THE END OF ABSALOM After few days of setting Absalom, the arrogant rebel, on the throne as a king of all Israel, he gathered his great army to kill David ... He entered into a battle that was a shadow of the battle of the cross; in which David and his men came out victorious, while Absalom and his men were destroyed. David was a symbol of Christ, the living victorious while Absalom was a symbol of the devil, which the Lord killed on the cross and whose authority He destroyed. 1- David organizes his troops 1-5 2- The defeat of Israel 6-8 3- The end of Absalom 9-15 4- The return of David’s men 16-18 5- David mourns for Absalom 19-23 1- David organizes his troops: After Absalom the rebel was set on the throne, he gathered his great army, and crossed the Jordan to fight against David and his men; seeking to kill David. In this he symbolized the Devil, who, with his deceit and pride, became the ruler of this world (John 14: 30); who gathered together all his followers to get rid of the Messiah. At the same time, David numbered the people who were with him, to organize his troops in Mahnaim. The historian Josephus estimated their number to be 4000 men, which was very small compared to Absalom’s army. Following the example of the prophet Moses (Exodus 18: 25), and that of Saul (1 Samuel 22: 7), David set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. He then sent out one third under the hand of Joab, one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite, who showed his loyalty in the time of affliction, refusing to stay in Jerusalem with Absalom, to partake of David’s sufferings and sojourn (2 Samuel 15: 18). David intended to be the supreme commander of the three divisions, to lead them by himself ; but the people who heard about the counsel of Ahithophel, and realized the intentions of Absalom to concentrate on killing David, asked him not to go out; as his death would bring about the fall of the whole army (2 Samuel 21: 17); while if he stayed back, he would support them with his counsel and planning. By organizing his army, David represents the Lord Christ, who sets His men as spiritual soldiers to wrestle till the end to destroy evil and the devil ... to destroy the sin, but not the sinners; the corruption, but not those deceived by corruption. The apostle Paul says: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6: 11, 12); and: “You therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in Warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2: 3, 4). The saintly fathers believe that the Lord Christ is Himself, our weapon in the 126 battle. St. Ambrose says: [As long as Christ is there, we have got a defense toward our salvation1]. And St. Augustine says: [Our armory is Christ2]. David listened to their quest and stayed back in the city; but with compassion he commanded his three captains: “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom” (2 Samuel 18: 5). This was not the command of a war leader, but that of a compassionate father, who saw his rebellious son as a lad who needed fatherly compassion. This is how many of the fathers of the Church see every angry man of their flock-a little lad who needs love more than anything else. If this is how the human father feels toward his rebellious son, and the Bishop or the Priest toward one of their congregation; how would our heavenly Father the Lord Jesus Christ, feel toward the sinners?! He seeks us all, and with compassion, he waits for a sign from us, to receive our life, and to dwell and find comfort in our hearts. He has prepared the banquet, and has set the first garment, and the ring of son hood, waiting for every rebellious son to return to him. There is no comparison between David and Absalom: David who loved all the people, cared only for his rebellious son; while Absalom came by himself to battle, with one goal, which was to kill his father! 2- The defeat of Israel: As Absalom came into battle, David had to command his men to move out of Mahnaim; to spare its inhabitants, who gave him and his men hospitality, any unwarranted suffering. Such was David’s gentle feelings and care to spare everyone any harm on his account. The battle was in the woods of Ephraim, east of the Jordan; and not the woods west of it (Joshua 17: 18), where the Ephramites were defeated before ‘Jephthah’ and the people of Gilead (Judges 12: 6). Absalom and his mighty army were defeated before the much fewer number of David’s men. Israel was scattered all over the woods, followed by David’s men, who killed 12,000 of them; and the woods devoured more people that day, than those whom the sword devoured (2 Samuel 18: 8). It is as though nature itself fought against that wicked man, as it did during the crucifixion. Their fall was a symbol of the fall of those who denied faith and rejected the heavenly Son of David, to live according to their earthly thoughts and their bodily lusts, following the arrogant Absalom (the symbol of the devil). St. Augustine says: [All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him” (Psalm 22: 29). Only our Lord Jesus Christ will see how those who forsake the heavenly way of life, and adopt the earthly choice, will fall; to look before other people, who cannot see their fall (their perdition), as though happy3]. 3- The end of Absalom: Absalom rode on a mule though he used to ride on chariots and horses; and under the thick boughs of the woods, his long and dense hair, caught in the branches of a terebinth tree; and as the mule which was under him went on, he was left hanging between heaven and earth. Now a certain man saw this and told Joab what he saw to be 1 Conc. Virgins 2:29. 2 adv. Jovinianus 2:3 3On Ps. 22. 127 scolded by Joab for not striking him there to the ground; he would have given him ten shekels of silver and an adorned belt. But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware lest anyone touches the young man Absalom” (2 Samuel 18: 12). Joab took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him. Joab disobeyed David’s command, because he felt that Absalom’s life represented danger against David himself, as well as against the whole kingdom. As we previously said, that the end of Absalom symbolizes, as far as the believers are concerned, the battle of the cross, in which the powers of the devil were completely destroyed by the crucified Savior; according to the following aspects: a- David’s men went outside the city of ‘Mahnaim,’ to enter into a fierce battle against Absalom and his men --more numerous and far stronger. In a similar way, as our Christ was lifted up on the cross out of Jerusalem; the apostle Paul calls on us “to go forth to him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrew 13: 13); to enter into a battle against the very fierce devil, together with his uncountable and equally fierce and violent hosts ... Yet, in Jesus Christ, we shall attain conquest and victory, destroying all his deceptions and tricks, and all his power and might. He will become very weak, he and all his evil works, if we hide in our victorious Christ. b- Absalom used the mule that belonged to his father, instead of the horse he used to ride. While David used to ride that mule to war to conquer, that same mule went on under Absalom, leaving him hanging between heaven and earth. We can say with the scholar Origen: [The Lord Christ was lifted publicly on the cross; yet it was the devil, who lost his authority, and had his possibilities crucified. On the same cross Christ reigned, and the devil was destroyed; The apostle says: By the cross, “He disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2: 15). He conquered the whole world as we can see brethren ... He conquered ..., not by military power, but by the ignorance of the cross! St. Augustine1 The Lord disarmed principalities and powers by his cross; That was why our Lord came: to cast them away, to get back man-His home and temple St. Macari the Great2 The same tree, by which the devil conquered us, the Lord rescued us. Blessed is He, who, as a true lamb, saved us, and destroyed the one who destroyed us; like what happened with the idol ‘Dagon’. St. (Mar) Ephram the Syrian3 c- The beautiful and dense hair of Absalom, that drew many to set him a king (2 .٤٦٨ ¡ 1 الحب الإلهي، ص ٤٦٧ . 2 الحب الإلهي، ص ٤٦٩ 3 الحب الإلهي، ص ٤٦٩ 128 Samuel 14: 25-27), caught in the terebinth, to leave him hanging between heaven and earth, unable to escape death. So is the body, with all its good members, emotions, and feelings that God made in us, if they go astray, will turn to become the cause for our perdition. The fault is not in the body, nor in its energies-as all are the work of a good Creator, but the fault is in us, who turn what is good into a cause for our perdition. d- Absalom was left hanging between heaven and earth; referring to the devil, destroyed by the cross, to find no comfort in heaven, where he has no place, nor on earth, that will not last for him ... he will fall to where he will neither enjoy heaven nor earth. e- Absalom’s heart was thrust with spears while alive, by the hand of Joab, as well as by his young men. Joab represents the congregation of saints, mighty in faith, who destroy the devil, thrusting spears into his heart; while the young men, refer to the simple believers, who persist on fighting the devil, who, for them, has lost his ability to move. St. John Chrysostom likens him to the dog who barks before its home, but turns into a coward before an innocent kid. 4- The return of David’s men: Once Absalom was dead, Joab blew the trumpet to hold back the people and to put an end to the fighting. It is the trumpet of the Word of God, uttered by believers, through which to proclaim the life of conquest, and the end of the devil. Absalom’s body was unceremoniously cast into a large pit in the woods, disregarding his dignity as the son of a king. He sought temporal dignity with all his energies, to lose it when dead, and even after death. He became a lesson to every soul that rebels against God-its Father. They laid very large heap of stones over him; as though stoning him, for his rebellion against the statutes of the law (Deuteronomy 21: 20, 21). In some parts of the east, there is still a custom, for passersby to cast stones on the tombs of criminals. Absalom died only few weeks after he ascended the throne; his three children (2 Samuel 14: 27) had died during their father’s lifetime. A memorial pillar called ‘Absalom’s hand’ was set up in the king’s valley; as a message to anyone who thinks of practicing rebellion. 5- David mourns for Absaom: Joab expected that the king, so fond of his son Absalom, would not receive the news of victory with joy, because of the death of his son; So he did not want Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the priest, to take the news to the king; but sent a Cushite slave instead. Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain; namely the Jordan valley, to Mahnaim, and outran the Cushite, who took an easier but a longer way. Ahimaaz reached David, who was sitting between the two gates; namely on a roof connecting a gate toward the wilderness, and another toward the city; where a watchman went up to tell David what he saw. Ahimaaz gave David the good news, but did not add a single word concerning Absalom. David realized from the report of the Cushite that his son died; He was deeply moved, and wept bitterly; probably for the following reasons: a- Natural fatherly feelings of compassion; especially that David was known for his tender soul. b- Having had for Absalom a special feeling; expecting his personality to get 129 mature with time, and through continuous experiences. c- Feeling that Absalom was not ready to die; having not yet repented. d- Feeling that he had not properly raised his children. e- Feeling that what happened to Absalom, was the fruit of his own old crime.
Welcome