While David's army is still in the region of the forest of Ephraim where the battle took place, word comes to them that David is not celebrating their victory but has taken himself behind closed doors and is weeping loudly for his son. "Joab was told, 'The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.' And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, 'The king is grieving for his son.'" (2 Samuel 19:1-2)
This information may have come to the army by the Cushite who took the news to David that the battle was won and that Absalom was dead. Or this word may have come through Ahimaaz who also went to Mahanaim to give news to David. All we know is that someone came to the army camp from Mahanaim with an update on the king and it's not what the men expected to hear. They learn that David didn't ask the Cushite or Ahimaaz how the battle went or whether there were any casualties among his faithful supporters. Instead he asked only about Absalom. Upon learning that Absalom was dead, he rushed wailing to his room without saying a word about how valiantly his supporters fought for him that day. At this moment he only cares about Absalom. Knowing this takes all the wind out of his men's sails, so to speak. There are no longer shouts of victory in the camp. The air of celebration instantly dissipates. The men are left not knowing what to do or what to say and the entire camp falls silent.
The men are still silent when they arrive back at the city. "The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle." (2 Samuel 19:3) The king doesn't meet them at the gate, as he should have, to thank them for their service to him and to their nation. He won't even look at them. He's in his room with the covers over his head refusing to speak to anyone. "The king covered his face and cried aloud, 'O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!'" (2 Samuel 19:4)
A number of hours must have gone by since he first heard the news. It would have taken quite a bit of time for the army to break camp, pack up all their equipment, and march back to Mahanaim. They likely spent some time plundering the enemy army before they headed back to the city. The Bible doesn't tell us they looted the bodies of Absalom's fallen soldiers or that they plundered the camp of Absalom's men but this is what ancient armies customarily did when they won a battle. I think we can safely assume David's men came back loaded down with the weapons, armor, horses, mules, carts, and food supplies of Absalom's army. But during all the time it took for David's men to gather everything together and return, he doesn't try to get a grip on his emotions enough to be able to stand at the gate and greet them. This is what kings did in those days and David knows what he is supposed to do. He just doesn't do it because he cares more about the loss of one bad man than he does about the loss of any good men. It matters more to him that Absalom is dead than that his men won the battle.
I do sympathize with David and I don't want to come across as being highly critical of him. If I were in David's place, I'd care more about the death of my child than about anything else that happened on the day my child died, even if my child was a terrible person in life like Absalom was. I'd mourn the loss of my child and I'd mourn the fact that my child lived a rebellious life and that he brought upon himself an early death. But most parents will never find themselves in David's position: being the leader of a nation and the commander-in-chief of an army that just won a decisive battle in his favor. David doesn't have the luxury, for lack of a better word, of being able to mourn privately for a time. He can't take to his bed, pull the covers over his head, and refuse to see anyone. He owes it to his troops to greet them when they return. He's shirking his duty by not doing this and he's offending and insulting his men.
Joab is going to confront David and hotly rebuke him for the way he treats the soldiers. Upon the army's return to Mahanaim we find Joab storming angrily into David's room to tell him to man up. "Then Joab went into the house of the king and said, 'Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines.'" (2 Samuel 19:5)
In yesterday's passage we found David saying he wished he were dead instead of Absalom. From the point of view of a father, this makes sense. But from the point of view of the head of a family and the head of a nation, it doesn't make sense. If Absalom had won the war and had become king, he would have had David and all of David's family put to death. Absalom would not have left alive anyone of the royal household. He probably would not have left alive any of David's friends or military officials or advisors either. David's nephews and top generals Joab and Abishai would certainly have been on Absalom's kill list. So would the priests and their sons who helped David to escape across the Jordan. Yet David is giving the appearance of caring only about the death of his reprobate son who had come to hate him over the years and who wanted him dead and wanted to sit on the throne in his place. In verse 5 Joab is saying something like, "Maybe you don't care about your own life but what about the lives of your wives, concubines, sons, daughters, and extended family members? Do you not care about them? Do you not realize if Absalom were not dead and if his men had won the battle today, he would have ordered your whole family executed?"
He continues, "You love those who hate you and you hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead." (2 Samuel 19:6) This is probably not literally true but in David's intense grief it feels to him, on this day, as if nothing matters except that his son is dead. When he's had time to get hold of himself he will naturally be able to see that the lives of all these people are far more important than what has happened to Absalom. But right now he's behaving as if he couldn't care less about anyone or anything except Absalom. Joab isn't talking to him in the way a person should talk to a king but I'm not sure he could have gotten through to David if he had not spoken so boldly and so harshly. There's no time to weave a parable in the manner of the prophet Nathan when he rebuked David for his sin with Bathsheba. David has to do something and he has to do it immediately. "Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don't go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come on you from your youth till now." (2 Samuel 19:7)
Joab has been a military man all his adult life. For a long time now he's been David's top general. He understands soldiers. He's not making an idle threat when he states that the men will desert David if he continues to lie in bed wailing for his dead scoundrel of a son. In the midst of his sorrowful state he recognizes the wisdom of Joab's words and he gets up and does what needs to be done. "So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When the men were told, 'The king is sitting in the gateway,' they all came before him." (2 Samuel 19:8a) If David had not done this then we would not find a large majority of the people, in tomorrow's study, calling him back to Jerusalem to resume his reign.
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