Today’s passage: 2 Samuel 18
Helpful thoughts:
- Men from Gath of the Philistines (Ittai the Gittite) and from Cush in Africa were loyal and fought with David in Israel. God has always intended for and welcomed the nations into His family by faith. (Leviticus 19:34, Romans 4:13-18)
- David considered Absalom his boy and desired to be restored after this rebellion.
- This rebellion cost the lives of 20,000 Israelites.
- Words like “happened” and “a certain man”, and the fact that the forest killed more men than the sword, remind us that even though things look like chance, God is providentially in control.
- A heap of stones covered Absalom in his death. This mimicked the death of stoning which was due a rebellious son (Deuteronomy 21:20-21) and had been utilized in the past against Israel’s enemies (Joshua 7:26).
Questions to consider:
- Why do you think Joab was so ready to disobey David’s orders? How might the people who supported David felt after David mourned the loss of Absalom before the loss of so many soldiers?
- How did the Cushite’s word choice reflect a different view of Absalom from David’s? How did the Cushite speak of Absalom?
- What might you have noticed is missing from this chapter? Who hasn’t David consulted? In what ways have David’s priorities gotten out of sorts? How has he allowed his despair to take over in a way that prevented him from seeking the Lord? How has this changed his view of what was happening?