JESUS today YOU will SAVE me.
Eat This Book
Read Proverbs Chapter 22
2 Samuel 18
1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.
2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
15 And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord hath avenged him of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.
21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
The POFW Daily Bible Reading 
In the beginning of the chapter, a command is ushered by David to his commanding officers; but, only to be betrayed by one of the ones he chose. The middle of the chapter speaks of how Joab went against what David had commanded and took up his own agenda by killing Absalom. The end of the chapter speaks of the love of a father for his son, even though the son sought the same (death) for his father. JESUS today YOU will SAVE me.
9. During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. NLT
2 Samuel 14:
25. Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot.
26. He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds! NLT
If he had cut his hair more often, he may have lived to fight another day…
Pride will leave you hanging!
😳✂️
9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
Funny how just a few chapters ago it talked about how thick and beautiful his hair was, and now its the very thing that caught him in a snare.
David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
A fathers love
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Many fathers believe they would lay their life on the line and lose their life for the safety and betterment of their children and family. David had the same thought written here in the last of this verse. Not many fathers have had to make this decision. Some have; most have not. Other have fought in wars and stood against enemies that would do harm to our way of life; and lost their lives on the battle field. Other fathers have stood up for justice and peace on our city streets; and lost their lives.
Our heavenly father laid down His life for His children. We owe our fallen fathers. All of our fathers deserve our respect and honor. They deserve our best effort to live a life worthy of their great sacrifice.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord hath avenged him of his enemies. MSG
We have all been done wrong one way or the other, but thanks be to God he tells us he will take care of enemies. As long as we turn our enemies over to God and take our hands off the situation God’s wrath is so much than we could ever do. Even tho we have been hurt in some form or fashion we still need to pray for that person, I admit it is hard to pray for someone that has wronged you but praise be to God prayers do work and God does heal the hurting heart.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
We see in this verse that David is still struggling what the consequences of his sins from the past. his son is now dead as a result of God’s judgment over his family. this shows the generational curse that can take place when we allow ourselves to sin . God told David that the sword of judgement would never leave his house and unfortunately absalom is another example of that judgement
THERE IS DEEP PAIN IN REBELLIOUS CHILDREN
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
David was deeply grieved, because of his fatherly love toward Absalom. Absalom was a warrior with influence. No doubt, David could see the strong traits of his son. In the heart of a father is HOPE. HOPE that a wayward, disgruntled, deceived, disobedient child will return to the loving arms of a caring father.
David teaches us again how we should treat and respect our leaders and family. Saul caught to kill David, his GOD chosen successor and Absalom sought to kill David, his father. In both cases, GOD kept David and took the lives of the adversary and in both cases, David was grieved by their death.
The believer and father in me wants to believe that David prayed and believed that there would be repentance and restoration. For this dashed hope David was deeply grieved. We do not seek for trouble, however, trouble seems to have no problem finding us.
We witness that THERE IS DEEP PAIN IN REBELLIOUS CHILDREN for David and every other believer that has HOPE in the full restoration of their children.
Parents KEEP HOPE for our children to repent and return fully. Children consider your decisions and how they will affect your entire family and future.
iRepent
iPraise
iPray
iWork
iGive
iReap
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
6 David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7 There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
An army is rising up getting ready to fight. Don’t let the enemy get the best of you but pray without creating. The enemy is already defeated but we have to do our part and pray…. wake up and hear everything that is around us. Rise up and fight
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
There is nothing like the love of a parent for their children-even when the child turns against them in rebellion or to a life of sin. Godly parents are still the lifeline for their children. We must continue to pray for sons and daughters to come home, come back to God with a humble and contrite spirit, repenting and turning their lives back over to Jesus! It’s not his will that any perish, but that all come to repentance. He is our heavenly father and he loves us and our wayward children. Thank you Lord for your love as our Father and for making a way for us to be saved.
11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
We should be wise to consider the whole situation and all possible outcomes before acting. What may seen more rewarding in the short term could possibly cause more damage than intended
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
The servant was obedient and loyal to the wishes of the King. David showed the same mercy towards his son Absalom that had wronged him that he did towardsSaul that had wronged. When he could have taken Sauls’ life he didn’t. When he cut have cut Saul’s robe to let him know he had the opportunity to take him out, but didn’t. He still wouldn’t harm the Lord’s anointed. The servant showed the same mercy towards David’s son. He had the perfect opportunity, and nobody wouldn’t have known, but he honored the King by his obedience.
There are things in our lives that we may not understand, or that we may not agree with, but in honor of our King, if His words commands us to do, we need to be obedient. The blessing comes from the obedience to the word with a right/good attitude.
9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
2 Samuel 18:10-13
10) And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
11) And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
12) And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mind hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saing, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
13) Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
Be careful what others ask you to do. Stop and think WWJD (What would Jesus do). For There Is No Matter Hid From The KING! God Knows And Sees Everything!
And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Grief and pain are a very real thin. Be there for those that are going though it.
iLove to Grow in the Word
“He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, “I am going out with you.”
I want to focus on Ittai for a moment. This man was from Gath and he followed David when Absolom led the rebellion. 600 Philistines follow Ittai as he follows David. David tells him and his 600 men that they are free to leave but Ittai vows to David to fight for him to the death. (2 Samuel 15:21). David now honors Ittai and makes him a General of a third part of his army. That is awesome!
8 The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword. (NLT)
More men died because they didn’t have the endurance to survive the forest. We can’t burn out and lose endurance; we should encourage and pray for one another that we can make it to the battle for the Lords victory.
9. During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. NLT
The great love of a father
David loved Absolom even though he had done so much wrong and even pursued after David’s own life. This showes the real love of a father. This is the example of how God loves us. Even though our sins crucify him afresh every time we fall short, He loves us. God doesn’t turn his back on us even when we turn on him. The world we live in makes this love of the Father seemingly unattainable. How could we love someone that has it out for us? We have to understand that the human life that we have doesn’t mean as much to God as it means to us. God is much more concerned about your eternal life than he is about your natural life. The love of the Father goes beyond this life into eternal. To love like the Father you have to look past natural things and refocus on what really matters and that is souls.
“And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.” The word of Jesus (God) identified self-righteousness. Ahimaaz was aware or rather, he did know; however in his mind, his actions were justified. One can think as one wants; however the Judge (Jesus) will reveal and have the final say, on the day appointed. Dear God, bind the spirit of self-righteousness in Jesus name. God Bless America, Israel, Jerusalem, and you all in Jesus name, Amen!
1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.
As we keep growing, more leaders will arise through our growth.
“And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” Although Absalom become prideful and rebelled, and wanted to murder his father, David still loved him. True love as Jesus displayed for all to witness, will love regardless of hate, rebellion, and other sins. God help us too seek you more so that we might love as you do, in Jesus name.
11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
The previous verse says that the king had requested that Absaolm be dealt with gently. The love that was rendered even though Absalom was not doing what he should have been doing. Sometimes we do not understand the ways a child may go, or the choices they have made it there must always bean open door a love that is never ending. Deal gently as we would want to be dealt with. The king commanded that no one touch Absalom. The runner kept in obedience to the Kings command. Be careful how you would take a look at ministry and their family. Sometimes you may not have the complete picture and may not understand the words of deal gently. Leave the disobedient in God’s hands and pray that they will be come obedient once again, just because they are disablement does not make them no your child. Love them with the love that God has an unconditional love. I believe many will return to God if they are loved with this type of love instead of continuing to judge their actions. I pray that they will return before the end comes for them.
23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
Run!
This verse made me think of the ministry opportunities that we have at church. When we see a person that wants to run, let him run! It is our responsibility to help those that want to serve on the kingdom. There is a place for any one to just jump in and run. There is outreach, hospitality, mowing the lawn, cleaning the church, anyone one with a real heart to serve will not mind serving in any available opportunity.
2 Samuel 18:33 (ESV Strong’s)
33 And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Sacrifice of a son comes in many ways in the Bible. Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac, but stopped. Jacob sacrificed his son Joseph but refused to be comforted. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
Here Absalom, David’s son, caused a rebellion, and almost abdicated the kingdom. The people of God were in harms way, and war had to come. David’s son was killed in battle but David refused to sacrifice his son for the kingdom. He would not be consoled and even wanted to die in his place.
Trusting God means putting ALL situations and things in his hand and putting him and his kingdom first. Though it may hurt, and though we may not understand in the end God knows what he is doing.
Though this is a lyric from a song I believe it applies. Hold on loosely. Hold onto what God has given you but always be willing to give it if he requires it.
David took no joy in his son’s defeat, even though his son had rebelled against him. We should have the same feelings toward our fellow brothers and sisters when bad things happen to them.
24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
There is a need in this hour for men and women that will be willing to become spiritual watchman. Their responsibility it to stay in a high place and watch for what is coming a far off.
We cannot allow ourselves to be vulnerable to the enemy because we lack laborers in this area of ministry. We are called to “watch and Pray”
We cannot control the deaths that occur both physically and spiritually, but we can be watchful over those we care for. Pray for those who you see hanging on for dear life. It could be your prayers that make a difference in their lives.
2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
David grieved for his son, comes a time when we have to let our children grow up and let them learn from their own mistakes no matter how much we love them.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord hath avenged him of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.
12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
“The king was very upset. He went up to the room over the entrance of the gate and sobbed. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you. Absalom! My son, my son!””
2 Samuel 18:33 NIRV
What a terrible thing to go through as a physical parent. And as a spiritual parent is very difficult to go through. I pray for all new believers to grow in knowledge of Christ.
“We pray that you will lead a life that is worthy of the Lord. We pray that you will please him in every way. So we want you to bear fruit in every good thing you do. We want you to grow to know God better. We want you to be very strong, in keeping with his glorious power. We want you to be patient. Never give up. Be joyful”
Colossians 1:10-11 NIRV
33The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”
The love of a father never goes away. David continued to love Absalom even though he tried to take his reign and kill him. Just like Jesus, he died for us, cause he loved us!