WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:03.080 He was the most beautiful man in all of Israel. 2 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:05.960 From the crown of his head to the soles of 3 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:09.119 his feet. There was no flaw in him, and the 4 00:00:09.160 --> 00:00:14.080 people adored him. Women admired him, soldiers followed him. His 5 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:17.519 own father, the Great King David, loved him above almost 6 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:21.760 any other. He had everything, royal blood, a stunning face, 7 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.679 a magnetic charm that drew crowds wherever he walked by 8 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:30.239 every measure. Absalom should have been the pride of the kingdom. Instead, 9 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:33.759 he became its nightmare. How does a king's most beloved 10 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:37.600 son turn into the enemy who hunts him across the wilderness? 11 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:40.640 How does the handsomest prince in the land end up 12 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:43.719 hanging from the branches of an oak tree pierced through 13 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:47.719 the heart. Behind that perfect face lay a wound, a 14 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:51.079 secret rage, and an ambition that would set a throne 15 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:54.240 on fire and break a father's heart forever. This is 16 00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:58.240 the story of Absalom, beauty, betrayal, and a rebellion that 17 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:01.159 scarred the house of David, and it begins with a 18 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.719 crime no one saw coming. King David ruled over Israel, 19 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.920 and his palace was full of children. He had many 20 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:11.719 wives and From them came many sons and daughters. They 21 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:15.200 lived together under one roof, but they were not truly close. 22 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:19.040 Each son had his own mother, his own dreams, and 23 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:22.319 his own quiet hopes about who would one day wear 24 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:25.719 the crown. One of those sons stood out from all 25 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:29.519 the rest. His name was Absalom. People could not stop 26 00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:32.879 talking about how handsome he was, the Bible tells us 27 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:37.319 in Second Samuel fourteen twenty five. In all Israel, there 28 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:40.120 was not a man so much praised for his beauty 29 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:43.000 as Absalom. From the soul of his foot even to 30 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.879 the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. 31 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:49.599 He was perfect to look at. People turned their heads 32 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:52.680 when he walked by, and his hair was famous all 33 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.719 on its own. It was so thick and heavy that 34 00:01:55.760 --> 00:01:58.079 when he cut it once a year, the weight of 35 00:01:58.120 --> 00:02:02.319 it was talked about across the land. Absalom carried himself 36 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:05.560 like a young man who already believed a throne was 37 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:09.000 waiting for him. David loved this son very much. The 38 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:13.400 people admired him. Everything about Absalom seemed bright and golden. 39 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:17.919 But a beautiful face can hide a dark heart behind 40 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.960 that perfect smile. A storm was already forming, and before 41 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:24.639 it was over, it would tear the kingdom apart and 42 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:27.479 break the heart of the king himself. In that same 43 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:31.560 house lived another son named Amnon. He was David's oldest son, 44 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.280 the firstborn, the one who stood first in line for 45 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:37.360 the throne. He had everything a young man could want. 46 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:41.080 But Amnon let a sickness grow in his heart, and 47 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:43.960 it was not the kind doctor's can cure. He wanted 48 00:02:44.039 --> 00:02:47.759 his half sister Tamar. She was the sister of Absalom, 49 00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:51.199 a daughter of the king, young and beautiful and pure. 50 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:54.520 As a daughter of the royal house, she was kept 51 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:59.000 apart and protected the way unmarried princesses were in those days. 52 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:02.199 What Amnon felt was not real love. It was a 53 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:05.159 craving that would not let him rest. He thought about 54 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:08.280 Tamar all the time. He could not eat, he could 55 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:11.800 not sleep. The wanting ate away at him until it 56 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:15.039 showed on his body. The Bible says in Second Samuel 57 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:18.719 thirteen two, and Amnon was so vexed that he fell 58 00:03:18.919 --> 00:03:21.879 sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, 59 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:25.240 and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything 60 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:29.520 to her. Day by day he grew thinner and paler. 61 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:33.759 He looked like a man wasting away from some hidden illness, 62 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:37.159 and in a way he was. He was sick in 63 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.479 his soul, eaten alive by a desire he had fed 64 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:43.960 instead of fort. He could not have Tamar, and not 65 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:46.599 being able to have her only made him want her more. 66 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:51.719 Amnon did not suffer alone. He had a friend, his cousin, Jonadab, 67 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:55.599 the son of David's brother. Jonadab was a smart man, 68 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:59.039 but he used his cleverness to do harm instead of good. 69 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:01.759 He was the kind of friend who, when you are 70 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.400 about to fall off a cliff, gives you a push 71 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:08.360 instead of pulling you back. Jonadab noticed how worn out 72 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.919 and miserable Amnon looked every morning, and he wanted to 73 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:15.719 know why. The Bible records his question in Second Samuel 74 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:20.240 thirteen four, and he said, unto him, why art thou, 75 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:24.079 being the King's son, lean from day to day? Wilt 76 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:27.920 thou not tell me? So? Amnon told him the truth. 77 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.000 He admitted that he was burning with desire for Tamar, 78 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.639 the sister of his brother Absalom. A real friend would 79 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:39.759 have been horrified. A real friend would have warned him 80 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:43.360 to stop before he destroyed himself. And an innocent girl. 81 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:47.360 But Jonadab did the opposite. He leaned in and handed 82 00:04:47.399 --> 00:04:50.800 Amnon a plan. He told Amnon to lie down and 83 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:53.920 pretend to be sick when the king came to visit. 84 00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:57.279 Amnon was to ask his father to send Tamar to 85 00:04:57.360 --> 00:04:59.879 come and prepare food for him with her own hand. 86 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:02.839 It was a trap, dressed up to look like a 87 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:06.639 harmless request from a sick son, and Amnon grabbed hold 88 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:09.800 of it right away with no hesitation at all. The 89 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:12.879 plan to harm Tamar had begun, and it came from 90 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:17.160 someone she trusted, some one inside the family. So Amnon 91 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:20.519 did exactly what his cousin told him to do. He 92 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:24.800 lay down on his bed and acted sick. Soon word 93 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:28.040 reached the palace that the king's oldest son was unwell 94 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:31.160 and could not get up. When David heard this, he 95 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:34.319 came to see his son, just as a loving father would. 96 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:37.920 He found Amnon lying there, looking weak and pale, and 97 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:41.040 he asked what he could do for him. Then Amnon 98 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:45.040 made his request, using the very words Jonadab had given him. 99 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.800 The Bible tells us in Second Samuel thirteen six. So 100 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.360 Amnon lay down and made himself sick, And when the 101 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:55.319 king was come to see him. Amnon said, unto the King, 102 00:05:55.720 --> 00:05:59.040 I pray thee let Tamar, my sister, come and make 103 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:01.240 me a couple of cake in my sight, that I 104 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:04.120 may eat at her hand. It seemed like such a 105 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:08.120 small thing, a sick man wanting comfort food made by 106 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:12.279 a familiar hand. David did not suspect anything. He saw 107 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:15.079 only a son who needed care and a simple way 108 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.800 to help him feel better. So the king sent a 109 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:21.319 message into the palace where the women lived. He told 110 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:24.360 Tamar to go to her brother's house and prepare food 111 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:28.160 for him, and Tamar obeyed. She was a good daughter, 112 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:31.839 faithful to her father, and willing to help a brother 113 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:35.439 she believed was sick. She came to Amnon's house, took 114 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:39.000 the dough, kneaded it with her own hands, shaped the cakes, 115 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.879 and baked them right in front of him. She did 116 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:44.759 everything she was asked, with no idea of the danger 117 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:48.160 waiting for her behind that door. When the cakes were ready, 118 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:52.439 Tamar brought them to Amnon, but he would not eat. Instead, 119 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:55.600 he gave a sudden order for everyone to leave the room. 120 00:06:56.240 --> 00:07:00.199 One by one. The servants walked out until Tamar was 121 00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:03.439 left alone with her brother then Amnon dropped the act. 122 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:06.000 He told her to bring the food close to him 123 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:09.879 into the inner room. Still trusting him, she carried it near, 124 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:14.199 and the moment she came close, he grabbed her. Tamar 125 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:17.240 fought back with all her strength, and she begged him. 126 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:21.720 The Bible records her words in Second Samuel thirteen twelve thirteen, 127 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:25.319 and she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me, 128 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:28.040 for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. 129 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:31.519 Do not thou this folly? And I whither shall I 130 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:34.759 cause my shame to go? And as for thee, thou 131 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:37.480 shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. She 132 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:40.399 gave him every reason to stop. She even told him 133 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:43.519 to ask the king first, but Amnon would not listen 134 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:46.759 to a single word. He was stronger than she was, 135 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:50.279 and he forced himself on her. And then came the 136 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:53.759 most shocking part of all the moment his sin was done, 137 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:56.800 the desire that had burned in him for so long 138 00:07:57.199 --> 00:08:02.399 suddenly turned into something far worse. He hated her. Two 139 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:07.519 Samuel the thirteen fifteen says, then Amnon hated her exceedingly, 140 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:11.240 so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater 141 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:13.920 than the love wherewith he had loved her, and he 142 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:16.720 coldly told her to get up and get out. Some 143 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:21.000 stories don't just inform, they stay with you. If something 144 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:24.079 stirred in your spirit just now you may be ready 145 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:27.839 for echoes daily, where every morning you go deeper into 146 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:32.159 one Bible story, the history behind it, the details most 147 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:35.679 believers never learn, and what it means for your walk 148 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:39.720 to day daily readings. Biblical companions who teach us they 149 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.320 walk with you, and a community of pilgrims learning together. 150 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:48.039 The link is in the first pinned comment, but the 151 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.879 founding door is open only for a limited time. Tamar 152 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.559 was crushed, but she made one last plea. She told 153 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:58.039 Amnon that throwing her out would be an even greater 154 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:01.799 wrong than what he had already done. But Amnon refused 155 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:04.600 to hear it. He called for his servant and gave 156 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:09.200 a cruel command. The Bible says in Second Samuel thirteen seventeen. 157 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.919 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, 158 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:15.799 put now this woman out from me, and bolt the 159 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:19.240 door after her. So the servant pushed her out and 160 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:22.320 locked the door behind her. The honored daughter of the 161 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:25.279 king was thrown into the street like she was nothing. 162 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:29.200 In her deep grief, Tamar did what mourners did in 163 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:32.799 those days. She tore the beautiful robe that marked her 164 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:35.639 as a pure daughter of the king, put ashes on 165 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:38.759 her head, and walked away, crying with her hand on 166 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:42.320 her head. It was Absalom who found her. He saw 167 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:45.840 her state and understood at once what had happened. He 168 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:48.399 asked if Amnon had done this to her, and then 169 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:50.879 he spoke words that should have alarmed any one who 170 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:55.080 heard them. Second Samuel thirteen twenty tells us and Absalom, 171 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.639 her brother, said, unto her, hath Amnon, thy brother, been 172 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:01.720 with thee. But hold now thy peace, my sister. He 173 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:06.000 is thy brother, regard not this thing. So Tamar remained 174 00:10:06.039 --> 00:10:09.320 desolate in her brother Absalom's house. He took her into 175 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:12.360 his own home, where she lived as a broken woman. 176 00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:17.320 But Absalom's calm was not peace. Something cold and patient 177 00:10:17.639 --> 00:10:21.799 had already begun to grow inside him. The news did 178 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:25.759 not stay hidden. It moved through the palace until it 179 00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:29.559 reached the king himself. And when David heard what had 180 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:33.080 been done to his daughter, he was furious, the Bible 181 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:36.519 says in Second Samuel thirteen twenty one. But when King 182 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:39.080 David heard of all these things. He was very wroth. 183 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:42.840 But here is where the King failed. Anger is not 184 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:46.600 the same as justice. David's anger burned hot, yet he 185 00:10:46.679 --> 00:10:49.360 did nothing with it. He did not call Amnon to 186 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:52.320 answer for his crime. He did not punish him. He 187 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:55.399 did not even confront him. The king, who once stood 188 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:59.360 so bravely against giants, now stood frozen before the sin 189 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:02.399 in side his own home. The Bible does not tell 190 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:06.039 us exactly why David held back. Maybe it was because 191 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.679 Amnon was his first born and he loved him too 192 00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:12.480 much to face the truth. Maybe it was weakness. Maybe 193 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.320 it was the heavy memory of his own past mistakes, 194 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.279 which can rob a man of the courage to judge 195 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:22.320 someone else. Whatever the reason, the result was the same. 196 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:26.960 The crime went unpunished, and the wound was left wide open, 197 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:32.159 and someone was watching all of it. Absalom saw his 198 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:36.720 father's anger flare up and then fade into silence. He 199 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:40.720 saw justice denied to his sister. He saw Amnon go 200 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:44.519 on living as if nothing had happened. To Absalom, his 201 00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:47.840 father's silence was an answer of its own. If the 202 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:50.679 king would not act, then he decided that he would. 203 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:54.799 From that day on, Absalom said nothing to Amnon, not 204 00:11:54.960 --> 00:11:58.440 one word. The Bible tells us in Second Samuel thirteen 205 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:02.080 twenty two, and Absol Sulam spake unto his brother Amnon, 206 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:06.600 neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon because he 207 00:12:06.679 --> 00:12:10.759 had forced his sister Tamar. To everyone watching, it looked 208 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:13.919 like the storm had passed. The brothers walked through the 209 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:16.960 same court and attended the same events, and it seemed 210 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:19.879 like the whole thing had been forgotten. Peace appeared to 211 00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:22.240 have returned to the house of David, but it was 212 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:27.120 only on the surface. Behind Absalom's calm face, a deep 213 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:31.080 and steady hatred had taken root. He had not forgotten 214 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:34.360 for even one moment. Yet he did not lash out, 215 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:38.200 He did not act in anger. He understood something that 216 00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:42.039 hot headed people never learn. Patience can be sharper than 217 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.639 any sword, and the one who is willing to wait 218 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:50.720 can strike with deadly aim. So Absalom waited. One year 219 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:55.440 went by, the household relaxed, and the memory began to fade. 220 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:59.399 Then a second year went by. For two full years, 221 00:12:59.720 --> 00:13:03.240 he carried the wound of his sister's shame, letting it 222 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:07.440 grow hard and cold, inside him. He smiled when a 223 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.919 smile was needed, He kept quiet when quiet was expected. 224 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:14.360 He played the part of the prince who had let 225 00:13:14.440 --> 00:13:17.919 it all go, and the whole time he was watching 226 00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:21.120 and waiting, getting ready for the right moment to strike. 227 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:25.200 After two long years of waiting, the moment Absalom had 228 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:29.120 been planning for finally arrived. It was sheep shearing time, 229 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.559 and in those days that was one of the happiest 230 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:35.080 seasons of the year. The wool was gathered, the work 231 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:39.360 was rewarded, and people throw big feasts to celebrate. It 232 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:42.519 was a time of music, food, and laughter, and it 233 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:45.360 was the perfect cover for what Absalom had in mind. 234 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:49.240 He decided to host a grand feast and invite all 235 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:52.440 of the king's sons. But before he gathered his brothers, 236 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.159 he went to his father with a careful request. He 237 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:59.120 wanted the king himself to come along with his servants. 238 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:02.840 The Bible tells us in Second Samuel thirteen twenty four, 239 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:06.840 and Absalom came to the king and said, behold, now, 240 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:10.120 thy servant hath sheep's hearers. Let the king, I beseech 241 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:13.720 thee and his servants go with thy servant. David said no, 242 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:16.440 he did not want to burden his son with such 243 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:19.600 a large group. The Bible records his answer in Second 244 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:23.879 Samuel thirteen twenty five. And the king said to Absalom, nay, 245 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:27.440 my son, let us not all now go, lest we 246 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:31.679 be chargeable unto THEE. And he pressed him, howbeit he 247 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:36.240 would not go, but blessed him. Absalom pushed, but his 248 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:39.840 father would not change his mind. So Absalom moved to 249 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:43.159 the real heart of his plan. He asked that one 250 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:47.159 specific brother be allowed to come instead. The Bible says 251 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:51.240 in Second Samuel thirteen twenty six, then said, Absalom, if 252 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:54.600 not I pray THEE, let my brother Amnon go with us. 253 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:57.840 And the king said, unto him, why should he go 254 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:01.039 with thee? It was an odd request, and for just 255 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:04.000 a moment something seemed to flicker in the King's mind, 256 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:09.879 Why Amnon? Why single him out? But Absalom kept pressing, 257 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:14.320 smooth and calm, until David gave in. The king sent 258 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:17.559 Amnon and all the rest of his sons to the celebration. 259 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.679 Not one of them knew that this feast had been 260 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:24.279 built around a single deadly purpose, and that the guest 261 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.559 of honor was already a marked man. The feast began 262 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:33.159 like any other. The tables were full, the wine was poured, 263 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:36.720 and the sound of celebration filled the air. The king's 264 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:40.480 sons relaxed and enjoyed themselves, far from the palace and 265 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:45.000 far from any worry. Amnon, the first born, ate and 266 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:48.320 drank freely. He had no idea that every cup he 267 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:51.159 lifted brought him closer to the end. He thought he 268 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:54.480 was simply a guest at his brother's party. He did 269 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.240 not know he was the reason the party existed at all. 270 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:02.960 While the others laughed, Absalom watched. For two years he 271 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:05.879 had worn a mask, and now the moment behind that 272 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:09.200 mask had come. He had already gathered his servants and 273 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:12.720 given them their orders, clear and cold. They were to 274 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:15.120 wait for his word, and they were not to lose 275 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:19.000 their nerve. The Bible records his instructions in Second Samuel 276 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:23.240 thirteen twenty eight. Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, 277 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:26.879 mark ye, now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, 278 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:31.039 and when I say unto you, smite Amnon, then kill him. 279 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:34.720 Fear not. Have not I commanded you be courageous and 280 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:39.080 be valiant. So they waited watching Amnon grow louder and 281 00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:42.720 more careless with each drink, And when the moment was right, 282 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:48.039 Absalom gave the signal. His men moved at once, the 283 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:51.600 Bible tells us in Second Samuel thirteen twenty nine, And 284 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:56.080 the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. 285 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:59.559 Then all the king's sons arose, and every man gat 286 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:03.799 him up upon his mule and fled. In a single heartbeat, 287 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:08.279 the joy of the feast shattered. Amnon lay dead among 288 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.480 the dishes and the spilled wine. The other princes leaped 289 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:14.680 up in terror, scrambling on to their mules and scattering 290 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:18.160 into the night. The revenge that had been hiding silently 291 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:21.319 for two years had been carried out in full view 292 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:25.359 of them. All the terrified sons rode hard for Jerusalem, 293 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.480 but rumor flew even faster than their mules. While they 294 00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:32.519 were still on the road, a report reached the palace, 295 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.640 and it was far worse than what had actually happened, 296 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:39.519 the Bible tells us in cessing Samuel thirteen thirty. And 297 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:41.759 it came to pass while they were in the way 298 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:45.839 that Tidings came to David, saying Absalom hath slain all 299 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:48.759 the king's sons, and there is not one of them left, 300 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:53.720 all of them, not one left alive. Picture the king 301 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:57.680 hearing those words, every sun gone in a single afternoon. 302 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.359 The grief hit him like a crushing wait, the Bible 303 00:18:01.400 --> 00:18:05.240 says in Second Samuel thirteen thirty one. Then the king 304 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:08.839 arose and tear his garments and lay on the earth, 305 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.359 and all his servants stood by with their clothes. Rent 306 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:17.119 David lay on the ground, his robes torn, his servants 307 00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:21.359 standing around him in stunned silence, their own clothes ripped 308 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:24.920 in shared sorrow. The whole house seemed swallowed by mourning. 309 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:27.960 But there was one man who knew the report was wrong. 310 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.799 Ju Nadab, the same clever cousin who had whispered the 311 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:36.359 very first plan that started this whole tragedy, stepped forward. 312 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.799 He had known what was coming. He spoke up to 313 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:43.559 calm the king, the Bible says in Second Samuel thirteen 314 00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:47.640 thirty two thirty three. And Jonadab, the son of Shameah, 315 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:51.519 David's brother, answered and said, let not, my lord suppose 316 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:54.400 that they have slain all the young men the king's sons. 317 00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:58.240 For Amnon only is dead. Now. Therefore, let not my 318 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.039 lord the king take the thing to his heart to 319 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:04.119 think that all the king's sons are dead, For Amnon 320 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:08.519 only is dead. He told the truth. Only Amnon had died, 321 00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:11.119 and Absalom had been planning it since the day his 322 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:14.680 sister was wronged. And just as he finished speaking, the 323 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:18.039 missing sons came into view, the Bible tells us in 324 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:21.720 Second Samuel thirteen thirty six. And it came to pass 325 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:24.240 as soon as he had made an end of speaking. 326 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:28.759 That behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their 327 00:19:28.839 --> 00:19:32.119 voice and wept, And the king also and all his 328 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:37.240 servants wept very sore. The grief was real, but at 329 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:40.519 least the worst report had not been true. While the 330 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:45.200 palace was drowning in tears, Absalom was already gone. He 331 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:47.799 knew there was no staying after what he had done, 332 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:51.640 so he ran far away to find safety, the Bible 333 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:55.079 tells us in Second Samuel thirteen thirty seven thirty eight. 334 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:59.119 But Absalom fled and went to Talmi, the son of Amihud, 335 00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:03.319 king of Gesha, and David mourned for his son every day, 336 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:07.400 So Absalom fled and went to Gesher, and was there 337 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:12.240 three years. Gesher was the land of Absalom's grandfather, on 338 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:15.440 his mother's side, a place where no one could touch him. 339 00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:18.880 There he settled in as an exile, and three long 340 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:24.519 years slipped by. Meanwhile, something quietly shifted inside the king. 341 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:27.759 At first, his grief was for Amnon, the son he 342 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:31.559 had buried, But grief does not stay still. As the 343 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:35.319 seasons turned, the sharp pain of loss began to fade, 344 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:38.799 and in its place rose a different ache, a longing 345 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:42.359 for the son who was far away. The Bible says 346 00:20:42.359 --> 00:20:45.599 in Second Samuel thirteen thirty nine, and the soul of 347 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:49.160 King David longed to go forth unto Absalom, for he 348 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:53.279 was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. It is 349 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:57.039 a strange and tender truth about a father's heart. The 350 00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.960 son David now missed was the very one who had 351 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.119 brought all this sorrow upon the house. Absalom was a murderer, 352 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:08.279 a fugitive, the cause of all this pain. And yet 353 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:12.240 David's heart reached across the miles toward Gesher, aching to 354 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:15.799 see his beautiful son again. One man read the king's 355 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:20.400 heart clearly. His name was Joab, the commander of the army, 356 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:23.839 a sharp and practical leader who had served David for years. 357 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:27.440 He could see that the king secretly longed for Absalom, 358 00:21:27.720 --> 00:21:30.200 and he came up with a clever way to nudge 359 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:34.359 his master toward bringing the young man home. The Bible 360 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:38.839 opens the scene in Second Samuel fourteen one two. Now Joab, 361 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:41.880 the son of Zeruiah, perceived that the king's heart was 362 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:45.799 toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tacoa and fetched thence 363 00:21:45.799 --> 00:21:48.720 a wise woman, and said, unto her, I pray thee 364 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:51.720 feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now 365 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:55.400 mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be 366 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:57.960 as a woman that had a long time mourned for 367 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:01.759 the dead. Joea A dressed her in grief and put 368 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:04.960 words in her mouth. She came before the king with 369 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:08.799 a sad invented story. She said she was a widow 370 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.680 with two sons, and that one had struck the other 371 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:14.359 dead in a quarrel out in the field. Now the 372 00:22:14.440 --> 00:22:18.039 rest of the family demanded the surviving son's life, which 373 00:22:18.039 --> 00:22:22.200 would leave her completely alone. The Bible records her plea 374 00:22:22.359 --> 00:22:26.119 in Second Samuel fourteen seven, and the whole family is 375 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:29.599 risen against thine handmaid. And they said, deliver him that 376 00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:32.759 smote his brother, that we may kill him for the 377 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:35.920 life of his brother whom he slew, And we will 378 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:39.559 destroy the air also, and so they shall quench my 379 00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:43.640 coal which is left. David promised to protect her son. 380 00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:47.720 The woman pressed until he swore it plainly. The Bible 381 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:51.680 says in Second Samuel fourteen eleven. Then said she I 382 00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:54.640 pray thee let the king remember the Lord thy God, 383 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:57.920 as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of 384 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:01.799 thy son fall to the earth. Then she turned the 385 00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:05.279 whole story around and aimed it at the king himself. 386 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:09.599 The Bible records her words in Second Samuel fourteen thirteen. 387 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:13.720 And the woman said, wherefore then hast thou thought such 388 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:16.480 a thing against the people of God? For the King 389 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:19.440 doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in 390 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:22.480 that the King doth not fetch home again is banished. 391 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:26.880 She reminded him gently that life cannot be undone in 392 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:31.400 Second Samuel fourteen fourteen, for we must needs die, and 393 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:33.839 are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be 394 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:38.000 gathered up again. Her point landed. She was telling David 395 00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:40.319 that he was doing to his own son what he 396 00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:43.519 had just promised to prevent for hers. The king saw 397 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:46.680 through it at once and asked if Joab was behind it. 398 00:23:47.079 --> 00:23:51.319 She admitted he was. The clever plan had worked. The 399 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:54.720 king turned to his commander and gave the word. The 400 00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:58.559 Bible says in Second Samuel fourteen twenty one, and the 401 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:03.119