Read: 2 Samuel 18:1-19:10; John 20:1-31; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 16:14-15
In preparation of fighting Absalom, David divided his army into three groups under the commands of Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. They convinced David not to go out with them because if he died their whole cause would be over. David agreed but gave them one last order: don’t kill Absalom but deal kindly with him. All the men heard the order as they marched out to war.
The forest was so hazardous that it accounted for more casualties than the sword. Absalom’s great head of hair was caught in the branches of a tree while his donkey kept walking, leaving him suspended in the air. One of David’s men saw him and ran and told Joab. Joab was angry that the man wouldn’t kill Absalom so he came and did it himself. They took his body down and threw it in a ditch and covered it with stones. Then they sounded the trumpet and everyone retreated. The war was over.
Joab sent a Cushite runner to tell David what had happened but Ahimaaz begged to run also. He beat the Cushite and got to David first. He wanted to soften the blow of the truth about Absalom. He told David that he heard a commotion and wasn’t sure. The Cushite arrived and told him the rest. David went into great mourning and cried like a baby over Absalom.
Joab had to go in and speak the hard truth to him. If David didn’t get up and thank his army for risking their lives to give him back his kingdom, he wouldn’t have a kingdom to go back to. He finally did.
Absalom was a type of the Anti-Christ who is always trying to usurp God’s kingdom. He had no son, so he had erected a monument to himself so people would remember him. The devil has no son because there is no love in him or ability to produce life. He is only about promoting himself.
In John, it was the day after the Sabbath so Mary had gotten up before it was light and gone to the tomb. When she got there the stone was rolled away so she ran back and got Simon Peter and John. They saw the open grave and the grave cloths lying there but the one that had been around his head was folded up as if it had never been used. I have heard many theories about this but the one I remember is that a carpenter would fold up his towel when he had finished a piece of furniture to show that it was finished and he was pleased at his work.
Peter and John went back home wondering but Miriam stayed outside the grave crying. Two angels appeared in the tomb where Jesus had been and asked Miriam why she was crying. Miriam explained that they had taken Jesus body but she didn’t know where. She turned to see a man she thought to be the gardener. When Jesus spoke to her, she ran to embrace him. He wouldn’t let her touch him because he hadn’t ascended to heaven yet. She had caught him on his way up.
She ran and told the disciples what had happened and that night Jesus appeared to them also. Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit and told them that now they would be able to forgive others sins.
Thomas was the only one who was not there and when they told him about it he said he would have to see for himself to believe. So Jesus appeared so Thomas could see him himself and believe. Thomas gets a bad rap for not believing by their testimony but Jesus wanted Thomas to be an eye witness of his resurrection so he came back to show Thomas.
Jesus said, “blessed are those who won’t see and yet believe” which is referring to us who believe by faith.
Lord, thank you for giving us the faith to believe in what we have never seen with our eyes. Your existence is obvious in creation and all the things you do for us. Thank you!
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