Chapter XXIV: Absalom

THE story of Absalom cannot be anything but a sad one.

He was the third son of David, and his mother's name was Maachah, who was the daughter of the King of Geshur.

He inherited great beauty from both his father and his mother, and was evidently the idol of David's heart. But with all his fascinating beauty, he was not a good man.

His mother was a heathen princess, and Absalom had not been taught in her home the justice, the purity, the forbearance, the love, and the fear of God, which ought to be the ruling-spring of our lives.

His one thought was how to please himself, no matter what impediments stood in his way.

By and by he had cause to be angry with his half-brother Amnon, who had acted very wickedly; but instead of bringing him to be judged by the law, Absalom secretly plotted to kill him.

For this purpose, he invited all the king's sons to be present at a great feast; and he gave his servants orders to set upon Amnon and kill him, when he gave a sign to do so after supper.

When the rest of the king's sons saw this dreadful deed, they all fled on their mules in hot haste; but while they were on their way back to Jerusalem, the tidings reached David that all his sons were dead!

The sorrowful king tore his clothes, and lay upon the earth, and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.

But Jonadab, David's nephew, tried to comfort the king, by assuring him that only Amnon was dead.

While Jonadab was persuading the king that it was not as bad as had first been told him, they saw a great company coming down the hillside, and Jonadab said to the king:

"See, it is as I said; there are the king's sons!"

Then all David's sons wept for the sad thing which had happened, and David and his servants wept very much.

But Absalom had fled, and had gone to his mother's relatives at Geshur, where he stayed three years. And David mourned for his son every day.

At length Joab, the captain of the host, saw that David's heart was bound up in Absalom, and he persuaded David to send for him to Jerusalem. But though David allowed him to return, he did not see his face for two whole years.

This made Absalom very angry, and because Joab would not carry his messages to the king, Absalom told his servants to set fire to a whole field of Joab's wheat: at last Joab consented to speak to the king, and finally Absalom was allowed to see his father: and David kissed him.

But what do you think Absalom did to that loving, devoted father?

He at once set about trying to seize the kingdom for himself!

He sat in the gate of the city and told the people who passed in and out, that if he were king he would see that every grievance was righted; and he kissed the people as they came and went, and stole their hearts!

Then Absalom asked permission to go to Hebron, and he sent spies all through the land to tell every one that at the sound of the trumpet every one was to say, "Absalom is King in Hebron!"

Thus the conspiracy grew and grew; and I cannot tell you how many sorrowful and wicked things were done while Absalom tried to get the kingdom!

David was indeed at his wits' end; but he remembered that the Lord was his Refuge, and he prayed that the Lord would defeat the counsel of those who were plotting against him.

And God answered his prayer.

At length Absalom came out against his father with a large army. There was a great battle: but the people begged David not to go to the battle himself, but to let them fight for him, and for the kingdom.

So David sat in the gate: and as his armies passed through ready for battle, he said to Joab, and to all the captains of the host: "Deal gently with the young man, even with Absalom!" And the people heard him.

So the soldiers went forth into the country, and by and by the battle was chiefly fought in a large wood, where many of Absalom's army were killed.

As Absalom was riding quickly in the wood to escape from the soldiers, he went under an overhanging tree in his haste, and his head caught in the boughs and he could not extricate himself. The mule went on and he was left hanging there.

Some one hurried to Joab and told him, and Joab, disregarding the earnest entreaty the king had given him, took three darts and thrust them through Absalom's heart.

So he died, and they put his body in a pit in the wood and threw a great heap of stones upon it.

Absalom had built himself a great tomb in the King's Dale, but he was never laid in it. Oh, the sorrow of that ending!

When the messengers came in from the battle, as David sat near the gate and watched, his first question to each runner was: "Is the young man Absalom safe?" And when they broke it to him, that Absalom had died and the victory had been complete, David turned from them, and made his way up, weeping, to the chamber over the gate, and as he went, he said:

"O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"