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42. David's Flight
from his Son Absalom.
Of all the calamities,
the most painful to the king was his own unworthy son Absalom. Absalom,
the unworthy one, harboured in his heart the wicked thought of casting
his father off the throne and having himself proclaimed king in his
place. So he came to the gates of Jerusalem from time to time early in
the morning, when the people of the country were coming into the city,
and spoke to them. When he heard that someone wanted to approach the
king and present a case to him, the treacherous man said to him, ‘Your
case is just and simple, but you will not be heard by the king. - O, who
will make me judge in the land,’ he exclaimed, ’that any man may come to
me to do him justice?’ And if anyone wanted to do him honour as a royal
prince, he did not allow it, but kissed him like a brother and friend.
This pleased the simple-minded and inexperienced people, and so he stole
the hearts of the men of Israel from his father through slander and
slippery behaviour. But even this will not go unrecognised. Nothing
remains unforgotten.
For when Absalom thought his cause was certain, he said to his father
that he would go to the city of Hebron and worship the Lord; the
reprobate hypocrite! In that city he sent messengers throughout Israel:
‘When you hear the sound of the trumpet, say, ’Absalom is king. When
David learnt this, he thought it advisable to flee with the army that
was in Jerusalem, lest the rebel capture them and destroy the city,
Jerusalem, the city of the people. God gave him comfort at the very
beginning of his flight. For as he surveyed his army that was travelling
with him, he also saw Ithai with the six hundred, and Ithai was not a
native of the land. David said, ‘Return with your brothers to the king,
for you are a stranger. Yesterday you came, and today you want to go
with me, and I myself do not yet know where I am going.’ But Ithai said:
‘Wherever my lord the king will be, whether it is life or death, your
servant will be there too.’ Ithai proved his loyalty to his king.
David went up the Mount of Olives with his face covered and barefoot
like a penitent, weeping, and all the people with him wept. And when
they came to Bachurim, there came out a man named Shimei, of the family
of Saul, with a vengeful and malicious heart. He cursed the king and
threw stones at him: ‘Out,’ he shouted, ‘out, you bloodhound, you
hopeless man!’ Abishai wanted to kill the foolish man. But David said:
‘Let him curse! The Lord has told him to. Perhaps God will see my misery
and repay me with kindness for his cursing.’ Blessed is he who can still
hope for God's blessing when people wish him evil!
But God comforted him a second time when he crossed the Jordan through
the desert to Mahanaim. For there he again found many good men who were
faithful to him. Barzillai and other men who were faithful to him
brought together what was needed in the way of bedding, dishes and all
kinds of food to refresh and feed the king and his weary army.
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