September 10, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 2 Samuel and Acts? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Samuel 14 (NIV)
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
1 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions.……Continue Reading
For all that David was in God’s purposes, he was not a very good father..at least for the things given in Scripture. How sad for all that had happened in his family, consistent with what Nathan prophesied about, that he would not reach out to Absalom and thereby, cause Joab to go to an extreme measure to get Absalom back in Jerusalem. Then 2 years pass with Absalom in Jerusalem and he has to do something extreme to get David’s attention. May we all keep close accounts with our children and even have the hard conversations the may be about the wrong they have done or we have done. But family issues should be addressed…to the extent that it is possible and to the extent it depends on us. We cannot make others engage, but let’s be mindful of the conversations that should happen, especially the ones our children feel like they need to have.
2 Samuel 14
So as this family drama continues to go unresolved Joab steps in to help. Maybe Joab’s concern was more for what Absalom might do if left festering in exile or maybe he truly wanted to see reconciliation for David and his son but it worked and Absalom returned. Unfortunately, Absalom didn’t seem to return very repentant and David didn’t do much to change that. This was a bit of a half-hearted reunion and it took burning down a field to get them face-to-face. So important for us to communicate with our children, good and bad. Disciplne is part of how we show love and the other part is talking and listening to them. I imagine Absalom had much hurt about what happened to Tamar and to see the whole thing just swept under a rug turned him into a very angry person and more likely to fall into sin, as a father David had many opportunites to do better here.
2 Samuel 14; 2 Chronicles 29
2 Samuel 14
2 Samuel 14
2 Samuel 14
Joab and Absalom both go to extreme measures to gain entrance into David’s presence.