"ABSALOM, ABSALOM"
The last sentence of one of most difficult stories in the Bible says this. II Samuel 18:33 “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!”
Here is a dad overwhelmed with emotion, completely devastated by the news that his son Absalom has died. Here is a man who had to hurt publicly. After all, he was the king. So, everyone knew he was grieving. He could weep out loud. He could cry and everyone around him knew it and saw his tears.
What a tragic end to the life of a prince; prince Absalom, King David’s third-born son.
Now, I reviewed the books of First and Second Samuel this week and found that David was a man with a lot of tears. There are numerous times in the life of King David when he cried.
For example, we read that he wept when he got the news from his friend Jonathan that King Saul hated him so much he wanted him dead. You might recall him weeping when he and his soldiers received the news that the city of Ziklag had been burned and all their families had been taken captive by the Amalekite army. He wept at the grave of his friend Abner. He wept when King Saul and son Jonathan died in battle. King Saul, you’ll remember was his sworn enemy while Jonathan was his close friend.
He also wept when the son that was born of Bathsheba was dying. He wept when his firstborn son Amnon was slain. He wept when Prince Absalom usurps the throne of Israel as David and those loyal to him leave the city of Jerusalem.
And here he naturally weeps when he receives the news that Absalom has been slain. I can’t say as I’ve read of anyone anywhere in Scripture who had so much heartache that the Holy Spirit recorded time and again that he wept. You could easily call David’s life a “trail of tears.”
Now, there are certainly lots of messages here in this sad story. But one of them undoubtedly is that God has made you and I as emotional beings.
But beyond all that we read in I & II Samuel, this is nothing compared to what you read from King David in the Psalms. Most of us know that the Psalms are filled with joy and gladness. But, have you ever seen the passages where David describes his calling upon the LORD?
For example, Psalm 17:1. “Hear the right, LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.”
Here’s Psalm 28. (28:2) “Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.”
(39:12) “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: ...”
(61:1) “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
(88:1) “O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:” (2) Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;…”
(102:1) “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.” (2) Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.” Go on to page two
Here is a dad overwhelmed with emotion, completely devastated by the news that his son Absalom has died. Here is a man who had to hurt publicly. After all, he was the king. So, everyone knew he was grieving. He could weep out loud. He could cry and everyone around him knew it and saw his tears.
What a tragic end to the life of a prince; prince Absalom, King David’s third-born son.
Now, I reviewed the books of First and Second Samuel this week and found that David was a man with a lot of tears. There are numerous times in the life of King David when he cried.
For example, we read that he wept when he got the news from his friend Jonathan that King Saul hated him so much he wanted him dead. You might recall him weeping when he and his soldiers received the news that the city of Ziklag had been burned and all their families had been taken captive by the Amalekite army. He wept at the grave of his friend Abner. He wept when King Saul and son Jonathan died in battle. King Saul, you’ll remember was his sworn enemy while Jonathan was his close friend.
He also wept when the son that was born of Bathsheba was dying. He wept when his firstborn son Amnon was slain. He wept when Prince Absalom usurps the throne of Israel as David and those loyal to him leave the city of Jerusalem.
And here he naturally weeps when he receives the news that Absalom has been slain. I can’t say as I’ve read of anyone anywhere in Scripture who had so much heartache that the Holy Spirit recorded time and again that he wept. You could easily call David’s life a “trail of tears.”
Now, there are certainly lots of messages here in this sad story. But one of them undoubtedly is that God has made you and I as emotional beings.
But beyond all that we read in I & II Samuel, this is nothing compared to what you read from King David in the Psalms. Most of us know that the Psalms are filled with joy and gladness. But, have you ever seen the passages where David describes his calling upon the LORD?
For example, Psalm 17:1. “Hear the right, LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.”
Here’s Psalm 28. (28:2) “Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.”
(39:12) “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: ...”
(61:1) “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
(88:1) “O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:” (2) Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;…”
(102:1) “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.” (2) Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.” Go on to page two