CHAPTER 18

(1023 B.C.)

ABSALOM DEFEATED

¹And David numbered the people who were with him, and set Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds over them.

²And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joabs brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite (this man was a Philistine, who had become a proselyte to the God of Israel). And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

³But the people answered, You shall not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now you are worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that you succour us out of the city (the chief argument of the people is that David would be of more use if, posted with a body of troops at this city, he could help any division that might be in danger).

⁴And the king said unto them, What seems you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

⁵And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the Captains charge concerning Absalom.

⁶So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

⁷Where the people of Israel were killed before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. (This is speaking of the army of rebellious Israel. It doesnt say how many men Davids army lost, if any.)

⁸For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. (Because of this rebellion, 20,000 men would lose their lives, bringing untold sorrow and heartache to Israel and all because they followed the Absalom spirit. Rebellion against that which belongs to God is rebellion against God!)

ABSALOM SLAIN BY JOAB

⁹And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the Heaven and the Earth; and the mule that was under him went away (Josephus writes that Absalom was entangled by his long hair in the boughs of the tree; his death must, therefore, have been one of prolonged agony, until terminated by the lances of his former friend Joab and those men with him).

¹⁰And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

¹¹And Joab said unto the man who told him, And, behold, you saw him, and why did you not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

¹²And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the kings son: for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

¹³Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against my own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.

¹⁴Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with you. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

¹⁵And ten young men who bore Joabs armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and killed him.

¹⁶And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people (stopped the slaughter).

¹⁷And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled everyone to his tent. (This heap of stones marked the aim and the end of ambition. Such must ever be the inglorious end of all who rebel against Gods elect King, the Lord Jesus Christ for He is exactly the One Whom Absalom rebelled against.)

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the kings dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absaloms place. (What was the difference in Davids sin and Absaloms sin? Of course, all sin is heinous in the eyes of God, and is actually directed against Him. The difference is the following: Davids sin was a sin of passion, with the murder of Uriah an effort to cover-up the sin. Absaloms sin had as its fountain the sin of Satan himself in his rebellion against God. In other words, Absalom entered into Satans rebellion. It was a far more heinous sin than his father Davids; however, most of the Church world does not see it that way, but actually would join Absalom, because outwardly it looks so right.

Davids sin was not joined by anyone else, whereas Absaloms sin was joined by the majority of Israel. In other words, they became associates with his sin, which, in fact, threatened the very foundation of Israels existence.

David repented immediately when his sin was found out, because he was a man of God. There is no record that Absalom ever really knew God and, therefore, there was no Repentance.)

NEWS OF THE VICTORY

¹⁹Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.

²⁰And Joab said unto him, You shall not bear tidings this day, but you shall bear tidings another day: but this day you shall bear no tidings, because the kings son is dead (in other words, the king will not receive your message as you think).

²¹Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what you have seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran (Joab was unwilling to expose Ahimaaz to the kings displeasure, and we gather from Verse 27 that the sending of a person of low rank, which Cushi was, would be understood to signify evil tidings).

²²Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray you, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore will you run, my son, seeing that you have no tidings ready? (Should have been translated, Seeing that you have no message that will find for you the kings favor and reward.)

²³But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by t he way of the plain, and overran Cushi (Ahimaaz would not be denied, so Joab allowed him to go).

²⁴And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

²⁵And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near (if Davids army had been defeated, then there would be many stragglers hurrying back; but, since there was only one man coming, and then a second one a short time later, this bade good tidings).

²⁶And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings tidings (this second one was Cushi).

²⁷And the watchman said, Me think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good tidings.

²⁸And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD your God, which has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

DAVID INQUIRES ABOUT ABSALOM

²⁹And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? and Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the kings servant, and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. (Ahimaaz did know what had happened to Absalom, but, seeing the kings face, now knew why Joab was reluctant for him to come bearing this particular message. So, he is evasive in his answer.)

³⁰And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.

³¹And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD has avenged you this day of all them who rose up against you.

³²And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do you hurt, be as that young man is.

³³And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son! (Davids bitter grief was, no doubt, deepened by the consciousness that his own sin had perhaps contributed in some way toward Absaloms rebellion and death. As well, the pain and the hurt were deepened by the realization that there was no hope in such a death. He knew that Absalom died lost.)