From The Tent Door

From The Tent Door

Yvonne S. Waite

My Daily Blessing from My Daily Bible Reading

with meditations by my mother, Poetess Gertrude Sanborn

April 11

II Samuel 18:22–21:4)

AN UNBEARABLE DEATH

II Samuel 18:33

"And the king was much moved. . .and wept. . . O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

How King David loved his son Absalom! He had other sons, but this one seemed extra special. Perhaps Absalom reminded David of himself. Maybe Absalom’s physical strength and dogged determination to take the kingdom made David proud! It could be that David loved Absalom’s mother more than his other wives. Maybe David had a semi-guilty conscience because he had not protected Absalom’s beautiful sister, Tamar, from being raped by her half-brother. I really don’t know. It very well could be that DAVID had a strong love for all of his children. We know that when the child that he and Bathsheba had died, he grieved in the depths of his soul. We will never really know the "why" of David’s grief. But, we do know that David, the father, did not want his son to die! To lose a son is most difficult to bear.

Had not David specifically instructed his generals, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man. . .Absalom." That was said immediately after David divided his army into three commands. One group was under JOAB. Another under ABISHAI. (Both of those men were David’s nephews.) And the third division was put under ITTAI the Gittite. After these assignments were given, David determined to go to battle himself. But, the people were frightened and persuaded David to stay with them to protect them from the enemy. So David stood by the gate as all the armies marched by.

It was then that the king commanded his three generals to deal gently with his son, Absalom. It must be concluded that David not only did not want to lose the Kingdom, but also, he did not want to lose a son in the battle either. The Bible tells us that all the people heard him give this charge!

Therefore, it was a shock to be told that ABSALOM had died. How did this happen? For some reason as ABSALOM’S rode his mule under a tree, his beautiful head was caught in a tree limb. Perhaps he was posting on his mule and the wind blew his locks into the air and became entangled in a branch, pulling his head into the tree. Whatever--he was caught in a branch. It is hard for us to fathom such an accident. Perhaps he was vain, when it came to his locks, and he let them flow down upon his shoulders instead of tying up his hair during battle. Whatever–his head was caught in the tree branches. David’s son was not dead. He had been stopped in his tracks-–hanging in mid-air. Along came one of David’s men. He saw ABSALOM dangling there. The mule had ridden off without him, but the man laid not a finger on the helpless man. He remembered the king’s words. David did not want ABSALOM hurt! JOAB had an another idea. He threw three darts at the helpless man’s heart. Then the men who bore JOAB’S armour surrounded the hanging body of the beautiful son of David and finished him off. ABSALOM WAS DEAD! Who would tell the King?

When King DAVID learned of the fate of his son, he wept. When a son dies, a father cries. A parent does not expect to out-live a son. A father’s tears come without warning. They fall down the cheeks–at first slowly, then in gushes of wetness. The grieving man went to his room above the gate. He did not care that his men had won the battle. He cared about nothing but the fact that his beautiful son was dead. The loss of a son brings sorrow that cannot be explained nor put into words. Absalom had no children–just a monument. This passage of Scripture is one of the saddest in the Bible. (ysw)

"I LIE DOWN AND SLEPT"

(Psalm 3:15; Psalm 127:2))

"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. "

How marvelous, after we have whispered our good nights

and after we have prayed with thanksgiving

to simply go to sleep–

to commit all our cares and unsolved problems to Him who knows all he answers–

and who "ever liveth" to manage our affairs.

That He giveth His beloved sleep.

We know this from His Words that when I awaken, its is because the Lord sustained me.

GGS

And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. (Genesis 18:10)

Under God's Care,

Yvonne S. Waite