2 Samuel 15; 16:17
Christ also suffered for us... Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself unto him that judgeth righteously.
YOU remember, my dear children, that God said He would punish David, though He had forgiven him.
David had a great many children, and some of them were very wicked when they grew up. I cannot tell you about all his bad children, but I will tell you of one called Absalom. He was a very proud young man; he was very handsome, and he had beautiful hair, and he was very vain of his beauty: he also told falsehoods, and he even killed one of his brothers who had offended him. When David heard how Absalom had killed his brother, he was angry with him for a long time, and would not see him; but at last he let him come to his palace, and kissed him, and forgave him. David ought never to have allowed Absalom to come to Jerusalem again after he had killed his brother: but David was too fond of Absalom.
Yet Absalom did not love his father David. He wished to be king instead of David, and so he behaved very kindly to all the people in Jerusalem, that they might love him better than they loved his father, and make him king. He used sometimes to kiss the poor people that he saw, and tell them that if he were king he would be very kind to them.
This kind way of behaving made the people love Absalom; for they thought that he really cared for them. How very sly and deceitful Absalom was!
When Absalom saw that many of the people loved him, he asked David's leave to go from Jerusalem into the country. And David gave him leave. David did not know what a wicked plan Absalom had made. This was the wicked plan.
Absalom had desired a great many men to wait till they heard the sound of a trumpet, and when they heard it—to cry out, 'Absalom is king!' So when Absalom had left Jerusalem, and come into the country, he desired the trumpet to be blown, and a great many of the people called out, `Absalom is king!' and they came to Absalom to be his soldiers.
Poor David was in Jerusalem, and a messenger came and told him that Absalom had made himself king.
How grieved David was to hear this news! He could not bear to think that his son was so wicked as to make himself king. Then David thought of his own sin, and he felt that he deserved to be punished. He knew that it was God that let all these sad things happen to him.
David would not stay in Jerusalem, for he thought that Absalom would soon come there, and would perhaps kill him, and his servants. So the king left his palace on Mount Zion, to go a great way off. There were many people in Jerusalem who loved David, and they went with him.
First they crossed a little river that was outside Jerusalem, and as they went over all the people wept. They wept to think that their dear king was obliged to leave his house, and to wander about without a home.
Then David and his servants went up a high hill; and David wept as he went up, and he covered his head, and he wore no shoes on his feet; he did these things to show he was very sad. All the people with him did the same, and wept as they went up. You see how much the people loved David.
And when David was come to the top of the hill he prayed to God. He knew that God would comfort him in his distress.
Then David went on his journey. Soon he met a very wicked man who hated him, and who called David very bad names, and even threw stones at David and his soldiers. This wicked man called David a child of the devil, and said, 'You killed Saul and his children, and now God is punishing you for your wickedness.'
Had David killed Saul or his children? O no! The man told lies of David. But David had killed Uriah, and God was punishing him for that sin. One of David's friends said to him, 'Do not let that wicked man call you names; let me go and take off his head.' But David said, 'No: the Lord lets him curse me: and I will not hinder him. My own son seeks to kill me. I am not surprised that this man curses me.'
How meekly David behaved! This was the way that Jesus behaved to wicked people. You see, my dear children, what we should do when people are unkind and cruel to us. We ought not to give them rude answers, but we ought to think of the bad things we have done, and behave meekly.
This wicked man went on cursing and throwing stones and dust at David and his soldiers. At last David and his men came to a place where they rested themselves, for they were very tired. David and his soldiers traveled a long way. At last they crossed over the river Jordan. I believe they found some place where the water was not deep. On the other side there was a place called a wilderness.
There were three very rich men, who lived near the wilderness, and who heard of poor David and his men having come there; and these rich men said, 'They must be very hungry, and thirsty, and weary, in the wilderness;' so they brought David and his men a great many things: beds to rest their weary limbs upon, and basins and cups to drink out of, and corn, and vegetables, and honey, and butter, and cheese, and sheep to eat. These rich men were very kind; God put it in their hearts to be kind to poor David in his distress.
While David was in the wilderness he often prayed to God, and asked God to comfort him. David felt that he deserved to be punished: so he behaved very meekly. This is the way, dear children, you should behave when you are punished for your faults. If you are really sorry, you will not be angry with the people who punish you; but when you are in disgrace, you will pray to God to forgive you, and to put His Spirit in your heart to make you good.
Alas! what mournful tones
Are heard from David's harp!
Ah! listen to those groans
That tell of trouble sharp:
How different from the joyful strain
That late made Zion ring again!
Ah! well may David weep:
He shed Uriah's blood.
Should not his grief be deep,
Who has offended God?
When God was pleased 'twas light around,
But all was darkness when He frowned.
And will the Lord again
Cheer David with His beams,
And wash away the stain
Of sin in mercy's streams?
Then David's heart with joy shall glow,
His lips with praises overflow.
Child
It oft has grieved me
To see my parents frown;
How can I happy be
If God with wrath look down?
O Father! smile upon Thy child,
So I to Thee am reconciled.
Questions on Lesson 16
What was the name of David's wicked son, who killed his brother?
Why did Absalom behave very kindly to poor people?
What did Absalom desire people to do when they heard the trumpet?
Why did David leave Jerusalem?
How did a wicked man, whom David met, behave to David?
How did David bear this treatment?
What did some rich men give to David and his men in the wilderness?