November 2, 2012 – 2 Samuel 16

David, now humbled by being thrown out by his son, is still haunted by Saul’s house.  But he continues his restraint of laying any hand on anything that was related to Saul.  This man follows David and continually curses and throws rocks at him and David accepts it  as if it were from God.  I love his explanation.  His own son kicked him off the thrown, how much more do the descendants of Saul have a legitimate reason to hate him. 

I find it odd that God is more or less absent from this whole scene.  David gives up the throne, a new king is made in Jerusalem, God’s anointed king is in exile, and we don’t get any sense of guidance from God.  Maybe David was being guided, but we don’t hear about it.  I guess we will see what God advises David to do from here, but he gave up the city rather easily.  When God is on your side, no army of any size matters against you, so why not put up a fight.  Does David have some sense that God isn’t on his side anymore.  Does he think he has become Saul and has lost God’s anointing.