November 14, 2012 – 2 Samuel 19

We see that Joab knocked some sense into David before his sorrow cost him everything.  It hard to fault David, he did lose his son, but there has to be a time and place for grieving.  Just after a battle that you have one, grieving over the death of the enemy will not fill your followers with much confidence.  It says that they walked into the city like those that were defeated.  So David snaps out of it and is able to regroup.  And with Absolam’s death, all of Israel realizes that they don’t have a leader, they remember all that David did for them, and quickly return him to his throne.  We see why all of Israel came with Absolam.  It was so they could bring back David in a united way. 

We see David go through individual apologies and forgiveness with several characters who played a part in his fleeing of Israel.  We see David being very merciful and trying to restore people back to where they were and granting request.  David coming back in power is kind of like when the Godfather is having a daughter get married. 

Although the individual issues appear to get resolved, the chapter ends with Israel and Judah opening up this conflict between them.  This must be where this starts, I cannot remember another place where it is mentioned.  This fight between the two will continue until they are all in exile and allowed to return.  When we read about the spilt and the battles between the two, we can always look back and remember that it started with David the king had to flee and who went with him.