David Learns of Absalom’s Fate

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from 2 Samuel 18:16-33. In this Scripture King David learns of his son, Absalom’s fate. Joab sounded the trumpet for the battle to end and the troops stopped pursuing Israel.

They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the woods and put a big pile of rocks on top of him. All the Israelites fled to their tents.

During his lifetime Absalom erected a pillar in the Kidron Valley as a monument to himself, since he didn’t have a son to carry on his name. He named the pillar after himself. It is still called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, asked if he could run and take the news to the king that the LORD had vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.

Joab told him that he wasn’t the one to take the news that day. Joab told him that he could take the news another time, but not that day, because the king’s son was dead.

Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed before Joab and ran off to do as he was instructed.

Ahimaaz again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”

He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” Joab told him to go ahead and go. Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and ran so fast he outran the Cushite.

David was sitting between the inner and outer gates. The watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. He saw a man running alone.

The watchman called out to King David and reported what he saw. The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” Then, the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper telling him that there was another man who was also running by himself. The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.”

The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first man runs like Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He’s a good man.” “He’s bringing good news.” King David was hoping that the men were bringing good news.

Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” Then he bowed down before the king and said, “Praise the LORD your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against the king.”

The king asked, “Is Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a great confusion as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”

The king replied, “Stand aside and wait here.” The man did as the king requested. When the Cushite arrived, he said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The LORD has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”

The king asked the Cushite, “Is Absalom safe?” David’s main concern was the well-being of his son, Absalom. The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”

When the king realized that Absalom had been killed he was visibly shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway weeping. As he went up, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you. O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Can you imagine the grief King David must have felt when he found out His son, Absalom, was dead? Do you remember how you felt when you found out about a loved ones death? What are some of the emotions the king must have felt? Where can we find comfort in times of trouble?

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Daily Bible Reading:

2 Samuel 18:16-33

16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.
21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.
27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
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!

Things to think about:

What did Joab and his men do with Absalom?
Why did Absalom build a monument to himself?
Where is Absalom’s monument located?
Who was sent to give the king the news of his son’s death?
What was King David’s response when he realized his son was dead?

Prayer of the Day:

As we read this Scripture in 2 Samuel and learn of Absalom’s fate we see that King David was distraught. Help us when we go through times of grief in our lives to turn to You for comfort. You are the great comforter. Help us to have compassion for others who have lost loved ones. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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The Book of Malachi: A Message from the LORD is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. Malachi was considered to be a “Messenger of the LORD.” God delivered His message to the people of Israel through Malachi. Malachi was one of the twelve prophets from the Old Testament. The book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament of the Bible.

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