Last week we saw how Absalom killed
his half-brother Amnon for raping his sister, Tamar. Absalom
harbored hatred and revenge for two years in his heart and when the
time came he unleashed his hatred and had Amnon killed. Then
Absalom had to flee to Geshur and had to live there for three
years. This whole debacle caused a lot of heartache and pain, for
Absalom himself, for David and all his sons and household. Hatred
and revenge never pays. We learned that we have to let go of it and
rather fill ourselves with God's love. That doesn't make what they
did to us right, but it does free us to walk in God's grace and
love. He will handle them.
So Absalom fled to Geshur as we saw
last week. He stayed there for three years. In the meantime David
really missed him. Joab, David's commander noticed it, and through
a plan devised by him, he persuaded David to bring Absalom back to
Jerusalem. So Joab sent for Absalom and brought him back. But David
still didn't want to see him:
"And the king said, "Let him
return to his house, but do not let him see my face." So Absalom
returned to his house, but did not see the king's face."2 Samuel
14:24
This sad state of affairs went on
for two years. Absalom became despondent, he couldn't understand
why he could come back, but his father didn't want to see him. He
summoned Joab and Joab in turn spoke to David. David relented and
welcomed Absalom:
"… Absalom came to the king and
bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the
king kissed him." 2 Samuel 14:33
David took two years to see his son
Absalom and to be reconciled with him. The Bible doesn't tell us
the reason specifically, but if we read between the lines, David
battled to forgive Absalom for what he had done. This period of two
years made Absalom bitter as we will see later on. This spurred him
on to come in rebellion against David. This period of waiting came
with a cost to David and even more heartache and pain.
As we read this account of what had
happened we cannot help but see ourselves in it. We also harbor
long periods of resentment or unforgiveness towards someone. We
cannot get ourselves so far as to contact them and sort it out. It
is so important that we do that. Those periods where we do not
forgive and do not want to reconcile, can cost us in the end. It
can magnify the heartache and pain. That is not what God wants for
us. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him even whilst hanging on
the cross. He certainly didn't waste a second in forgiving them.
And we need to do the same. The only one we are really hurting is
ourselves and God wants us free from all heartache and pain. Jesus
came to set us free, we shouldn't inflict more pain on ourselves.
Then we are just like wayward sheep, not listening to the Shepherd,
running towards the cliffs. And when we fall off and get hurt, we
blame Him and ask Him why He allowed this to happen to us. And all
the while we were running away from His loving arms. Stop doing
that today. Follow His voice calling you, follow Him every step of
the way, forgiving all that have hurt you in the process. Do not
waste another moment.
Father, thank you that all our sins
have been forgiven at the cross. Thank you that Jesus has set the
example for us. David didn't have His example to follow, but we do.
Thank you for that and please help us to follow You in all that we
do and to forgive all those who have wronged us. We can only do it
with Your help. Thank you that we can know that You are always
there for us. Amen