John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: September 26

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John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: September 26

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Two Hangings

2Sa_16:15; 2Sa_19:8

Soon after his father’s departure, Absalom marched into Jerusalem, and took possession of the palace and the treasures of the crown. Absalom knew how relentless his own purposes were towards that father, whose love without measure he possessed; he knew how firm was his own resolve to reign. Yet he gave the people credit for not believing how black his own heart was—for supposing that there were yet in his breast some sense of filial duty, some gleams of filial tenderness. But, instead of being gratified that people thought better of him than he deserved, he was disturbed by it. He feared that, in contemplation of possible circumstances which might bring about a reconciliation between him and his father, and leave his supporters open to the resentment of David, many would be afraid to commit themselves to his cause. He was therefore ready to adopt any means, however atrocious, which might convince those inclined to support him, that they would never be compromised by any reconciliation between him and his greatly wronged father. The means suggested by the Satanic “wisdom” of Ahithophel were most effectual, but most atrocious. It was, that Absalom should take public possession of the “concubines” whom David had left behind in charge of the palace. His wives he had probably taken with him. This counsel was followed, and the people were satisfied that this deed had rendered all reconcilement between him and David impossible.

The next step was to endeavor his father’s destruction, in the conviction that the throne of Absalom would never be secure so long as he lived. The son had no relentings. He had knowingly subjected himself to the inevitable necessity of taking his father’s life, and he only desired to learn how that object might be most effectually secured. A council was held on this question, and it is the first cabinet council to which history admits us. It was, doubtless, conducted in the same form as other royal councils; and from the instance before us, it appears that the members who had anything to suggest, or rather such as the king called upon for their opinion, described the course they thought best suited to the circumstances. The council at large then expressed its collective opinion upon the advice thus offered, and recommended that course to the king. It does not appear whether or not the king was regarded as bound to follow the advice so tendered; but it seems to have been generally followed—the king probably disliking to take the responsibility of acting on his individual opinion in opposition to the collective wisdom of his council. This “collective wisdom” is seldom other than the wisdom of one man, who devises the course of action, and gets the others to concur in his views. In this case the choice lay between the “wisdom” of Ahithophel and the wisdom of Hushai. The former sagaciously advised immediate action, before David should be able to collect his resources. Hushai was not a member of this council; but he had been well received by Absalom, whose greater treachery against his father, made him give ready credence to the treachery of his father’s friend. It was at Absalom’s suggestion that he was called in, and being informed of the course Ahithophel had advised—he saw at once the danger that this course threatened to David; and, in fulfillment of his mission to defeat this man’s counsel, he advanced divers reasons against it, all tending to delay—reasons so specious that the council with one voice declared his advice to be better than that of Ahithophel. Mortally offended at this disrespect to that sagacity which all Israel admired, and convinced, in his clear-sighted scope of “things before and after,” that the cause of Absalom would be lost by the delay Hushai recommended, he saddled his ass, rode home to his house in Gilon, and having deliberately set his affairs in proper order, hanged himself. Ahithophel is not probably the first man who hanged himself, but he bears the unenviable distinction of being the first whose hanging himself is recorded; and society would have little reason to complain if all, who have since sentenced themselves to this doom, were as worthy of it as this father of self-suspenders. Bishop Hall quaintly remarks of him, that though mad enough to hang himself, he was wise enough to set his house in order before he did it.

Hushai seems not to have been too sure that his counsel would be followed, for he sent trusty messengers to apprize David of what had passed, and advised him immediately to cross the river. This the king did, and went to reside at Mahanaim, where Ishbosheth had formerly reigned—a circumstance which probably dictated his choice of that place. Here he received abundant supplies of all necessaries for himself and his followers from three men whose names are mentioned with honor in the sacred narrative. We are somewhat surprised to find that the first of these is Shobi, son of Nahash, king of Ammon, and therefore brother of Hanun—whose people had been dealt with so severely by David. Nothing is known with certainty of him, but it is by some reasonably enough conjectured that he was believed to have disapproved of his brother’s conduct, and had in consequence been made governor of Ammon by David, after the land had been subdued. The second was that Machir of Lo-debar, whom we have already had occasion to mention as the person who had acted as host and father to Mephibosheth, until David had taken notice of him, and as being by some regarded as the brother of Bathsheba. The third was the old and blind Barzillai of Gilead—in whose hearty adhesion to his king there is something peculiarly affecting. The catalogue of the commodities which these and other like-minded men supplied, at probably an all but ruinous expense to themselves, is curious, as showing the nature of the articles considered in that age to be necessary for the comfort and subsistence of the king and his people: “Beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine.” It will be perceived that in this pastoral land, unusual prominence is given to the produce of flocks and herds, and the agricultural produce is confined to prime necessaries. There is no mention here of wine, or oil, or raisins, or figs, or dates, or in fact of various articles which would have been very conspicuous in a list of commodities supplied in the countries west of the Jordan. Here in this pastoral region, where there was little commerce, the wealth of the people consisted chiefly in flocks and herds, and in the prime articles of food. Here brave and hardy men, attached to their family-chiefs, abounded, and were ready at the call of their leaders to gather around their king, who, although without treasure, thus found himself in a short time at the head of a considerable army.

Their services were speedily required, for Absalom soon crossed the Jordan also, his army being under the command of his cousin Amasa, a son of David’s sister Abigail, who probably felt discontented at having been kept in the shade by the sons of Zeruiah, and hoped to exercise under Absalom the same authority that Joab wielded under, or rather over, David.

A battle—bloody and decisive, was now inevitable; and David, finding that the soldiers would not allow him to risk his own person in the engagement, divided his force into three brigades, severally under the command of Joab, Abishai, and Ittai (the commander of the foreign guards), the general command being with Joab. The battle was fought in what was called the Forest of Ephraim; and as it was not the Lord’s purpose that this chastening should proceed any further, the cause of David triumphed. Absalom himself fled for his life upon his mule, but as he rode in unguarded baste through the wood, the long hair in which he so much gloried, caught in the low branches of an oak, and the escape of his mule from under him left him dangling in the air. When Joab got news of this, he hurried to the spot, and settled all further questions by sending three darts through the body of the guilty prince. This was contrary to the orders of David, who that morning, as the troops defiled before him at the gate of Mahanaim, had strictly enjoined the soldiers to respect the life of Absalom for his sake. There was probably a true regard for the king and kingdom in this act of Joab. He knew that Absalom could not with safety be suffered to live; and that it would be difficult to rid the state of so foul a member at any other time than now, when a just right to slay him had been earned in open battle. This is by no means to be classed with Joab’s assassinations. It had nothing in common with them. Nothing can be alleged against him in this matter but his disobedience to the king: but he, in his position, felt that he dared to disobey him for his own good; and that he was quite prepared to vindicate and maintain this deed. He did so, and when the king, in the bitterness of his grief, on receiving the tidings that his son was dead, bewailed him aloud in cries that go to one’s heart—“O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”—Joab went in to him, and reprimanded him in strong language for thus discouraging the men who had risked their lives in his cause, by making them feel as if they had committed a crime in delivering him from his enemies. David felt the force of this, and presented himself with a cheerful countenance to the people. But it is evident that for this act he abhorred Joab in his heart, even to his death-bed.