Our reading today is 2 Samuel 15-19, and I’m calling the episode “A House Divided.”

Reading chapters 15-19 is like reading an adventure novel, isn’t it? There’s the dysfunctional family, where the son of the king leads a national revolt, there’s raw ambition, betrayal, loyalty, sex, spies, murder, revenge and heartbreak. It’s all there. And it’s all real. These events really happened. 

Where to begin? I think we need to talk about David. There are so many characters in these five chapters that we could talk about at length, but we have limited time, and David is the central character. He is the man God called, “…a man after my own heart…”.

In chapter 15, after David had been told that Absalom was leading a conspiracy against him, David decided that it would be best for everyone in Jerusalem if he and his household fled the city. In this exodus, Zadok the priest and all the Levites joined David, bringing the Ark of the Covenant with them. 

Did you notice that? What was the significance of the Ark? To these people, the Ark was the very presence of God. It stands to reason that when David found out that they had brought the Ark out of Jerusalem to be with him, he would be pleased to have it. 

But that is not what happened. Verses 25-26: Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. 26But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”

David had learned to trust God. He had also learned from the way God removed King Saul and put David in his place, that it would be foolish of him to try to hold onto the throne if God had decided that David should be replaced. 

But David did not just resign himself to whatever the circumstances would bring. He made plans to counter Absalom’s attack, and God ultimately showed that he was not finished with David. 

Through these five chapters, we see several examples of David’s humility. He told Ittai that since he and his kinsmen were guests in Israel they should not feel like they had to follow him, he publicly wept over Abasalom’s betrayal and told his army that they should deal gently with Absalom, he let Shimei harass him, he mourned Absalom’s death even to the point that his general, Joab, chastised him for making it seem that he cared more for this dead son than the ones who had fought so hard for him, plus several other acts of kindness.

David knew that it was God’s grace that kept him on the throne. He truly was a man after God’s own heart.

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 15 NLT, Ch. 16-17 ERV, Ch. 18-19 CEV

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