David and Absalom

There is so much running through my head. This past week has been a very full week. Not so much in tangible things, as in thoughts, heart experiences, revelations… One of the many things I have had to chew on was what Danielle talked about in class last week. It was awesome, it struck something within me and I want to share hopefully a little bit of that.
We were looking at the story of David and his son Absalom found in 2 Samuel chapters 13-18. Basically one of David’s sons Amnon raped David’s daughter Tamer. Tamer’s brother Absalom ,who was the son that David had had with Bathsheba, was filled with anger towards Amnon for raping his sister, and with David because David didn’t do anything about it and there was no punishment given to Amnon, So Absalom killed his brother Amnon fled. Three years later David who was longing to see his son allowed Absalom back into his kingdom. For two years Absalom was allowed to live in David’s kingdom but he David refused to see him.
We are told in ch14.25-26 that there was no one as handsome as Absalom. It says that from the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was not one blemish in him. In those times long hair on men was a sign of there beauty. e are told that Absalom would cut his hair and it would weigh to 200 shekels. So be obviously had a lot of hair!
Anyway finally after two years David and Absalom meet again and it seems that there is reconciliation. Absalom bowed down with his face to the ground and David kisses him. All seems happy! Not quite. Absalom is still engulfed with anger and jealousy towards his David probably honestly believing he would be a better king. So he stole the hearts of the men of Israel and conspired against his father. He even had David’s counsellor on his side. David ends up fleeing from his own son. who had killed his son, turned his people and his counsellor in whom he had trusted had all , against him. So anyway what happens is that even though Absalom is given wise advise not to attack David as he has all his mighty men and he is still too strong, Absalom in his pride attacks David and his army anyway. Even after all that has happened and all Absalom has done, killing his other son, turning his people against him, trying to kill David and take over his kingdom, even then the one order David gives his army is do not touch my son, do not hurt him.
This is what happened to Absalom. He was riding his mule to meet David’s men, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s hair got cut in the branches leaving him hanging in midair by his hair while his mule ran off. Hanging by his hair, his glory, he was caught up by his pride. Hanging from a tree.
Even though David had given orders for Absalom to not be harmed David’s men knew there was no other way for them to win this battle. Absalom, the enemy the one bringing rebellion had to die for the battle to be over. The battle was won! It was over! David was still king! He should be happy, relieved, right? No. When David finds out Absalom is dead and the fight is over, he doesn’t utter words of relief or joy but this is his cry ‘o my son Absalom, o Absalom my son my son, if only I had died instead of you. O Absalom my son my son!’
David’s kingdom was divided, his own son had turned away from him. And the grief and heart wrenching pain that David felt is what happens to the heart of God when his kingdom is divided, when his children turn away or even turned against him. David cried out for his son that even after all his son had done, all the pain, wrong, deceit, he still loved his son so much that he wished he would of taken that place, hung off that tree died instead of his rebellious son. David couldn’t do that, he could wish it but there was nothing he could do to take that place, to bring his son back.
But God could. God did. He answered David’s cry. The cry of a father. He took our place. Like Absalom he hung on a tree, like Absalom he had a spear thrust into his side. Where Absalom rebelled, Jesus submitted, where Absalom prided himself in strength, Jesus came broken, where Absalom was arrogant Jesus embodied humility, where Absalom was all about himself, Jesus was all about others, the body. Just as Absalom’s life ended in him hanging in a tree, Jesus also ended hanging in a tree but Absalom ended in death, death of himself, death of his kingdom. Jesus ended in life, he gave life, his submission, brokenness, humility and community gave us life. His life was one of true humility and dependency. And this is what we are called to imitate. True humility and true dependency. Isn’t this what the washing of the feet was all about? It wasn’t about the physical act but that Jesus knows who he is, he didn’t need to prove to anyone but was secure enough in who he was that he could do the humiliating task of a servant, washing dirty stinky feet. Winston Churchill said true humility is ‘having the right estimation of yourself’ I would like to add ’before God’ to that. Having the right estimation of who you are, before God.
And what about true dependency? Not taking pride in our own strength like Absalom but truly depending on God. David learnt this very early on. When David goes to fight Goliath, he is asked by king Saul why he thinks he can do this and his answer is because when we has being faithful with the simple job he had of tending sheep, when no one was around and looking, he saw a bear or a lion coming to steal a sheep and the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he stuck the animal down and reach into its mouth and grabbed the sheep. Here in David’s own backyard he was building his dependency upon the Lord, stepping out when no one was looking, being obedient, being faithful, and in this being prepared for all that the Lord had in store for David.
How can you build up your dependency? What are the bears and lions that you need to stick down as you begin to build up your dependency on the Lord?
This all links in with my last blog about weakness, for we cannot be truly dependant on God is we do not recognise our own weaknesses and our immense need for God. May God reveal any rebellion, pride of strength, arrogance and selfishness to you. May be continue to humble and even break you, leading you to submission and selflessness. Praise the Lord for the beautiful truth and that it is truly in our weakness that His strength I made perfect!