daily java

Daily Java:

The 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.” (2 Samuel 18:33)

David’s favorite son, Absalom, had mounted a military coup and tried to take over the kingdom of Israel. For a while it looked like he may win. But ultimately, he was killed. When they brought the news to David, they figured he would rejoice. Instead, he mourned.

There are things that happen in our lives that we did not want to happen. And the outcomes are things that are almost worse than the occurrence.

Someone you love hurts you in some way, and then has misfortune fall on them. Neither the mistreatment at their hands nor the end result was what you wanted. What you wanted was for  life to go on normally.

David’s heart went out to his son, Absalom. They had been estranged for a while because of something that had happened in the past, something that David had found hard to forgive and that Absalom had not asked to be forgiven for.

But even so, David loved Absalom. He was a handsome kid with a winning personality, the very things that caused him to go overboard in his desire for power. At his core, however, their was not the strength that his father had, nor the honesty with others nor himself that so attracted people to David.

David was a real man, with strengths and flaws and he knew it. He was painfully aware of his weaknesses and he knew his strengths. Absalom just saw his strengths. He was the kind of guy that everyone had told from his birth that he was wonderful and soon came to believe it.

When he came into a real life or death situation, he had no way to deal with it and he died.

And in that death, David’s heart was broken. It was broken not only because Absalom had died, but because he had put himself into a situation that would result in his death. Not only that, but David himself was thrust into the situation, too.

The worst part was, it was in the name of David that he was killed and those who killed him thought that David, his father who loved him, would be glad.

A large part of David’s heart died along with Absalom.

This was the boy who he thought would inherit the kingdom, be the next king, lead the nation of Israel into greatness, be with David when he died, love him.

When Jesus was crucified, I would imagine God had many of these feelings, too. On the one hand, his child died. On the other, his children were killing him. Who do you blame and who do you punish? You love both.

On the cross, Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34) Even though he was being killed, Jesus forgave. And Romans 5 says that in that sacrifice, even though it involved so much personal pain, God forgave us.

David’s and God’s situations were different, of course. Absalom brought on his own downfall. But even so, there is in both the cry of a father who is so in conflict. His son dies and his people cause it.

Thanks be to God for his sacrifice, and for Jesus who gave his life.