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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 2 September 2025:
2 Samuel 19:1 — It was told Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
David’s grief over Absalom was profound and public. Though his son had rebelled, David’s fatherly heart could not be detached from sorrow. His mourning, however, threatened the morale of his troops, who had just risked their lives for him. This shows us how unchecked emotions, even legitimate ones, can cloud leadership and harm others. The New Testament reminds us that while grief is real, we do not grieve as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
2 Samuel 19:2 — So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.”
The joy of deliverance was overshadowed by David’s sorrow. What should have been a day of victory became one of confusion. Leaders set the tone for those they lead, and when they are overcome by personal emotions, it can dampen the collective spirit. Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice in the Lord always” reminds us that even in personal sorrow, our focus must remain on God’s goodness and victory.
2 Samuel 19:3 — And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle.
Instead of walking with boldness, the victorious men entered the city as if defeated. David’s misplaced response inadvertently shamed the very ones who saved him. This is a sobering reminder of the weight our reactions carry on others. Parents, pastors, or leaders can unintentionally discourage those they should affirm. Hebrews 10:24 urges us to “stir up one another to love and good works.”
2 Samuel 19:4 — The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
David’s personal lament continued, showing he was consumed with grief. While natural affection is good, excessive fixation on loss can hinder us from fulfilling responsibilities and purpose, failing to glorify God before others as we should. Even in mourning, we should demonstrate our hope in Christ. “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
2 Samuel 19:5-6 — Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.”
Joab confronted David with a hard truth: his misplaced grief was dishonoring those who had saved him. Joab accused David of loving his enemies more than his loyal servants. Though Joab’s tone was harsh, his point was valid — David’s excessive grief was unjust toward his people. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Sometimes love requires speaking uncomfortable truth.
2 Samuel 19:7 — “Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”
Joab warned David that if he did not encourage his men, he would lose everything. Leadership requires balance — compassion for personal loss, yet courage to lead others with strength. Ecclesiastes 3:4 reminds us there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh,” but wisdom knows which moment demands which response.
2 Samuel 19:8 — Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his own home.
David finally acted as king, taking his rightful seat in the gate, the place of judgment and leadership. His presence reassured the people and restored unity. Leaders must learn to set aside personal pain in order to fulfill their calling. Christ Himself is our example — though sorrowful in Gethsemane, He embraced the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).
2 Samuel 19:9-10 — And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
The people of Israel were conflicted. Though David had delivered them, his flight from Absalom left them unstable. Now they were uncertain about reestablishing him. Human loyalty can be fickle when not rooted in faithfulness. James 1:8 warns, “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
2 Samuel 19:11-12 — And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’”
David appealed to the tribe of Judah, his own people, urging them to restore him quickly. Instead of demanding loyalty, he gently reminded them of their shared bond. This reflects Christ, who appeals to us as His brothers (Hebrews 2:11), urging us to return to Him willingly rather than by compulsion.
2 Samuel 19:13 — And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.’”
David promised to elevate Amasa, once Absalom’s general, in place of Joab. This political move sought to reconcile divisions in Israel, though it also sowed seeds of future tension. Sometimes leaders must take risks for unity, but alliances built on expediency can prove costly. Jesus warned, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste” (Matthew 12:25).
2 Samuel 19:14-15 — And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, “Return, both you and all your servants.” So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan.
David’s strategy worked, and Judah was united to welcome him back. This marked the beginning of restoration after the turmoil of Absalom’s rebellion. True leadership involves not only military might but also wisdom in winning hearts. Paul echoes this in 2 Corinthians 6:11–13, where he appeals for believers’ hearts to be open and reconciled.
2 Samuel 19:16-17 — And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David. And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king.
The same Shimei who had cursed David in his flight now came with a thousand men to plead forgiveness. Alongside him was Ziba, whose loyalty to David had been questionable. Moments of restoration often reveal who seeks reconciliation and who seeks advantage. Jesus warned that not everyone who comes with flattery is truly repentant (Matthew 7:21).
2 Samuel 19:18-20 — And they crossed the ford to bring over the king’s household and to do his pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan, and said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
Shimei openly confessed his sin and sought forgiveness. While his sincerity is uncertain, his actions show that repentance is the right posture before a king. Spiritually, it reminds us that true repentance before Christ must be more than words — it must be a heart posture of surrender (Luke 18:13).
2 Samuel 19:21-23 — Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?” But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” And the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath.
Times of celebration are not times to cause divisions or hard feelings. From a position of strength, seek reconciliation rather than revenge, thereby demonstrating Christ-like mercy and grace.
David chose mercy over vengeance, sparing Shimei’s life. His decision reflected a desire for peace in Israel rather than bloodshed. This foreshadows Christ’s forgiveness, who even from the cross declared, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). Leadership in God’s kingdom is marked by mercy, not retaliation. However, the story doesn’t end here:
This is an interesting story. When David was down, Shimei kicked him. Now Shimei wants forgiveness. David appears to give it, but later David will tell Solomon to ensure Shimei’s execution (1 Kings 2:8, 9). This event had all the outward appearance of reconciliation, but it was not genuine.
2 Samuel 19:24-30 — And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” And the king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
Mephibosheth’s loyalty became evident as he explained his absence during David’s flight. His appearance showed his mourning, while his words displayed humility and gratitude. Unlike Ziba, Mephibosheth sought nothing for himself. His willingness to forfeit his inheritance revealed his heart. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
2 Samuel 19:31-39 — Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. And the king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you.” And the king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. And the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home.
Barzillai, the aged benefactor of David, declined the king’s offer to dwell in Jerusalem, choosing instead to end his days quietly in his homeland. His humility and contentment shone as he deferred the blessing to his servant Chimham. Barzillai’s wisdom reminds us that true generosity expects nothing in return, reflecting Christ’s teaching in Luke 14:12–14 about serving those who cannot repay.
2 Samuel 19:40-43 — The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way. Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?” All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?” And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
The chapter closes with renewed division between Judah and the other tribes. Though David’s restoration was underway, tribal jealousy and rivalry continued to smolder. This foreshadowed deeper fractures that would eventually divide the kingdom under Rehoboam. Unity among God’s people must be guarded diligently, as Paul exhorted in Ephesians 4:3, “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 2 September 2025: Practice leadership that balances compassion with responsibility. Today, choose one area where grief, discouragement, or personal preference might be clouding your ability to encourage and lead others well. Set aside self-focus and instead speak life, affirmation, or encouragement to someone under your influence. By doing so, you follow Christ’s example of carrying the cross with joy, not despair, for the sake of others.
Pray: “Lord, give me wisdom to balance my emotions with the responsibilities You have entrusted to me. Help me to mourn with those who mourn, but also to rejoice with those who rejoice. Guard me from discouraging others by being consumed with self, and fill me with Your Spirit to speak words that uplift and unify. May my leadership, whether in my family, workplace, or community, reflect Christ’s mercy, humility, and strength. Amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 