A Crazy Father

“O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam 18:33)

King David cries these words when he learns that his son Absalom had died in battle.  For years Absalom had secretly won the hearts of the Israelites as he gained support for a bid for kingship.  Once that support had been gained, he declared himself king and marched on Jerusalem, forcing his father to flee.  To add insult to injury Absalom slept with his father’s concubines in a tent on the palace rooftop before marching out to hunt down David.

Fortunately the battle (and the forest) favored David’s men; Absalom and 20,000 of his rebels losing their lives.  The civil war and the shame was brought swiftly to an end.  And yet David would have traded it all that his son might live.

As a father, I think I understand.  But then again, David seems a little crazy to be that upset about a son who masterminded a rebellion and wanted him dead.

But, David was a man after God’s own heart.  The things David cared most deeply about are things closest to God’s heart.  And the intense poetic passion with which David lived and breathed kept pace with God’s own fiery character.  God would rather die himself than to have mankind live in rebellion to him.

The horror of Absalom’s rebellion brings light to the true nature of our sin.  Yet our battle with God ends very differently, with Christ himself dying in our stead and sharing with us his kingdom, inviting us into adoption.

Oh heart of mine, be ever grateful for a God with a crazy father’s heart.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”  (Romans 5:10)