Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Samuel 18:9–18, “And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.”
Absalom came into the battle riding a mule. He wanted to show that he was an important leader and not just an ordinary soldier. He saw some of David’s men and tried to escape from them. He went through the trees and was caught in the fork of an overhanging branch by his neck. He was caught tight and could do nothing to escape. The mule kept going and he was hanging in the air, unable to reach the ground with his feet. One of David’s men saw Absalom hanging there and he called Joab. Joab had already given David advice to stay in the city because if David died there would be no reason to fight. Joab knew that the same was true of Absalom as well. Absalom wanted to the the next king but if Absalom was killed in the battle then there would be no rival for David’s throne. Joab told the man that he should have killed Absalom then he went and killed Absalom himself. Once Absalom was dead there was no need for the battle to continue so Joab got his trumpeter to sound and alarm to signal the end of the battle. They took Absalom’s body and threw it into a pit in the forest and covered it over with stones. They did this so there would be no monument to Absalom and, hence, no place where a future rebellion could be fostered.Absalom had already set up a monument to himself for he was a vain man.
No comments:
Post a Comment