https://youtu.be/k9zschtaISA

2 sam 14:1-24 Joab can see the king is distraught bc of Absalom. A wise woman from Tekoa Goes to King David to pretend that she is mourning.  Joab tells her what to say and she does. I’m a widow, I had 2 sons who fought and killed one another. She tells him that the people wanted (demanded) Justice- They want the remaining son to be killed. Obviously upset, she says this is her one and only son the heir to his dead father. David tells her to go back to her house and he’ll send orders on what will happen.  She says she’ll live under the guilt of not keeping david alive, but her son. David promises that she and her only son will be safe. She asks to privately speak with david. The woman from Tekoa is honest and says that she is honestly asking why david wont forgive Absalom and let him return to his home. She preaches to David and says, look, we’re all going to die, but God doesn’t want people to die, makes it possible for them to live.  He loves and accepts the outcasts. David wants to know if Joab was involved- and she says yes. He tells Joab to bring back Absalom, but not into his presence. Joab thanks him and goes for abaslom. This is a great story- Joab and the woman from Tekoa work together to bring reconciliation between David and Absalom. There’s one verse that sits in the middle of this story of reconciliation that shows so much about GodSome say it’s the most Gospel centric scripture in the whole Old testament. It shows the reality of our spiritual and physical death, but how God wants to give life and is will to do whatever it takes so people would come to him

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.That’s the heart of this verse- and the heart of this message- God wants all to come to him in Faith14:14 For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.I don’t want to take this farther than it needs to go- but the woman from Tekoa along with Joab are the mediators of this reconciliation between David the father and Absalom the son. Much like Jesus was the mediator of the new covenant between Us (Absalom who had committed sin) and God (The king who we have done wrong) Hebrews 9:15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Physical death and spiritual death are realIts going to happen to all of usFor we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.The woman from Tekoa uses a word picture of death to bring to King David’s mind that his heart to not forgive Absalom and allow him to come home is so limiting- We all die- You should think of that13 So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring his banished one home again.You should bring your son home David, life is short. We all die- You’ve already lost 2 sons, the son of Bathsheba and your son Amnon- isn’t that enough? Isn’t that enough death for one guy? We all die. Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”We all came from the dust of Adam, and unless raptured, we will all die a natural death one day. Death is real- We all die- I think its one of the reasons this virus thing is so daunting for many- We avoid thinking a...