A Time to Mourn

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from 2 Samuel 19:1-8. Joab heard that King David was weeping and mourning for his son, Absalom. The victory of David’s army was turned to mourning for all of Israel when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.

The men entered the city that day like men who steal in that are ashamed because they escaped from battle.

The king covered his face, and cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Joab came to the king’s house telling him that he had shamed all of his servants. He reminded David that they had saved his life, and the lives of his sons, daughters, wives, and concubines.

Joab went on to proclaim to the king that he was acting as if he loved his enemies and hated his friends. He told David that he didn’t seem to value the lives of his men. He told David that he would have been happier if Absalom had lived and all of them had died.

Joab told David that he needed to go out and encourage his men or he wouldn’t have any supporters by nightfall, which would be worse than all the evil David had experienced since he was a young man.

So David got up and sat at the gate. When the people heard that King David was sitting at the gate, they left the tents where they had fled, and gathered together before the king.

Why didn’t Joab want the king to mourn? Doesn’t everybody deserve a time to mourn when they have lost someone close to them, even a king? We all go through times of mourning in our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time for everything. Verse 3 reminds us that there is, “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

First Thessalonians 4:13 reminds us, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

As believers in Christ we do have the hope of seeing our loved ones again in heaven if they are also Christians. Holding on to that hope can give us great comfort during times of grief.

Daily Bible Reading:

2 Samuel 19:1-8

1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.
3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;
6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.
7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.
8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

Things to think about:

• What was Joab’s response to King David’s mourning?
• How did David’s mourning affect the victory that the Israelites had in battle?
• What did Joab tell King David he needed to do? Why?
• What was the people’s response to the king when he sat at the gate?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we read this Scripture in 2 Samuel we see that David was mourning over his son’s death. It is understandable and expected that he would be mourning at this time. But, there were those who didn’t want to let him mourn. Help us to be compassionate toward those who are in mourning. Help us to seek comfort from You during times of mourning and grief in our lives. Give us strength, LORD, to carry on when we don’t feel like we can keep going. Help us to accept the things in our lives that we can’t change. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Christian Music Video: “With Hope” – Steven Curtis Chapman

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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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