And word was brought to Joab, the general of the king’s army. Joab taking three javelins went to the place where Absalom was hanging from the tree, and with his javelins pierced the ungrateful, unnatural heart of the king’s son. Absalom still breathed and struggled for life, when some of Joab’s soldiers running up slew him with their swords. They then took Absalom’s body, and casting it into a deep pit in the forest piled over it a large heap of stones[1].
A herald was sent to David with news of Absalom’s defeat. David with the anxiety of a loving father asked: “Is Absalom safe?” When told that Absalom was dead, the king refused all comfort, and going up into a high chamber mourned his ungrateful son for many days. “Absalom, my son”, he cried, “my son Absalom, who would grant me that I might die for thee, Absalom, my son, my son Absalom!”
The people of Jerusalem, hearing of David’s victory, went out to meet him and carried him in triumph into the city.
COMMENTARY.
The Omniscience of God. God knew of David’s secret adultery, and He knew that he was guilty of the death of Urias. For He sent Nathan to David, saying: “Thus saith the Lord: Why hast thou done evil in my sight?”
God is Good. Therefore the prophet said to the king: “The Lord has done good to thee.”
God is Merciful. For He forgave David his grievous sin: “The Lord has taken away thy sin.”
God is Holy. Therefore David’s sin was “displeasing to the Lord”.
God is Just. The sentence which God pronounced on David through Nathan was this: “I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house”, and “The child that is born to thee shall surely die.” Both sentences were executed, and David suffered anguish of soul.
The Sixth and Ninth Commandments. When David looked on the wife of Urias, instead of at once turning his eyes from her and thinking of God’s Commandment: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife”, he allowed an evil desire to grow in his heart. Then, instead of resisting this sinful desire and calling on God for help against the temptation, he consented to it, and sending for the woman induced
- ↑ Heap of stones (Fig. 44). As a monument of his infamy this memorial might well have had written over it: “Here lies one worthy of being stoned!”
