2 Samuel 18 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Sam 18:1-18

1 David men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of mustered the hundreds. 2 David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, ‘I myself will surely march out with you.’

3 But the men said, ‘You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.’

4 The king answered, ‘I will do whatever seems best to you.’

So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. 5 The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, ‘Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.’ And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

6 David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7 There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great – twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

9 Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in mid-air, while the mule he was riding kept on going.

10 When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, ‘I have just seen Absalom hanging in an oak tree.’

11 Joab said to the man who had told him this, ‘What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt.’

12 But the man replied, ‘Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, “Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.” 13 And if I had put my life in jeopardy – and nothing is hidden from the king – you would have kept your distance from me.’

14 Joab said, ‘I am not going to wait like this for you.’ So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. 15 And ten of Joab’s armour-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.

16 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. 17 They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.

18 During his life-time Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, ‘I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.’ He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

A. Find Out:

1. How was it agreed David’s army would go? v.1-4
2. What instruction did David give in respect of Absalom? v.5
3. Where did the battle take place and what was the outcome? v.6-8
4. What happened to Absalom? v.9
5. Why didn’t one of David’s men kill him? v.10-13
6. Yet what happened to Absalom? v.14-18

B. Think:

1. What instruction had David obviously given about Absalom?
2. What effect had this had on the ordinary man?
3. What does it say about Joab that he disregarded this command?

C. Comment:

     Again in this passage we something of the heart of the man of God described as a “man after God’s own heart”. David has been hounded out of Jerusalem by his own son and yet when battle approaches, David’s heart is one of forgiveness and reconciliation. He knows there has to be a battle, but Absalom is still his son and therefore he doesn’t want him killed. As we read this we may simply observe David’s reaction but not fully appreciate how unusual that was.

     To seek to more fully appreciate it, we need to see Joab’s response to the whole thing. When an ordinary soldier comes across Absalom caught in the overhanging branches of a tree, His desire may be to kill his enemy, but he is thwarted by the command of his king. Joab, on the other hand, sees himself as a general in the king’s army who is above the king’s command and therefore he disregards it and does what is on his heart to do – to destroy his enemy. THAT is the natural response of man, to destroy your enemy. David, however, wants to restore his enemy. In this he reflects the whole heart of Christ in respect of mankind. In Christ’s place we would condemn mankind that had rebelled against us. Instead he redeemed it! No wonder he commands us to love our enemies (Mt 5:44 )! David, remember, was a man after God’s heart. God always seeks to redeem.

D. Application:

1. The old nature wants revenge, wants to see enemies destroyed.
2. The Spirit of Christ within us wants to see enemies reconciled.

Passage: 2 Sam 18:31-19:8

31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, ‘My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.’

32 The king asked the Cushite, ‘Is the young man Absalom safe?’

The Cushite replied, ‘May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.’

33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: ‘O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son!’

1 Joab was told, ‘The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.’ 2 And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, ‘The king is grieving for his son.’ 3 The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle. 4 The king covered his face and cried aloud, ‘O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!’

5 Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, ‘Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. 6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. 7 Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come on you from your youth till now.’

8 So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told, ‘The king is sitting in the gateway,’ they all came before him.

Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes.

A. Find Out:

1. What was David’s response to the news about Absalom? v.33
2. How had the army come back? v.2,3
3. What did Joab say David had done? v.5
4. What did he say David seemed to do? v.6
5. What did he say David should do and why? v.7
6. So what did David do? v.8

B. Think:

1. How is David’s grieving good?
2. By also why is it bad?
3. What should this teach us?

C. Comment:

     The news of Absalom’s death is brought to David in gradual stages (18:19 -31), but eventually it is quite plain, Absalom is dead. Again the heart of the man of God is revealed. Yes, Absalom was an enemy, but he was also David’s son, and the strength of relationship prevails over the fact of opposition. When we have opposition from a brother or sister in Christ (or even our physical brother or sister), can we let relationship prevail over feelings.

     However, in David’s case there was a downside to this. His army had gone out, fiercely loyal to him, and had fought for him and triumphed over Absalom’s forces. They deserve some appreciation from David and it’s Joab who reminds him of this.

     Yes, it is right to grieve over the loss of Absalom, but not at the expense of rejecting the army. Grief can so often swamp everything else that is there and make us forget the needs of others around us and that life has to carry on. Not everyone else feels as we do. It is right to grieve but not to the exclusion of others. Life has to carry on.

     There are important lessons here: 1. Love you enemies. 2. Let relationship overcome antagonism. 3. Grieve for the loss of those near to you. 4. Don’t let that grieve swamp everyone else around you. 5. Hold a balance between grief and concern for others.

D. Application:

1. Grieving is important. It is natural and right. Don’t be afraid of it.
2. Don’t let your grief be so great it rejects all others.