2 Samuel Series

From  defeat of Absalom, to reconciliation, to rebellion, to order

2 Samuel 19-20

Mercy prefers to deal with the needy in terms of what is needed rather than what is deserved. - D. Edmond Hiebert

Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan.  – Chrysostom

The immediate context of chapters 19-20 is the rebellion and war of the northern tribes of Israel under David’s son Absalom, and the continued loyalty of most of Judah during that rebellion. Absalom is caught and killed by general Joab and his troops. The rebellion collapses, and along with it, David’s heart collapses in grief. Chapter 18 ends and 19 begins with king David’s morose obsession with the death of his rebellious son, Absalom, and the utter neglect of the people most loyal to him and who have fought for him and the kingdom. The harsh confrontation of Joab, a wake-up call to remind him of his responsibilities as king over a nation, and calling him out of his internal, personal struggle, sets the stage for the reconciliation of a broken nation.