“The king said to her, ‘What’s the trouble?’ She answered, ‘I’m a widow. After my husband died, my two sons were out in the field; and they got into a fight with each other. There was no one to separate them, and one hit the other and killed him.'”-2 Samuel 14:5-6
I need to remind you of something.
The woman of Tekoa’s story is NOT real.
It’s made up.
But David thinks it’s real.
His ruling was based on the facts the woman gave him.
Now here’s the thing.
The way many pastors, preachers, and teachers view this story is completely wrong.
The way many rabbis also tend to view this story goes against Torah.
That’s right.
I said it, homies.
Not only are they wrong, but their interpretation has led to much damage to our relationship with the Lord…
Not to mention all of the pain inflicted upon our communities and families.
Why?
What big rear-end mistake is David making in his judgment here?
Simple.
David is prioritizing his pity for the widow over God’s Word.
And God’s Word in this case demands that the murderer be put to death.
Ya feel me?
The facts of the case, as the woman presented them, are pretty clear.
One son killed the other.
And it wasn’t an accident.
This wasn’t self-defense.
Nor was it “negligent homicide.”
On top of that, there were no witnesses.
Here’s another thing we shouldn’t overlook.
The woman wasn’t trying to deny that her son was guilty.
She admits he committed murder.
Yet, she’s asking the king to forgive it.
She’s even willing to take the blame herself if it means her only living son can be saved.
What she wants is mercy for a crime that she knows was real.
So the final concluding answer is that David is WRONG.
The Torah is clear.
There is NO atonement for murder under the Law.
You’ll notice that David never did offer up a sacrifice after he confessed his murder of Uriah to God.
Why?
Because no animal sacrifice pays for murder.
God takes murder seriously.
The only payment He’ll accept for a murder is the life of the person who did it.
That’s how serious it is.
I hope you’re feeling me here.
Now, what happens if you don’t follow Torah protocol and put the murderer to death?
Blood-guilt will be placed on the unjust society that allowed the murderer to live.
The sin will spread like cancer.
The woman understood this.
That’s why she told David that she and her father’s family were willing to bear the blood-guilt instead of David for what happened.
So the woman fully grasped that the Torah demands the life of the murderer in retribution.
Mercy ain’t allowed in this case for the reasons I already went over.
Yet David allowed the pleas of the woman for mercy to cloud his judgment.
And I’m telling you he was WRONG.
Perhaps he felt guilty because he was never put to death for instigating a murder himself.
Nevertheless, David had no right to pardon a murderer.
No authority in the universe can do that.
Not even God…
Because He cannot go against His Word.
Even today, under the New Covenant, the rule still stands.
If someone commits murder, he or she is to be put to death.
No going to jail…
No collecting $200…
The murderer is to be put to DEATH.
Period.
If that isn’t done…
Then the Lord will transfer that blood-guilt to society.
And if you’re a member of that society…
That means you will also take on the blood-guilt of the murderer who wasn’t properly executed.
That, my friends, is why our society is so messed up today.
Nothing good happens when we stray from our Creator’s Word.
So here is my question. How was David’s sins put away? GOD said you shall not die. So here is my question that I will take hell for… was the baby’s death the sacrifice that God used to forgive David. If there is no forgiveness of sin without blood, and the blood of bulls and goats could not forgive sins like murder and adultery, what other blood was shed other than thr innocent baby’s blood. Im not teaching this, im asking if anyone else has thought this.
Good question, Karl. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure. The baby’s death was clearly God’s judgment, but Scripture never calls it a sacrifice for David’s sins. It just says the Lord ‘put away’ his sin. Why He spared David is wrapped up in His mercy and justice. Could it have pointed ahead to Messiah’s blood? Possibly. But I can’t say for certain.”
I posed this question on a Bible study I host and came up with pretty much the same answer as what you just said.
Ephesians 1:4-5 KJV
[4] according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
That because David was in Christ before the foundations of the world, to be holy and without blame. Perhaps David’s forgiveness was a foreshadow of the atoning blood of Yeshua.
Awesome! It appears we’re on the same spiritual wavelength.