Ep 668 – 2 Samuel 19:11-23

Absalom was dead and David had finally decided to bring his prolonged state of mourning to an end. But David still faced a divided kingdom and had his work cut out for him as he tried to win back the trust of his own people. Absalom had done some serious damage to David's reputation. He was seen as weak and incapable of meting out justice when needed. And as David faced the gargantuan task of winning back the trust of his people, he began to do what was expedient. Rather than seek the will of God, he made decisions aimed at pleasing the people of God. In 2 Samuel 19:11-23, David is shown to be making yet more poor decisions. There is no indication that he is seeking God's will or prayerfully considering his options. He appears to be doing what makes the most sense. And, like always, David's decisions will have long-term ramifications. His choices will come back to haunt him. As he faced a house divided, he was allowing his decision making to be divided by his desire to please the people.