14:1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see Absalom. 

 

Absalom lived in exile for three years. David longed to see his son Absalom, but it was not the best political decision to make at this time. Fear of public opinion made David hesitant to pardon and reinstate his son.

 

14:2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning and put on garments for mourning. Don’t anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time.

 

General Joab was a crafty politician. He formerly lived in Tekoa, so he may have known this wise woman for a while. Tekoa was the city of the prophet Amos. Joab used the wise woman as a strategic tool to reconcile David and Absalom.

 

14:3 Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion.” Then Joab told her what to say.

 

Joab taught the woman what to say.

 

14:4 So the Tekoan woman went to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, “Please help me, O king!” 

 

The Tekoan woman approached the king with a court case. Court cases were handled at the gates of the city. If the case was too difficult to handle, then it was sent to the king.

 

14:5 The king replied to her, “What do you want?” She answered, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 

 

Everything that the woman said was a lie. The woman claimed to be a widow, meaning that she was supported by her sons. Widows were often killed with their husbands in ancient pagan societies. The Mosaic Law protected widows.

 

14:6 Your servant has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him. 

 

The woman claimed that her two sons fought each other and one of them was killed.

 

14:7 Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, ‘Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal, leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.”

 

The family demanded that the son be executed for murder. However, the woman would have no seed to carry on the name of her dead husband.

 

14:8 Then the king told the woman, “Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation.”

 

David commanded the woman to return to her home and David would later send her a judgment on her case.

 

14:9 The Tekoan woman said to the king, “My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!” 

 

The woman pressured David to make an immediate judgment. 

 

14:10 The king said, “Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!” 

 

David would stop anyone from bothering the woman about this situation.

 

14:11 She replied, “In that case, let the king invoke the name of the Lord your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!” He replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.” 

 

The avenger of blood was a family member who was responsible for killing anyone who murdered one of their own family members. David promised the widow that no one would kill her only surviving sons.

 

14:12 Then the woman said, “Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter.” He replied, “Tell me.” 

 

The woman had a second request for the king.

 

14:13 The woman said, “Why have you devised something like this against God’s people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished. 

 

The woman informed David that as long as Absalom remained in exile, then the welfare and safety of Israel was being threatened. If David could show mercy to a son that he did not know, then how come he could not show mercy to his own son?

 

14:14 Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.

 

This is the second law of thermodynamics. Everything in the universe decays and eventually dies. Once water spills on the ground, then it cannot be gathered again. Once God takes away a life, then it can no longer serve in this lifetime. The woman was telling David that life was short and he needed to bring back his son for the sake of Israel.

 

14:15 I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful. But your servant said, ‘I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant asks. 

 

The woman’s relatives made her fearful, because she thought they would arise and kill her son.

 

14:16 Yes! The king may listen and deliver his female servant from the hand of the man who seeks to remove both me and my son from the inheritance God has given us!’

 

Just as many were seeking to kill the woman’s son, so were those who were seeking to kill David’s son. David possessed the same fear as the woman.

 

14:17 So your servant said, ‘May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the Lord your God be with you!’ ” 

 

The woman attempted to flatter David by comparing his wisdom to that of an angel.

 

14:18 Then the king replied to the woman, “Don’t hide any information from me when I question you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king speak!” ’

 

David began to suspect the source and motive of this audience. He commanded the woman to speak to him the truth.

 

14:19 The king said, “Did Joab put you up to all of this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, there is no deviation to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has said. For your servant Joab gave me instructions. He has put all these words in your servant’s mouth. 

 

The woman confessed that General Joab sent her with this false story.

 

14:20 Your servant Joab did this so as to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like that of the angel of God, and knows everything that is happening in the land.”

 

The woman attempted to flatter David once again.

 

14:21 Then the king said to Joab, “All right! I will do this thing! Go and bring back the young man Absalom! 

 

King David ordered General Joab to bring Absalom out of exile.

 

14:22 Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground and thanked the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your servant!”

 

Joab’s motives were selfish. He wanted to gain the king’s gratitude so that he would have greater influence in Israel. 

 

14:23 So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

 

Geshur was a Bedouin king and grandfather of Absalom. 

 

14:24 But the king said, “Let him go over to his own house. He may not see my face.” So Absalom went over to his own house; he did not see the king’s face.

 

Absalom returned to Jerusalem, but the was not allowed to see his father.

 

14:25 Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom. From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance.

 

Absalom was tall, dark, and handsome. Like Saul, he had the appearance of a king. His appearance made him very popular among the people.

 

Modern political parties often choose candidates that appeal to their voter’s eye. One example was John Kennedy. John Kennedy had less political experience that Richard Nixon, but the invention of television helped Kennedy to win the election. Nixon looked old, sweaty, and run down on television, because television makeup was primitive at this time. Kennedy looked young and robust. He had a beautiful wife. Kennedy appealed to the eye gate of the people and won the election. 

 

The appearance of Jesus was never mentioned in the Bible. If his appearance was mentioned, then people would create and worship idols of his physical appearance.

 

One of Satan’s major weapons is physical appearance. Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Often, Hollywood will hire beautiful people to give a subtle message which glorifies the satanic world system.

 

14:26 When he would shave his head—at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too long and he would shave it—he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds according to the king’s weight. 

 

Absalom’s hair weighed between three and five pounds. It was against the Mosaic Law for men to have long hair, unless they were making a Nazarite vow. Long hair was the shame of man. 

 

Many rock stars and athletes wear their hear long today because of the demands of the culture in which they live. The demands of the culture are part of the satanic world system. The Mosaic Law is no longer operative, but it does reveal the mind of God. Under this law, God did not approve of long hair. Satan knows this and he encourages his men to grow out their hair as a subtle rebellion against God.

 

Many modern portraits show Jesus wearing long hair. These portraits are not accurate, because Jesus kept all of the Mosaic Law. He never took a Nazarite vow, because He was God.

 

14:27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman.

 

Absalom named his daughter after his sister Tamar. This name could have been a political statement to remind the people of Israel that his sister was violated and his father did nothing about it.

 

14:28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king’s face. 

 

After two years, David refused to see Absalom.

 

14:29 Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come. 

 

Absalom was getting frustrated about his father’s separation from him. Therefore, Absalom sent two messages to General Joab about this situation, but Joab refused to answer.

 

14:30 So he said to his servants, “Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set Joab’s portion of the field on fire. 

 

To get General Joab’s attention, Absalom set Joab’s field on fire. This was a serious crime, because it destroyed the livelihood of the owner and workers. Absalom was not repentant and submissive. Instead, he was manipulative.

 

14:31 Then Joab got up and came to Absalom’s house. He said to him, “Why did your servants set my portion of field on fire?” 

 

Absalom wanted to know why Absalom set his field on fire.

 

14:32 Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent a message to you saying, ‘Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message: “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.” ’ Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!” 

 

He wanted an ultimatum delivered to David. He either wanted an audience or he wanted to be executed. This was another strong political move by Absalom. His message was that Absalom was the avenger of blood. Since his father did not act, Absalom was to act.

 

14:33 So Joab went to the king and informed him. The king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him. 

 

The kiss signified David’s forgiveness. Absalom bowed to his father who was also the King. This meant that Absalom accepted his father as king. However, for Absalom this was only a sign of formality. Absalom was very angry that his father did nothing to avenge his sister. He was very upset that he was exiled, while his older brother was not. He will begin to plan revenge upon his father.