2S14-5: The Guilt That Sends Us Running, and the Grace That Calls Us Back

“So Avshalom fled, went to G’shur and stayed there three years. But as King David became reconciled to the death of his son Amnon, he was increasingly filled with longing to see Absalom.”-2 Samuel 13:38-39

There’s a reason why I copied and pasted verses from Chapter 13 of 2nd Samuel, even though we’ve just begun Chapter 14.

The reason is that the last 2 verses of chapter 13 should rightfully start chapter 14.

Am I saying that our Bibles are in error?

Not necessarily.

It’s just that the original Scripture scrolls weren’t separated into chapters and verses.

This was done by Hebrew and Christian scholars hundreds of years after the New Testament was canonized.

My point is, sometimes the chapter divisions weren’t well done.

This broke the logical flow of the story.

Where we’re at right now in 2nd Samuel is a perfect example of this.

So I’m gonna assume that Chapter 40 of 2nd Samuel starts from verse 38 of the previous chapter.

We’re told Avishalom escaped to Geshur after ordering his servants to kill his brother Amnon.

Even though Avishalom didn’t directly lay his hands on Amnon, the Lord still considered him guilty of murder.

Or as the Torah puts it, he had blood-guilt hanging over his head.

I believe in most countries, the same principle still holds.

The one who planned the murder is just as guilty as those who executed the dirty deed.

That’s why, for example, Hideki Tojo, the Prime Minister and General of the Imperial Japanese Army, was sentenced to death after World War II.

Further to this point, when your Bibles say that David banished Avishalom, that’s not correct.

It’s more like Avishalom banished himself.

Or to put it another way, he knew he was guilty of murder and was fleeing to avoid persecution.

So let’s be clear.

He was NOT chased out of Israel.

One wonders what might’ve happened had he not fled.

Would David have brought him to justice?

David did nothing when Amnon raped Tamar.

And when I say “nothing,” I mean nothing.

David didn’t even verbally reprimand Amnon.

So, based on his non-confrontational nature, I’m guessing probably nothing would’ve happened to Avishalom.

Alrighty, let’s stop here for the takeaway.

The takeaway is how the guilt from our sin causes us to flee and escape from everything and anyone we’ve ever known. 

We saw the same pattern with Moses after he slew the Egyptian guard who was abusing a Hebrew slave.

After that murder, he would never know life as a prince in Egypt again.

Of course, God would use him mightily after that.

But the point still stands.

When we sin, a wall of division is erected that divides our old life from our new life…

And there is no crossing over from one to the other.

After Adam and Eve sinned, they were banished from Eden, never to return.

After killing Abel, Cain also became an outcast, cursed to wander for the rest of his life.

But here’s the thing.

Though there may be this seemingly impenetrable wall of separation that divides us from our Father in Heaven.

I believe he so desires to break down the barrier separating us from Him, His love, and His peace.

Ya feel me here.

And we know He accomplished that by sending His son.

See ya all next time.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“For he himself is our peace,
who has made the two groups one
and has destroyed the barrier,
the dividing wall of hostility,”
-Ephesians 2:13

“And when Yeshua had cried out
again in a loud voice,
he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple
was torn in two from top to bottom.
The earth shook, the rocks split…”
-Matthew 27:50–51

 ^“And besides all this,
between us and you a great chasm
has been set in place,
so that those who want to go
from here to you cannot,
nor can anyone cross over
from there to us.”
-Luke 16:26