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Articles
Two Portraits of David
There’s an interesting contrast depicted in the book of II Samuel, as it pertains to the life of King David. Notice these two very distinct portraits that are painted of Israel’s greatest king. Portrait #1: In II Sam. 11, we read of the fornication that David committed with Bathsheba, and how a child was conceived from their adulterous relationship. As a result of this act of wickedness, in ch. 12, Nathan the prophet is sent to pronounce God’s judgment, and in v. 14 he tells David “the child that is born unto thee shall surely die.” When the child was finally born “David besought God for the child, and fasted, and lay all night upon the earth” (v. 16), weeping and begging God to spare his infant son. But despite David’s repentance, the price for sin had to be paid, and “on the seventh day, the child died” (v.18). Remarkably though, when David learned of the child’s death, we read that he “arose from the earth, washed and anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went into the house of the Lord and worshipped” (v.20). This was quite a turnaround, and a very astonishing demeanor for someone who had just lost a child. In fact, David’s servants were extremely surprised at his calm disposition (v. 21). David responds in v. 23 with words that demonstrate that he had come to grips with the child’s death, when he said “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” Here is a portrait of calm and peace. Keep David’s composed reaction to the death of his infant son in the back of your mind, and now consider another event in the life of the king. Portrait #2: In II Sam. 13-17, we read of another of David’s sons, a young man by the name of Absalom. Absalom was a poster-child for youthful rebellion. In ch. 13, we read of how he took the law into his own hands, committing murder, in order to avenge the rape of his sister, Tamar. In ch. 14, we read of how he burnt the barley fields of David’s nephew, Joab, in order to get his attention. And then in ch. 15, we read of how “Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (v. 6), and took steps to wrestle the throne away from his father. In ch. 18, we read that the rebellion of Absalom had escalated so much that it would finally culminate in a battle between Absalom’s armies and David’s armies in the forest of Ephraim. Despite Absalom’s wickedness, David still had great affection for his wayward son, and on the day of battle, David even urged his soldiers to “deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom” (v. 5). The battle in Ephraim saw the slaughter of 20,000 Israelite men, one of whom was Absalom. The Bible records that after getting his hair entangled in the branches of a great oak tree, Absalom was rendered helpless, and was slain by Joab and his men (v. 9-14). Upon hearing the news of Absalom’s death, v. 33 tells us that David “was much moved and wept” and cried out “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Abasalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” Here is a portrait of agony and grief. The Contrast: One child died, and David was at peace. Another child died, and David’s grief was overwhelming. Why the disparity? What was the reason for such contrasting reactions on David’s part? I believe the difference had to do with the eternal destinies of the two sons. The infant child, barely a week old, was without sin. That child was pure and safe, and when it died its soul returned to the care of Almighty God. David, no doubt, took comfort in that fact. Absalom, on the other hand, was a mature, accountable adult, who was deep in sin. He had dishonored his father, he had done evil in the sight of God, and when he died, the condition of his soul was blackened with sin. Absalom’s eternal future was a lot less bright than that of the infant child. It’s no wonder that David was in such anguish upon hearing of Absalom’s death. The Present-Day Application: When you die, how will your loved ones react? Will they handle your death peacefully and with calmness? Will they rest easy at night knowing that you “died in the Lord” (Rev. 14:13)? Will they be confident that you’ve left the scenes of this life in order to “be with Christ, which is far better” (Ph. 1:23)? Will they be hopeful that they’ll see you again in heaven someday? Or will your loved ones react to your death with great sorrow and anguish? Will they mourn over the lost condition of your soul, knowing that when you are “weighed in the balances” you will be “found wanting” (Dan. 5:27)? Will they be grieved at the fearful prospect of you “falling into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31)? Will their hearts ache knowing that you may be condemned to hell for all of eternity? Right now, while you are living and breathing, ask yourself the question “Where do I stand before God?” Have you made yourself as a little child in order to enter the kingdom of God (Mk. 10:13-16)? Or are you living carelessly like Absalom, headed down a certain path of destruction (I Th. 1:8-9)? If your life resembles that of Absalom, then ask yourself one other question: “What am I going to do about it?”
