him to see the truth about what was happening.  Verse seven adds, Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house, and dress him meat.  David simply did as Amnon had requested and sent Tamar to him.  David became an accomplise in Amnon's plan, even if it was as an unwitting one.  If we do not stay attuned to God's will we may be unwittingly used  by people of the worldcto accomplish sinful purposes. Verse eight continues, So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.  Tamar did as David had instructed her to do and went to Amnon’s house and baked him some cakes in his sight.  She was just an obedient daughter, and we should make certain that we never put our children in a harmful situation when they are simply being obedient to us.  Verse nine states, And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him.  After Tamar baked the cakes, Amnon refused to eat until all the men were sent out of the room or house.  I have to wonder if anyone became suspicious of Amnon’s motives.  If we are confronted with what seem to be strange or unnecessary actions in a particular situation, we need to ask why this is necessary and not just blindly comply, even if the person telling us to do something is in a position of authority over us.  Verse ten continues, And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.  Amnon then asked Tamar to bring the food into his chamber so that he could eat from her hand, and she did.  She still had no reason for alarm, and we may be drawn closer to a sinful situation if we are not spiritually alert.

2 Samuel 12:21

2 Samuel 12:21 says, Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.  David’s servants were confused when he got up and ate after he heard the child was dead.  They wondered why he had fasted and prayed while the child was alive and now went on with life.  Verse twenty-two adds, And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?  David said that while the child was alive that he hoped that God might be gracious to him and the child might live, so he humbly appealed to God.  As long as someone is alive, there is hope and we are right to pray for them, but we must still accept God's will in the situation.  Verse twenty-three continues, But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.  David said that now that the child was dead, he couldn't bring him back.  One day, David said he would go to his son, but his son could never come back to him.  We must accept that once a person is dead, there is no purpose in praying for them anymore.  If they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, we will one day be with them in heaven once again if we have also accepted Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-four states, And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.  After the death of their son, David went to Bathsheba and comforted her.  Soon, they had another son named Solomon, meaning peaceful according to Matthew Henry, and the LORD loved him.  Just because David and Bathsheba had suffered because of their sin did not mean that God was going to be angry with them forever.  David had repented and been restored to a right relationship with God.  This is still true.  Our salvation, or right relationship with God, depends on our faith and if we sin and honestly repent, then that relationship is restored.  Even in his grief, David was still God's chosen king, and if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are His child forever.  Verse twenty-five adds, And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.  God sent for Nathan the prophet and said the child would be called Jedidiah, meaning, Beloved of the LORD, again according to Matthew Henry.  Of course, we know him as Solomon.  Verse twenty-six says, And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.  During this time, Joab was still fighting against Rabbah, an Ammonite, and took the royal city from him.  Even while David was occupied with personal concerns, the war against the enemies of Israel did not cease.  We may be occupied with our own concerns at time and not actively involved in the war against evil, but if we are, we need to pray that other Christians are still fighting the battle.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.  Joab sent word to David of his success in taking the city of waters, which supplied other cities with water, from Rabbah.  If we could cut off the source of power, Satan himself, from supplying his troops, it would be wonderful, but we never will.  Verse twenty-eight continues, Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.  Joab sent for David to come and take credit for taking the city.  Joab was still humbly serving David, just as we as Christians must humbly serve Christ and give Him the honor and glory.  Verse twenty-nine states, And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.  We are then told that David went and fought against Rabbah and took it, though Joab had basically been responsible for the victory.  We should never attempt to take credit for what others have done for God.  Verse thirty adds, And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.  Matthew Henry says David was more interested in having the actual crown since it was very valuable, than he was in the victory.  We should never become more interested in material things than we are in spiritual victories.  Verse thirty-one continues, And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.  Matthew Henry says that David acted cruelly and really with dishonor toward the people of Ammon by the manner in which he put them to death.  As Matthew Henry states, it is one thing to kill an enemy in war and another to simply torture those who may have been captured.  We are not to treat our enemies cruelly if we do overcome them, but must act in a way that brings honor to God.  After this, David and all the people with him returned to Jerusalem. If we are successful in our fight against our enemies today, we must give God the glory and return to serve Him in the next battle.