April 11 Daily Devotional

2 Samuel 13–14

Because of the wrong that was done Tamar, the daughter of David, Absalom the son of David, took the law into his own hands and slew his brother Amnon. For this reason he had to leave his home and for three years he was an exile in the land of the king of Geshur. It was a matter of sore grief for king David. In his heart there was a conflict—he knew that justice required the banishment of his son, yet because of natural affection the soul of the king “longed to go forth unto Absalom.” Joab, the captain of the guard, perceiving that the king was sad, did not dare bluntly to tell him to bring the exiled son home, for he knew David had regard for the law of God and of his realm. So he sent for the “wise woman of Tekoah.” When she came, Joab told her what to say.

And when she appeared before the king, she said, “I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead. And thy handmaid had two sons, and they strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him. And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.” And continuing, she said, “I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldst not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son.” David replied, “As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.”

Then the woman with much tact and graciousness of manner went on to make the application of the parable. David had two sons like her own. One had killed the other, and justice demanded the exile or punishment of the offender. She said, “Wherefore then hast thou thought such thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished. For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.” As the woman went on, pleading for Absalom, the king said, “Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?” She replied, “As thy soul liveth, my lord the king … thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid.”

And the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.” So Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.