From II Samuel 18-20:
1. It is interesting that Absalom made a monument to himself. He was not that old that he could not still have a son, so I am wondering why he decided to do this. (The bible says he made it because he reasoned to himself that he did not have a son.) I am guessing he was very self-conceited.
2. How was it that David was so naive about his son? Did he really think that after his son tried to usurp the throne that he would not be killed in battle? And all this after Absalom tricked him and tried to have him killed to take over the throne!
3. It is nice to see that even though Joab was not the kindest or most caring of men, he talked some sense into David and convinced him to appear before the men and thank them for risking their lives.
4. Barzillai was a good friend and a wise man. He not only provided for the king when he was in flight, but he also refused to go up to Jerusalem.
5. Sometimes adversity is a great thing, because it shows who your true friends are. As we can see, Shimei was not really a true friend. He betrayed the thoughts of his heart when he cursed the king on his way out of the country. (He did repent before the king, but David knew that he had evil intentions in his heart. Later we shall see that David orders Solomon to kill him upon taking over as king.)
6. I wonder if Joab knew that David promised the commander of the army position to Amasa? I also wonder what his response was when he first found out about it. The bible records very clearly that he wanted his position back bad enough to kill for it.
7 It is interesting to see that David has his own priest, by the name of Ira the Jairite. I wonder why he was not satisfied with Abiathar and Zadok? After all, it was Zadok's son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan who risked their lives by taking a message of Absalom's movements to David, and it was Ahimaaz who outran the Cushite to deliver the message that the army had succeeded in routing the armies of Israel.
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