To understand what is happening here, we must consider the whole story of David and his son Absalom. Theirs is family dysfunction at its worst. There are issues around favoritism, rivalry, violence, rape, and schemes for revenge. Absalom has taken counsel to have David killed and ends up being killed by David’s right-hand-man, Joab (even though David has publicly instructed him to protect his son). Joab seems willing to do what he thinks should be done to protect the life and to avenge the honor of king David. David’s deep grief over his son’s death tells us he felt differently than Joab.
Can you think of a time when what you thought was best for a friend or family member turned out to be wrong? Has there been a time when you have given bad advice or gone against a person’s wishes to manipulate a situation towards the way you thought it should go? If you realized you had unintentionally caused harm in the life of someone you care about, how would you go about making amends – or would you at all? If someone came to you and apologized for making a bad situation in your life worse, how would you respond?
Today, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those people who “have your back,” even though they may not go about that perfectly and commit yourself to being a friend who listens and responds in ways that are healing and positive.
