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.
I have spent the better part of the morning crying and not just crying but grieving deeply. It matters not for the “what” but it does matter that I grieve with Paul over the loss of loved ones that refuse the gospel message. So here’s my question: What brings grief to your heart? Is it the loss of a loved one to death without hope? How about the loss of a job? How about the loss of a home due to flooding? How about the loss of a nation or a people group? Grief is a very real and present emotion. We are even now watching from the sidelines as Syria is a battle zone. But, Paul is speaking in the first century and his heart grieves for the loss of his people as they continue to deny Christ and salvation. “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” Is this my grief too?