David has demonstrated a lack of personal restraint. The humility of his youth now forgotten, he would come to realize there was a high price to pay for self-indulgence. David was a man of passion, but passion cannot point the way in every area of royal leadership. David has shown he is one of best warriors in human history, and will reveal he is one of the worst administrators in human history.
2 Samuel 12:1-6 -- Nathan comes to visit David during this time and proceeds to tell a story. David assumes it is an account of actual events, but it is mere allegory. A wealthy and powerful man with innumerable herds took the one and only lamb, a beloved pet, owned by a poor fellow in the same town. This to avoid the obligation to offer his best to a guest. David declares the rich man deserves to die, but shall at least make restitution four-fold, according to the Law (Exodus 22:1).
12:7-14 -- Once he had David's attention, Nathan revealed the nature of the story. Not only did David have wives he married himself, he had concubines from Saul's harem, and could have had any number more. Instead, he let his lust get the best of him and it ended in killing someone unjustly. David quickly confessed the righteousness of God's judgment of him. While his standing with God was restored, the consequences of his poor choices would live on.
David would have to live with strife in his household, and it would start with sex, and would see his precious harem violated. There would be constant turmoil in his household because he no longer had any credibility to act against his equally passionate and unruly sons. Doting on them, they would cause him no end of anguish.
A very difficult principle is enunciated here, and many miss it. Nathan says that David's sin as God's man has given power to God's enemies. That power sets them free to blaspheme, or to defame the name of Jehovah as Creator and Master of all. The glory of God is our strength and defense. When that glory suffers, so does our defense against evil. It delivers power into the hand of Satan over various parts of our lives. In this case, it gave Satan the authority to demand the life of a child. Indirectly, David is guilty of that child's blood.
12:15-23 -- Indeed, the child of adultery becomes ill. While it yet lives, David does his manly duty of seeking God's face on behalf of innocent life. His commitment to the task was so resolute, his servants mistook this for yet another expression of David's passion. When the child died, they were afraid David would take it hard. However, David already expected it. His fasting was but intercession, just in case God changed His mind. Having failed, David had nothing else to do but go no with life. David's passion here was not the self-pity of mourning.
12:24-25 -- David did his best to comfort Bathsheba for the loss he caused. Most likely this meant spending extra time alone with her, more so than usual. In the end, she conceived again and this time God sent word via Nathan this one was blessed. While this child's name was Solomon ("Peace" with God) he was given a second royal name as was common in those days: Jedidiah ("Beloved of Jehovah").
12:26-31 -- Meanwhile, back before this second child was even conceived, Joab managed to break through the fortifications the Ammonites had built to protect their water supply. Since we know that the city was built next to a river, this may have been a sluice that brought water into the city, or simply an extension of the city's fortifications to include access to the river. The Hebrew term is rather literally translated "water fortress." Either way, in a matter of days, they would be dying from thirst. It was for David to show up now and take the credit for the final battle, or Joab would certainly claim it. The relaxed atmosphere of the long siege was over, and it was time to bring in the whole army.
Here we see rather strong evidence it was Joab who had advised David to stay away from the siege in the first place, making all this trouble possible. While he was indeed David's best warrior, he is not David's best friend. Joab was a soulless, worldly man, 100% soldier with no heart for what's good and right beyond a mere human level. Because he did not know Jehovah as David did, as his personal Lord, he pulled David away from a deeper trust and obedience of God. To Joab, Jehovah was simply his national deity, no different from any other.
David did indeed lead the final battle. He went through the various symbolic acts of eastern kings victorious in battle. He took the Ammonite crown for himself, which weighed some 66 pounds (30kg), and plundered the city of their considerable wealth from trade tolls levied on passing caravans. Rabbah was near a major stop on the King's Highway. To insure they did not rise up again, David levied a heavy labor burden on them. Almost the whole tribe was engaged in work reserved for slaves.
13:1-6 -- David's demonstrated lax attitude about sexual self-control was the gateway for his sons' rampage. With such an example, why should his sons not demand whom they wished? Absalom and Tamar were children of Maacah of Geshur. Amnon was born to David by Ahinoam of Jezreel. At this time, it was most likely David observed the ancient custom of giving each of his wives separate quarters within the palace grounds. Their children would live there until they were old enough for their own home within the sprawling hilltop residence. Single daughters would be guarded most carefully, and would be seen only on public holidays, if at all. Their distinctive garments were rather expensive, multi-colored gowns that set them apart from everyone else.
Amnon became obsessed with Tamar. His abnormal behavior came to the notice of his cousin, Jonadab. This cousin was a son of David's brother, Shimeah. Jonadab was one crafty fellow, who paid attention to palace politics, and was an astute observer of the king's behavior and moods. He persuaded Amnon that the only chance he had of talking to Tamar alone was to feign illness, and make a request that Tamar hand feed him.
13:7-14 -- Such a request was odd, but not odd enough to raise alarms. It's the sort of thing David might do himself. David told Tamar to go to Amnon's house and she went. The Law of Moses forbade marriage between half-siblings, though it was common enough in those times. Amnon decide to throw all caution to the wind and seize the moment. Note that royalty were, as usual, seldom physically alone. He had to specifically order his household servants out, and have Tamar bring the whole operation into his private bedroom. Rather than take advantage of the chance to reveal his love for her, he simply raped her. She resisted as much as she could, and warned him it was all unnecessary. Lawful or not, there was a good chance David would have gone along with a marriage between them. Then he could hold her to his heart's desire.
13:15-20 -- Once his lusts were fulfilled, Amnon decided she wasn't worthy. He compounded his crime by rejecting her completely. Had he simply kept her there, he might still have gotten away with it. Instead, he kicked her out, symbolically locking the door behind her, indicating she could never return. Following custom, she signified her chance at a normal life was over. She tore her gown near the collar, put ashes on her head, and went out with a hand covering her shame. She ran into her brother, Absalom, first. He advised her she could take refuge at his house. This was as much as he could do for her at the time.
13:21-27 -- David was angry, but hardly had moral standing to take action. His sons surely knew of the whole story about Bathsheba. However, Absalom did not forget. He planned his revenge carefully. He made sure no one suspected his rage. He continued acting toward Amnon precisely as before.
The wait was two years. As David's sons prospered and pursued their own wealth, Absalom was hosting a sheep-shearing feast about 16 miles north of Jerusalem, at Baal-hazor, on the way to Shiloh. He invited everyone in the royal family to celebrate with him, but David suggested that was too many mouths to feed. So Absalom pressed for at least the attendance of his brothers, especially Amnon, the heir-apparent at the time. David had no real excuse to resist.
13:28-29 -- Sensing his one best opportunity to avenge his sister's rape, Absalom had already briefed his servants on how to help him. When Amnon, no doubt the guest of honor, was drunk enough, Absalom would give the signal and they would kill him. The other sons immediately fled. Notice that they road mules. This is the first mention of them in Scripture. At that time, horses were used only to pull chariots. Hebrew culture still forbade riding horses as pagan. Besides, it was still more difficult to ride horses since the stirrup would not be invented for another 1500 years or so. Onagers, with a different body motion, were slightly less likely to throw a rider. However, mules were even easier. Oddly, this sort of cross-breed of horse and onager was also forbidden under Mosaic Law.
13:30-33 -- It's doubtful Jonadab had expected Amnon to rape Tamar or he might not have been so helpful. It's not necessary for him to be seen as a bad guy, just very wise about human nature. He was sure to have guessed Absalom's intent for revenge, and the extent of his action. When the first runners from Absalom's sheep-shearing party arrived, they had missed the conclusion of things, and assumed it was a mass slaughter of the king's sons. So David and his servants believed the report and responded appropriately. Jonadab advised them it was not likely, since Absalom was involved, and with only one motive. While not a party to the plans, he saw all too clearly what it was about.
13:34-39 -- Absalom probably expected his own execution would follow, since he had killed the heir-apparent, and put himself next in line. Never mind what it looked like; he stayed with his mother's family in Geshur. True to Jonadab's guess, the king's other sons rode into view over the ridge to the north of Jerusalem. Most likely, this long entourage came down the western side by the ancient trade route, coming around through the Hinnom Valley, and thus were in full sight of the city guard on the north wall and west walls. The palace mostly stood on a high terrace against the northwest corner of the city. The whole city wept loudly and publicly, as was customary then.
David clearly doted on this second son of his. We can only guess that David saw Absalom as yet another victim of his own failure to do the right thing. He owed a great debt to his son for favoring his elder unjustly. This surely intensified his natural feelings for his son. Most likely David declared him banished, but could not get over losing two heirs in one day.
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Ed Hurst
14 August 2004
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