The message reached Joab that the king was mourning for his lost son. In fact, it was more than just mourning – Joab was told that the king was in deep distress and mourning for Absalom and v3 tells us that the troops, who should have been celebrating victory, crept into the city as those who are ashamed as if they had lost the battle. The king, who normally would have been celebrating victory with them, covered his face and wept and mourned for Absalom. David‘s loyal army felt bad about David ‘s sorrow so much so that they felt ashamed and crept back into the city (v1-3).
Joab is amazed and disgusted by David’s reaction and mourning for Absalom. After all Absalom was David’s enemy so why be sorry when he is dead? But Absalom was David’s wayward son, born to him by Maacah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. The Geshurites were inhabitants of The Promised Land whom the Israelites were told to destroy on taking the land. Obviously, they hadn’t. David had later destroyed them along with the Gezrites and the Amalekites (1 Samuel 27:8). He had left none alive. Absalom was born when David was in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:2,3). One presumes he had met Maacah on his travels before he raided the Geshurites.
In v5-7 Joab went to the king and told him that he had humiliated all the men who had just saved his life and the lives of his family. He went on to say, “Today you have disgraced all your servants …. you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the LORD, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.”
In a way it was a fair comment from his army commander, and therefore, Joab urged David to go and encourage the men so (in v8) he went and took his seat in the gate and all his men came to listen to him. Each man had gone to his own tent. (In v9,10) it appears that the tribes were arguing about this amongst themselves. They were saying that David had fled the country to escape from Absalom. They accept that it was David who had rescued them from the Philistines. The people of Israel were disputing about bringing back the king.
David is in his rightful place, and he encouraged the men and thanked them for their sacrifice. Joab’s rebuke seemed to work as the people of Israel (the 10 tribes who had followed Absalom) pledged their allegiance to king David. This is just what they needed.
We don’t always like rebuke, but sometimes it is necessary, and we should accept it.
The people of Judah were those of his own tribe, were not so ready, so David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests – “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house? You are my brethren, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.’” (v 11-13)
It is apparent that these two men had great influence because they persuaded Judah to come back to King David. One would have thought that Judah would have been most forgiving, but it is not always the case that we receive most kindness from those who we expect. David was eager for them do it of their own free will rather than command it. He assured them of his loyalty and put his own self on the line, “God do so to me, and more also” or let God deal with me severely.
He sent word to Amasa, who had been captain of Absalom’s army, that he would be David’s next general in place of Joab. Both these men were David’s nephews, but it seems that David has had enough of Joab and his actions and attitude. However, he did not do Amasa any favours by stating this as we shall see in ch.20:10that Joab killed Amasa.
However David’s words were effective -“…. So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants!” (v14,15)
The men of Judah went to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring him across the Jordan. Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David together with a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul’s household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. Verses 17,18 show us that they were eager and rushed to the king and crossed over at the ford (or ferry) to take the king’s household over to please him.
The LORD Jesus will not force himself on us, but He shows His love and waits for our willing submission. Are we as eager to follow Him as these were to bring back the king?
This crossing of the Jordan is quite outstanding in that people meet the king. You may recall Shimei (ch 16:5-14) who cursed David and Abishai wanted to take off Shimei’s head for his insolence, but David spared him. Shimei now is leading a large group of men to meet the king. He fell down before the king and asked him for forgiveness for the wrong he did previously when the king left Jerusalem and to even put his sin out of his mind. In his seeming repentance, he said that he had come out to meet the king as first of the tribes. (v19,20)
Abishai son of Zeruiah remembered the incident and once again (v21) he wants to put Shimei to death for cursing the king. Again, David spares Shimei and tells Abishai (v22) and his brothers that it is none of their business and that he is the king and he makes the decisions. He promises Shimei that he would not die. (v23) Shimei came in humility before the king and confessed that he had sinned against the king. He shows his repentance and, knowing that David had every right to punish him, he pleaded for mercy. He made no attempt to make excuses, but he assures David that his repentance is genuine by coming to meet the king.
Is our repentance genuine? If so, we will receive The LORD’s forgiveness. Oh, that all will come to Him in this way. Repentance is absolutely essential. It is not just being sorry, it goes much further than that. Our sins deserve condemnation, but the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) Tells us we are already condemned (John 3:18) until we repent and receive the new life which Jesus Christ offers.
Another who came to meet David and to see him over the Jordan was Ziba the servant of Saul who David had left to care for Mephibosheth the crippled son of Jonathan. It seems clear that in ch16 Ziba had been less than truthful about Mephibosheth as we shall see in the next few verses. He had said that Mephibosheth had gone over to Absalom’s side. Ziba had been disloyal to David but now he seems to be coming to gain the king’s favour and brings with him his sons and servants, to meet the king (v17). It would seem from the later information given by Mephibosheth that Ziba comes that he may obtain the king’s favour, and so come off the better and get to David before Mephibosheth does and tells David the truth.
The next person who goes to meet the king is Mephibosheth himself, Jonathan’s son who was lame. He had neglected himself and had not cared for his feet, nor washed his clothes nor even trimmed his moustache since the day David left until he returned safely. You will recall that David took him in and told him he would eat at the palace (ch9), but much of the time David had not been there. David asked him why he had not gone with him when he left. (v24,25) and Mephibosheth explains why he had not joined David and that Ziba had misrepresented him. He stated that he would have saddled his donkey and rode with David, but his servant Ziba betrayed him. Mephibosheth expresses his loyalty and commitment to David, recognising his reliance and appreciation to the king. He admits that he has no excuse and in fact deserves nothing from the king. He goes so far as to say that he had no more rights for anything more from David and had already received more than he deserved. He didn’t even seek to defend himself regarding what Ziba had said. (v26-28). In chapter 16 when Ziba had misrepresented Mephibosheth, David granted him all of Mephibosheth’s property. This was under fraudulent circumstances but now on hearing the whole story, David is assured of Mephibosheth’s truthfulness and divides the property between Ziba and Mephibosheth, who says that he is not bothered about the property, rather he is just grateful that the king has come back safely.
Sometimes we can be disappointed by the way friends treat us and misrepresent us. They can let us down, but we can be assured that The LORD will never let us down. It is important to be loyal to a friend.
Where are our interests? Our own gain or The LORD’s? G Campbell Morgan states succinctly what our attitude should be. “For his own enrichment this man cared nothing at all. It was everything to him that his king should come into the possession of his kingdom in peace . . . It is to be feared that too often we are more concerned about our rights than about His. It is a great and glorious thing when our loyalty and love make us far more concerned about the victories of our LORD, than about our own unquestioned rights. Yet that should be the normal attitude of all who sit at the King’s Table.”
We have, in Christ, everything we need. 2 Peter 1:3,4 states, “….His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
We saw in the picture of David’s dealings with Mephibosheth, a striking likeness to the way God deals with us. His grace and mercy are totally undeserving.
Justice = getting what we deserve.
Mercy = not getting what we deserve.
Grace = getting what we don’t deserve.
We have been brought into palace of The King of Kings, seated at His table in the spiritual sense. We should live like children of The King. Not strutting about like royalty but humbly recognising our position and high calling and totally loyal to The One who has brought us out of darkness into light, from death to life. We, like Mephibosheth, should be more concerned about Him, than mere temporal possessions.
The next person to come on the scene is Barzillai (v31). He was a Gileadite from Rogelim. He was eighty years old and described as ‘very old’. Some will not agree with that last comment! I will reach that age this year, but I wouldn’t class myself as very old. Unlike Shimei and Ziba who had been disloyal to David and yet received kindness, Barzillai was the man who, of all the nobility and gentry of that country, had been most kind to David in his distress. He had shown great respect for David. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. In gratitude for his previous kindness, David offered him the honour of living with and providing for him in Jerusalem (v33). Barzillai was touched by David’s suggestion and is very respectful to the king and his generosity. (v34,35) Barzillai, being old, suggests he would be a burden to the king, rather than any credit to him; and a good man would not go anywhere to be burdensome and in his opinion would rather be so to his own house than to another’s. He said that he would go a short distance over the Jordan but asked if he could return and die in his home town where his father and mother were buried. He said that what he had done was his duty and wasn’t looking for a reward. He offered instead his servant Kimham (Chimham) to go with the king. One commentator suggests that “It is generally understood that this was Barzillai’s son; and this is probable from 1 Kings 2:7, where, when David was dying, he said that they were to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai.”
Notice again the generosity of David. He not only has Mephibosheth living in the palace but offers Barzillai and Chimham, a place in Jerusalem. Mephibosheth had done nothing to earn his place but Barzillai had been kind to the king and David was rewarding him.
David agreed to Chimham going with him and promised that he would do for him what Barzillai requested, as well as for Barzillai. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him and he returned to his own place (v38,39).
The king sent Barzillai back into his country with his blessing, signifying that in gratitude for his kindnesses he would love him and pray for him, and with a promise that whatever request he should at any time make to him he would be ready to oblige him. The king promises to do good to Chimham on his behalf.
In v 40-43 the king crossed over to Gilgal, with Chimham and all the troops of Judah with him. However only half the troops of Israel, which soon resulted in the men of Israel complaining that the men of Judah were stealing the king away. They were peeved that only half of their men were present. Apparently fewer from Israel’s ten tribes had been invited and the ten northern tribes felt left out by the tribe of Judah. There was jealousy and those of Israel’s tribes felt left out in this welcoming party for the king’s return.
The men of Judah state that they are more closely related to the king, but they have not taken anything for themselves. Israel replied that they have ten shares because there are ten tribes, and they have a greater claim. This jealous attitude between Judah and Israel’s ten tribes set the stage for civil war in David’s day and the eventual division of the nation into two. (v42,43) Much mischief comes from pride and jealousy. How we must avoid this and how we must be careful in pressing our claims forcefully? The bible says that we should regard others greater than ourselves.
