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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 28 August 2025:
2 Samuel 14:1 — Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom.
Joab discerned David’s conflicted longing for Absalom, who had fled after murdering Amnon. Though Absalom’s crime was grave, David’s fatherly affection pulled against his kingly duty to uphold justice. Joab sought to exploit this tension to restore Absalom, though his motives were not entirely pure. The struggle between justice and mercy here foreshadows the Gospel: God alone fully satisfies both justice and mercy through the cross of Christ (Romans 3:25–26).
2 Samuel 14:2–3 — And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
Joab orchestrated a deceptive parable, much like Nathan had done in chapter 12, though Nathan’s motive was to bring repentance, while Joab’s was political expediency. The woman’s disguise reflects Joab’s willingness to manipulate appearances to achieve his desired outcome. This reveals how worldly wisdom often leans on cunning rather than truth (James 3:14–15).
The Bible makes clear that Christians are not to use the “weapons of the world” such as anger to generate fear, lying, flattery, temptation, deception through creating false impressions, or withholding truth in order to control others or manipulate situations. These fleshly tactics belong to darkness, not to Christ, and they stand opposed to the Spirit of truth. Paul reminds us that though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual and powerful through God. To resort to manipulation, intimidation, or deceit is to fight with the wrong weapons.
Jesus said Satan is the father of lies, and to speak falsehood is to bear his image rather than God’s. In contrast, believers are called to speak the truth plainly, for we are members of one another. God Himself is not after mere outward compliance but hearts that are reconciled to Him and motivated by love. He rebuked Israel for honoring Him with their lips while their hearts were far from Him, and Christ explained that true obedience flows from love for Him. Therefore, we are called to walk as children of light, with transparency, honesty, and goodness, and to renounce all cunning or underhanded ways.
Even if the intended outcome seems good, Scripture forbids doing evil that good may come, because the ends never justify the means. Biblical examples confirm this truth: Jacob deceived Isaac with false impressions and lived with years of conflict and estrangement as a result; Ananias and Sapphira withheld truth and lied to appear more righteous than they were, and judgment fell upon them; Absalom used flattery and deception to steal the hearts of Israel, but his manipulations ended in ruin. These accounts show that “weapons of the world” only corrupt hearts and destroy relationships.
As God’s ambassadors, our calling is to reflect His character by open statements of truth and appeals made in love, seeking not external control of behavior but inner transformation of the heart. God could easily force people to obey Him, but instead He draws us with His love, desiring reconciled hearts united with His. As His children, we must also resist the temptation to manipulate and instead reveal His truth in love, inspiring others toward obedience born not of fear but of love. For perfect love casts out fear, and it is God’s love that transforms us, just as it is His love working through us that draws others to Him.
Many will read this and say, “I am not a manipulator,” but manipulation often takes subtler forms than we realize, and it can creep into our habits without us noticing. Pretending to be something we are not, hiding our true feelings on a matter in order to avoid discomfort, feigning enthusiasm to gain acceptance, or using flattery to win favor are all ways we can distort truth for our own advantage. Even in everyday contexts, like sales, manipulation can appear when someone highlights only the positive attributes of a product while deliberately ignoring the negative ones to sway another’s decision. These may seem harmless or even “normal,” but they are forms of deception that do not reflect God’s character. As children of the light, we are called to be transparent and honest, trusting God with the outcomes rather than subtly bending truth to gain what we want. The challenge for every believer is to carefully examine their words, motives, and actions, asking whether they spring from love and truth or from a desire to control and gain. Subtle deception is still deception, and God calls us to put it away and walk in the light.
Verses: 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; John 8:44; Ephesians 4:25; Isaiah 29:13; John 14:15; Ephesians 5:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6; Romans 3:7-8; Genesis 27; Acts 5:1-11; 2 Samuel 15:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 John 4:18–19.
2 Samuel 14:4-7 — When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
The fabricated story parallels David’s situation with Absalom, appealing to David’s sense of compassion for preserving the heir, despite guilt. David, moved by mercy, would naturally seek to protect the woman’s remaining son, which Joab hoped would set a precedent for Absalom. This narrative exposes David’s tendency to be swayed by emotional appeals rather than holding consistently to God’s standards.
Again, this is why manipulation, in all its forms, is so bad – it plays upon the weakness of others while failing to transform their hearts. In this case, when David is swayed into emotional compassion, he may convince himself he is, in fact, a truly compassionate person, but his compassion is actually situation dependent rather than the consistent outflowing of who he really is.
2 Samuel 14:8-11 — Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
David made a solemn vow, sparing the woman’s supposed son, thereby opening himself to Joab’s argument for Absalom. The language recalls Jesus’ words that not a hair of His people will perish (Luke 21:18), though here David’s mercy is inconsistent and compromised, unlike the perfect justice and mercy of Christ.
2 Samuel 14:12-17 — Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid…”
Her argument pressed David to see the inconsistency between his compassion for a stranger’s case and his hardness toward Absalom. She even invoked God’s mercy as devising ways to restore the banished, which contains a kernel of truth pointing ultimately to Christ, who reconciles the estranged (Colossians 1:21–22). Yet Joab’s manipulation distorted this truth for political ends, not godly repentance.
2 Samuel 14:13 – And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again.”
God’s ways combine justice and mercy, holding people accountable while allowing for reconciliation. The world often demands justice without mercy or no justice at all. (2 Samuel 14:10)
2 Samuel 14:14 — But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.
The Father provided His Son, Jesus that we would not remain as outcasts.
2 Samuel 14:18–20 — Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you.” And the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.”
David recognized Joab’s hand in the scheme, revealing both Joab’s craftiness and David’s discernment. Yet David tolerated Joab’s manipulation because it aligned with his own inner desire for Absalom’s return. This shows how even a discerning leader can yield to flattery and compromise when the heart is conflicted.
David always knew Joab was conniving, but he accepted it because, generally, he found Joab’s deceptiveness useful. However, it will come back to hurt David. The Bible is very clear – you can’t play with sin without getting burnt eventually.
2 Samuel 14:21-24 — Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king’s presence.
David allowed Absalom’s return but withheld reconciliation. This partial restoration — neither full justice nor full mercy– was dangerous. Halfway forgiveness leaves wounds unhealed and hearts embittered. The Gospel, by contrast, brings full reconciliation through repentance and forgiveness in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18–19).
Halfway forgiveness leaves hearts embittered and alienated, because it grants proximity without intimacy and presence without peace. Absalom’s bitterness only deepened, and what began as distance would soon erupt in rebellion. The Gospel, however, offers genuine reconciliation, restoration, renewal, and soul rest – when fully accepted. In Christ, God does not merely allow us to return near His kingdom but forbids us His presence; instead, He brings us fully into His embrace as reconciled children. Paul writes, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Corinthians 5:18–19). God does not hold us at arm’s length after forgiving us; He brings us home, washing us clean, removing our guilt, and adopting us as sons and daughters with full access to His presence.
Yet many Christians live as though their forgiveness were partial, never fully accepting the grace of God. They linger in guilt, fear, or bitterness, as though God’s grace were insufficient to heal the past. Some allow shame to control them, still defining themselves by their failures rather than by Christ’s finished work. Others maintain an outward form of religion, but because they have not embraced the power of grace, they walk in a powerless faith. As Paul warned, there are those who “have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Like Absalom in Jerusalem, they dwell near the things of God but remain estranged from His heart.
This condition is spiritually dangerous. Those who live in partial restoration often grow resentful, hopeless, or indifferent, because they have never experienced the freedom and joy of full reconciliation with God. Instead of living in the newness of life, they remain chained to the old self, consumed by guilt or bitterness. The result can be despair, unbelief, and even abandonment of faith altogether. But God’s desire is not partial restoration — it is abundant life. Jesus declared, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). True faith is not satisfied with being near the kingdom; it presses into the King Himself, embracing the fullness of forgiveness, reconciliation, and love that Christ purchased at the cross. Only then do we find the joy of His presence and the power of His Spirit to truly live changed lives.
2 Samuel 14:24 — Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.
Both David and Absalom desired reconciliation, but David couldn’t bring himself to offer total forgiveness. Partial forgiveness is not forgiveness and does not fulfill our mission of reconciliation.
2 Samuel 14:25-27 — Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.
The narrator highlights Absalom’s physical beauty and charisma, which foreshadow how Israel would be captivated by him in the coming rebellion. External charm can mask internal corruption, reminding us to judge not by appearances but by the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
2 Samuel 14:27 – There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.
Absalom named his daughter Tamar, presumably after his sister Tamar who was raped by Amnon. Absalom never got over what happened to his sister, and it affected his character development, his decision-making, and the course of his life. It is a terrible thing to be driven by anger, bitterness, and by a quest for revenge.
2 Samuel 14:28-33 — So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king’s presence. Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. Then he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.’ Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.” Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom . So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
Absalom acted out to get attention; behind the destructiveness was hurt. Though David kissed him, the reconciliation was hollow – Neither Absalom nor David were repentant and forgiving, and David had not addressed the underlying sin. This false peace set the stage for greater disaster in the kingdom. True reconciliation requires surrender, repentance, forgiveness, and acceptance of forgiveness, all grounded in truth (Luke 17:3–4).
2 Samuel 14:32 — Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.
Again, Absalom wanted to settle things with his father. Never be the barrier to reconciliation.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 28 August 2025: Do not settle for halfhearted forgiveness or outward peace while bitterness and ambition remain beneath the surface. David’s unresolved relationship with Absalom became fertile ground for rebellion, destruction, and death. In Christ, God calls us to accept and practice full reconciliation — honest repentance, true forgiveness, and restored fellowship (Ephesians 4:31–32). Today, take one step to repair a strained relationship by addressing both truth and mercy, not leaving matters unresolved.
Pray: “Heavenly Father, thank You for devising means that the banished may be restored through Christ’s sacrifice. Forgive me for the times I have offered partial forgiveness or tolerated unresolved sin out of fear, pride, or weakness. Give me courage to pursue reconciliation that is honest, merciful, and rooted in Your truth. Keep me from the shallow peace that hides bitterness, and instead let Your Spirit work genuine healing and restoration in my relationships. May I reflect the full justice and mercy of Christ in how I treat others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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