2Sa 18:3 | KingComments | STEP | David divides the people who are with him into groups of thousand men, which he further divides into groups of hundred men. He has appointed commanders over all these groups. Then he divides the entire people into three large groups. Joab, Abishai and Ittai each get the supreme command over a group. David wants to go out at the head of the whole army. When he proposes this, the love of the people for him comes to the surface. They know what Ahithophel also knew ( ), that it is that the enemy is only interested in David. They use the same argument as Ahithophel. They are aware that if he dies, it will be over for the people as a whole. David is the bond that binds all together. When it is eliminated, there is no bond anymore. This also applies now. The Lord Jesus is the bond that unites believers. When other things drive Him away from the central place, when other things become important in personal life, the bond with the believers is no longer experienced. We are going to live for ourselves and thus become an easy prey for the enemy. The people have another proposal and that is that David stays in the city and comes to their aid from the city. David accepts the advice of the people ( ). In the same way, the Lord Jesus would like to hear from us how we think about the battle. If we know Him, we will come up with plans that He can approve, as David does here. It is, of course, encouraging that we are not alone in our fight. The awareness that the Lord comes to our aid from ‘the city’ gives strength to the battle. In David asks his generals to deal with Absalom, “the young man”, gently for his sake. This is the weakness of David. Here David is the weak father. His predilection for his rebellious son, who has played tricks on him so many times, has remained unabated. He asks to spare a rebel for his own protection. In the addition “for my sake” we might notice a little manipulation. He knows his son deserves death, but he calls on their loyalty to him to spare the young man. By talking about Absalom as a “young man” David seems to put the great danger, that his son is certain, somewhat into perspective. He tries to reduce Absalom’s actions from rebellion against his father and God to the youthful overconfidence of a mischievous boy who you can’t entirely blame for his actions. David is looking for apologies. His question does, however, mean that he does not doubt the outcome of the fight. He is certain that his army will win and that Absalom will fall into their hands. Therefore he asks the young man to be treated with gentleness and not to take the right into their own hands, but to leave the exercise of the right to him as king. Our children are our greatest weakness. Absalom is no longer a young man. He already has grown up children. Here we hear the language of a father. Absalom only wants to kill David; David only wants to save Absalom. Someone has said: Never was an unnatural hatred toward a father stronger than with Absalom and never was unnatural affection for a child stronger than with David.

‏ 2 Samuel 18:3

Preparing for Battle

David divides the people who are with him into groups of thousand men, which he further divides into groups of hundred men. He has appointed commanders over all these groups. Then he divides the entire people into three large groups. Joab, Abishai and Ittai each get the supreme command over a group. David wants to go out at the head of the whole army.

When he proposes this, the love of the people for him comes to the surface. They know what Ahithophel also knew (2Sam 17:3), that it is that the enemy is only interested in David. They use the same argument as Ahithophel. They are aware that if he dies, it will be over for the people as a whole. David is the bond that binds all together. When it is eliminated, there is no bond anymore.

This also applies now. The Lord Jesus is the bond that unites believers. When other things drive Him away from the central place, when other things become important in personal life, the bond with the believers is no longer experienced. We are going to live for ourselves and thus become an easy prey for the enemy.

The people have another proposal and that is that David stays in the city and comes to their aid from the city. David accepts the advice of the people (2Sam 18:4). In the same way, the Lord Jesus would like to hear from us how we think about the battle. If we know Him, we will come up with plans that He can approve, as David does here. It is, of course, encouraging that we are not alone in our fight. The awareness that the Lord comes to our aid from ‘the city’ gives strength to the battle.

In 2Sam 18:5 David asks his generals to deal with Absalom, “the young man”, gently for his sake. This is the weakness of David. Here David is the weak father. His predilection for his rebellious son, who has played tricks on him so many times, has remained unabated. He asks to spare a rebel for his own protection. In the addition “for my sake” we might notice a little manipulation.

He knows his son deserves death, but he calls on their loyalty to him to spare the young man. By talking about Absalom as a “young man” David seems to put the great danger, that his son is certain, somewhat into perspective. He tries to reduce Absalom’s actions from rebellion against his father and God to the youthful overconfidence of a mischievous boy who you can’t entirely blame for his actions. David is looking for apologies.

His question does, however, mean that he does not doubt the outcome of the fight. He is certain that his army will win and that Absalom will fall into their hands. Therefore he asks the young man to be treated with gentleness and not to take the right into their own hands, but to leave the exercise of the right to him as king.

Our children are our greatest weakness. Absalom is no longer a young man. He already has grown up children. Here we hear the language of a father. Absalom only wants to kill David; David only wants to save Absalom. Someone has said: Never was an unnatural hatred toward a father stronger than with Absalom and never was unnatural affection for a child stronger than with David.