Choose mercy or justice?

Footnotes

[1] 18:9 Or terebinth; also verses 10, 14
[2] 18:13 Or at the risk of my life
[3] 18:18 Or Absalom's hand
[4] 18:33 Ch 19:1 in Hebrew
[5] 19:11 Septuagint; Hebrew to the king, to his house
[6] 19:26 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate Saddle a donkey for me

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Jon. The last line of your devo really stuck with me, “It's as if these people, on their own, will just never get it figured out.” 13 years of prodigal craziness and at least 8 years post salvation and I still have struggles. Much diminished versus years ago, but I have not fully moved forward. In heart? Yes. In action? Mostly…but with some struggles that are only resolved through great counsel with my CG and with Prodigal ministry leadership. Q1. I had my share of revenge episodes. A few are quite notable. God gave me a choice and I chose revenge. I thought it would be sweet. But I was very, very wrong. Q2. Seeking affirmation versus wise counsel? I’m still vulnerable after all those years. One key piece that I learned from decades in the financial markets- if I seek affirmation of my investment case rather than contradiction, I’ll miss important truths. And lose a lot of money. The real-life corollary has been tougher to learn. Q3. I believe in God’s absolute truth. My struggle is that I can be too sure of what that is in areas that have some grey boundaries. This is where seeking a broad base of wise counsel has helped me.

Hugh Stephenson

For many years most of my waking hours, (and plenty of my sleeping ones), were on edge. I lived in fear that I would get the phone call or knock at the door that no parent ever wants to get. That risk seems very small now. Even so, I have a keen awareness of how fragile mental health is having spent many years on the edge, many years in a therapist’s office, and two separate multiyear episodes on Prozac. You always fear. And you always know that you’ll always never know. In this, I can’t imagine David’s grief. How might this have been avoided? A better understanding and application of God’s design for parenting. And Kingship. Using Genesis chapter three as model- God gave Adam and Eve provision. That provision came with boundaries that must be adhered to in order to retain the provision. The consequence of violating the boundary is the partial or full loss of the provision. The result is that the chaos created by losing the provision becomes the best way for the person to learn to appreciate the provision and not to violate the boundary again. If the provider doesn’t enforce the consequences, then they have enabled the rebellion and the sin of the other person. Adam and Eve are the first example of this model. It is repeated throughout the OT and the NT. It is the basic model that God gives us for all human relationships. David knew this. Why didn’t he obey? As good as he was as a military and political leader, he was at the other end of the spectrum as a father. And that torpedoed his reign. David was the man after God’s own heart. His problem was his own heart. He could not bring himself to set the boundaries that God called for and that Absalom so desperately needed. Absalom was his idol. I like the definition of an idol as any person or thing we put in-between us and God. Another way to think about it is that an idol is anything that drives our identity other than God. I would submit that Absalom fits this definition perfectly. God even warns us, (Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 4:23). Please spend a very few minutes reading this short piece form DesiringGod.org https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-nail-in-the-coffin-of-our-hearts My idols seemingly give me a way to connect and cope with the world. The problem is that they are wholly of the world. My examples are material wealth, business success, reputation, resume, fancy houses, cars, and vacation- etc. 1 John 2:15-17 is my go-to verse. Years ago a sermon message hit me right in the heart. The one-liner is, “The only healthy coping mechanism is Jesus”. Somehow, David let himself be drawn off mission. He let his own heart be the object rather than God’s own heart.

Greg Jones

And Absolom was suspended between heaven and earth, 2Samuel 18:9 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19 Concerning Absolom: Some bloodshed has been sown. Now some bloodshed is being reaped. Just prior, end of chapter 17, David’s needs are met in the wilderness by some unexpected old enemies. And David shows mercy to some recent enemies.

Michael Sisson

Re: 2Sam 18:18 What is today known as “The Tomb of Absolom” or “Absolom’s Pillar” in the Kidron Valley is a misnomer and from a much later period. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Absalom Re: 2Sam 19:29 Mephibosheth calls Ziba’s account of his royal ambitions (2Sam 16:3-4) into question, claiming he (Mephibosheth) had remained loyal to David. Because David then says Mephibosheth and Ziba will share Mephibosheth’s land and holdings, it would seem David doesn’t know who to believe.

Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Jon. Super devo today! Loved Hugh's line: “The only healthy coping mechanism is Jesus”. Whoa. As a mother, my heart breaks for David losing his third son. And this loss was muddied by Absalom's traitorous rejection of his father as God's anointed king. Apparently he didn't pay much attention to the story of how God chose David as Saul's successor--surely he knew this? How very sad! On the other hand, it would appear that Solomon, who would have grown up eating at the king's table alongside Mephibosheth, WAS paying attention when his father had the hard conversation with Mephibosheth--"Where WERE you, my friend?" When he heard the other side of Ziba's story, and declared that Mephibosheth's land which he had awarded to the duplicitous servant should now be split between the two men, Mephibosheth released it with a generous, "Let him have it." I would imagine that Solomon's takeaway was that Mephibosheth's story was the true one. Later on, as king, Solomon would demonstrate his supernatural wisdom in drawing on this memory when declaring that a disputed baby should be cut in half, which prompted the true mother to reveal her love for her child by releasing her claim to her "half." (1 Kings 3)

Amy Lowther

1. I am similar to David because believing in the Lord helps everything improve. I believe God helps me succeed in obeying the law and in seeing justice. Believing in God for everything is better than seeking revenge because God believes in everyone. 2. Currently I am working on seeing life like God and determining my value from what is within me versus my environment. God helps present “what is.” God helps us work with others as appropriate because it strengthens us when we are positive for each other. 3. Currently God helps me not to change from day to day because of things I do or what people say. God helps me know my value, the value of things around me, and how we can help each other.

Michael Scaman

You can only imagine what Absomlon looked like after 3 javelons and 10 young men attacking with swords. It would b a trauma for David to look at. Did David womnder to himself why Joab hurled 3 javelins at Absolom and 10 men striking him to kill him was so excessive? David's use of Absolom, Absolon and my son, my son multiple times is peronal,, and intense. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” ( I wonder. 3 heads of David's armies sounds a bit like 3 archangels that wree heads of God's army where one third fell? )