SERIES K --- ISRAEL’S GOLDEN AGE --- LESSON 13
DAVID GRIEVES
DAVID MOURNS FOR ABSALOM
From 2 Samuel 18:19-19:8
Absalom was dead, but King David did not yet know about it. ‘Let me run to the king with the good news that Adonai has brought judgment on his enemies,’ said Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son. ‘No,’ said Joab. ‘Some other time. This is not good news for the king.’ Joab turned to a man from Cush. ‘You may take the news to the king,’ he said. The man from Cush bowed and ran off to tell the king about Absalom’s death. Ahimaaz kept pleading with Joab. ‘Please let me run to the king,’ he begged. ‘Why? This is not good news for the king and you will certainly not be rewarded for it!’ Joab replied. ‘Let me run anyway,’ Ahimaaz argued. ‘All right then! Run!’ said Joab. Ahimaaz ran off as fast as he could go. He took a road by the Jordan Valley which was shorter than the way the man from Cush was running, so he soon got ahead of him. Back at Mahanaim, David was sitting between the outer and inner gates, waiting for news. The watchman was on the wall, looking for a messenger. Suddenly he saw a man running alone toward the city and shouted this bit of news to David. ‘If he is alone, he must have news for us,’ said David. ‘He runs like Ahimaaz!’ the watchman called back to the king. ‘But there is another runner behind him. He too must be bringing news.’ ‘Ahimaaz is a good man,’ said David. ‘He must have good news.’ When Ahimaaz was close enough, he called to the king. ‘All is well!’ he shouted. Then he reached the king and bowed before him. ‘Blessed be Adonai your YHVH, who has brought the defeat of the men who rebelled against you,’ he said. ‘But is my son Absalom safe?’ David asked. ‘When Joab sent me, there was a lot of confusion, but I’m not sure what it was all about,’ Ahimaaz answered. ‘Then move aside and let’s hear the next report,’ said the king. So Ahimaaz stood to one side. By this time the man from Cush had arrived. ‘Good news!’ he shouted. ‘O king, Adonai has brought judgment on those who rebelled against you.’ ‘But is Absalom safe?’ King David asked him. ‘May all your enemies that rebel against you become as he is,’ replied the man. Then David knew that Absalom had died. He was so stirred that he retired to an open roof on top of the gate, weeping as he went. ‘O my son Absalom!’ he cried. ‘My son! My son Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! O Absalom! My son, my son!’ Word soon came to Joab that David was weeping and mourning for his son Absalom. When the warriors heard this, they slipped quietly back into the city as though they had been defeated, for the joy of victory was suddenly turned into sadness. King David covered his face and kept weeping for Absalom. ‘O my son Absalom! O Absalom! My son, my son!’ he kept saying. As this kept on for some time, Joab went to the king in his room. ‘You have brought shame today to all of us who saved your life and the lives of your daughters, wives and concubines,’ he exclaimed angrily. ‘Why are you showing love to those who turned against you and hate for those who helped you? If Absalom were still alive and all the rest of us were dead, you would be happy! Now get out there and speak well to your warriors. I vow before Adonai that if you do not, every man will turn against you and you will be in worse trouble than you have ever been before.’ The king listened to Joab. He arose and went out and sat in the royal seat in the gateway of the city. When news reached the warriors that ‘the king is sitting in the gate of the city,’ they rushed out to be with him.
COMMENTARY
WALLS, GATES AND TOWERS
From ancient times until about three hundred years ago, cities were surrounded by walls and their gates. Usually there was only one main gate, though there might be a few smaller ones as well. The walls and gates served as protection from attacking enemies and from wild animals. In Bible times, there were many walled cities with gates, The Old Testament mentions several: Babylon, Beersheba, Bethlehem, Damascus and Jerusalem and others. Solomon built three gates at the cities of Gezer, Hazor and Megiddo for triple protection; an outer, inner and middle one. The city gate was equipped with single or double doors that were opened at dawn and closed at dark. The doors were suspended on hinges attached to gate posts that turned in stone sockets. The doors were made either of iron, or of wood covered in bronze or other metal. On the inside they were locked with heavy bars of metal or wood that swung across them. Roofs were built over the gate and reached by a stairway. These roofs were usually the highest points in the city, and guards could see for miles in every direction. Normally, city gates were built with towers on each side. Projecting from the walls, they were made of stone or baked mud bricks. Timbers were used inside as reinforcement. Often towers were constructed at several places around the city walls to provide a defensive structure on all sides. Watchmen and guards were posted there during times of peace to watch for enemies and unexpected visitors, and warriors used them during times of war. The gates were obviously very high and wide. They were large enough to hold rooms and chambers within that could be used for storage or for official functions. Sometimes such chambers were built separately, directly above the gates. As important for defence as it was, the city gate was like the centre of a town square. Law courts were held there, friends met and talked, and the merchants brought their wares to sell.
This week's Torah reading is Tzav ("Command", #leviticus 6:8-8:36). Here are some related New Testament passages, articles, and videos.
https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/11/22/parsha-tz
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According to rabbinic tradition, the offerings of Cain and Abel, the destruction of Sodom, and the binding of Isaac all might have been during #passover. Consider this:
At Sodom, there was a quick meal of unleavened bread, death outside the door of the house, and an angel who guides God's people into the wilderness where they sin against him.
Isaac was accompanied to the mountain by two unnamed servants, walked three days journey with Abraham, carried the wood for his own sacrifice, went willingly to his death, and rose again, just like #yeshua, who was executed at Passover.
Good morning and happy new week! I got a concussion a couple years ago, and over the past few weeks, I've been struggling with some of my residual symptoms. However, we had a restful and encouraging Sabbath yesterday, the sun is shining, and I have a delicious cup of coffee in front of me. The Father always sustains me. My plan for the week is to practice rejoicing. https://archive.aweber.com/awlist6425868/H53hk
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
https://bibliajfa.com.br/app/k....jv_apocrypha/29O/2/2
Have you experienced it?! He rescued me! Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. 8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. 9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? 14 Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. 15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. 16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. 22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. 23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. 24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. 25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. 26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. 27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. 28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
https://bibliajfa.com.br/app/k....jv_apocrypha/23O/43/
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