2 Samuel 15:⁷ At the end of four years Absalom (King David’s son) said to (his father), “Please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow that I have made to the Lord. ⁸ For your servant made a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram: If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will worship the Lord in Hebron.” ⁹ The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up, and went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron!” ¹¹ Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom; they were invited guests, and they went in their innocence, knowing nothing of the matter. ¹² While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy grew in strength, and the people with Absalom kept increasing. 

As I mentioned in my last post, King David was punished by God for his treachery against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. Part of God’s judgment was that David would experience continual strife in his own family until his death. The passage today is an example as his son Absalom attempts to usurp David’s throne. It’s one thing to be attacked by a stranger. It’s another to be undermined by one’s own son.

Our passage has me thinking about my own relationships with my three young adult children. They are precious to me, so I cannot imagine David’s heartbreak when he learned of his son’s betrayal. Lord, watch over us who are parents, grandparents, children, and so on. Help us to love one another as you love us. Amen.