Day 63: 2 Samuel 14:1–33

“For we will certainly die and be like water poured out on the ground, which can’t be recovered. But God would not take away a life; He would devise plans so that the one banished from Him does not remain banished” (v. 14).

Two years had passed since Amnon’s crime against Tamar. Two years with bitterness multiplying in Absalom’s heart. He must have watched and waited to see if his father would call Amnon to account for his crime. His father didn’t. Absalom did.

After ordering Amnon’s death, Absalom fled to the king of Geshur. The tragedy ends with one son dead, one son missing, and one father grief-stricken. After a time Joab grew weary of seeing David mope and do nothing. Anyone who studies the life of Joab will see that the general was no fan of doing nothing. He had obviously witnessed David’s irresponsibility toward Absalom for as long as he could. He devised a plan to capture David’s attention. Through a concocted story of a woman and her prodigal son, Joab convinced David to summon Absalom.

David granted Joab’s request and allowed him to summon Absalom. Joab was so thrilled, he “fell with his face to the ground . . . and he blessed the king” (v. 22). He joyfully hastened to bring the young man home, no doubt picturing the emotional but wonderful reunion of father and son. He brought Absalom back to Jerusalem, bracing himself and his charge for the glorious reunion. But he was met with these words from the king: “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face” (v. 24).

Often David’s heart and actions show us a picture of Christ. In this case he shows the opposite. I am very grateful God will not call us to the heavenly Jerusalem and say, “She must not see my face.” I’ve waited all my life to see His beautiful face! David did not respond like the father of the prodigal son in Christ’s parable—the father who searched the horizon daily for his wandering son to come home. That father, who represents our heavenly Father, caught a glimpse of his son in the distance and “ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

God sometimes gives us a second chance to do something right. Some chances never come back around. The chance for David and Absalom to be genuinely reunited in their hearts would not come again. By the time David finally received Absalom, his son’s heart was cold.