2 Sam 16-18 A Grief that Overcomes

David had not been a model parent or husband. He had allowed the sin of Amon to go unpunished. He had allowed Absalom to rebel without consequences. Absalom had chosen to defect from the king’s leadership and in doing so is murdered by Joab. As David receives the news that his son is dead, his grief is overwhelming. Grief is one of those emotions that we find debilitating, or we find release; there is no middle ground. David’s grief was consuming him. Perhaps you can relate.

Yet, the nation needed a leader, and at this point, David was not that leader. Like Samuel, David needed a push to step up and make that hard decision. Joab’s words gave David that freedom to meet his nation’s needs—not just for himself. Joab’s hard words were just the medicine David needed because his emotions were leading the country astray. David’s priorities were misaligned. Joab told him if Absalom was alive and all of us were dead, he would be pleased.

Where are you today? Are you grieving the loss of someone precious? Beloved, as hard as it is, we must put aside our grief to meet the needs of those still in the land of the living. Ask God and other strong believers to help you in this difficult place.