August 24, 2008 Sermon

David Deals With Division
II Samuel 19:1-15

King David and his son, King Solomon, ruled over a free Israel. Yet a close reading of II Samuel reveals that even David faced security threats—threats to his personal security, and to that of his nation. So do we. The way he handled those threats might, therefore, teach us a thing or two. David handled division graciously. How well do we do with that?

II Samuel 19 chapter opens with David mourning the death of his son, Absalom. The depth of his grief might lead us to conclude that he was a favorite, loyal and loving son. Absalom was a traitor. How, then, to account for David’s sorrow? The story’s roots ran down into the fault line between north and south in Israel. They go back to when the Israelites first settled into the Promised Land. Israelites then identified themselves first as members of one of twelve tribes, each tracing its lineage back to one of the Patriarch Jacob’s twelve sons, and only then as citizens of a nation. Nine of those tribes settled the northern half of the land; two settled the south. (The twelfth tribe, Levi, served as priests throughout the land.) Over time the nine northern tribes tended to band together in good times and bad, and the same with the two southern tribes.

Before becoming king David fought a series of skirmishes between a shifting mix of foreign armies and Israelite tribes, who did not always fight together. When his predecessor, King Saul, died his fellow northerners set up a rival king to David. It took seven years for David to consolidate Israel. He had several wives and sons. More than one of those sons wanted to become king, Absalom among them. He and his supporters hatched a plot. They waited for a time when David faced yet another security threat from a neighboring nation, then gathered enough strength to force the issue. When David learned that Absalom had amassed a force numbering in the thousands less than a few hours’ ride away, he fled.

For a brief time it appeared Absalom might take over Israel. But David had still had support, especially in his native south. He regrouped and retook control. Before the final battles in this civil war he gave explicit orders that Absalom’s life must be spared. He did this not to prevent his capture, torture, and/or humiliation. He did it, rather, because he still loved his son. He also wanted to show enough mercy to win over all Israel. David wanted to reunite his nation. As Abraham Lincoln hoped to do some 2,700 years later at the end of another war he wanted to use grace to bring healing to a shattered and divided people. But Absalom died as the result of a freak accident as he rode his donkey in panicked retreat. This brings us to the opening of our chapter and David’s grief.

David genuinely mourned his son’s death. He mourned his treachery. He mourned that the two would never have the chance to reconcile. And he mourned that his people had suffered yet another injury to their community. After all, these were the Chosen People, the family God had made into a nation and promised to bless. Understanding all this, we can see why David grieved even for a son who had betrayed him. But many of his people did not share his feelings. In fact his army commander, Joab, confronted David with an important point. By breaking down so publicly David sent an unintended message that his soldiers did not dare come home as heroes. The text tells us they “stole into the city” as if they had to bear the shame of defeat. Joab wanted nothing to do with this. “You have made it clear today,” he berates David, “that your commanders and officers are nothing to you.” And he warns that if the king does not pull himself together, not a man will remain loyal to him.

Throughout this long story of David we have repeatedly seen him respond to critical moments with surprising grace. This passage gives us more of the same. Instead of punishing Joab for confronting him in the moment of his grief, David gets cleaned up, dresses and goes out to review his returning troops at the gate to the city. With this action he openly admitted he had been wrong. He confessed his error in an age when kings simply did not do that. And in the verses to come he would receive man after man, each a prominent citizens anxious that this emotional, passionate king might punish him for whatever he did or did not do during Absalom’s rebellion. David forgave every one of them.

I cannot not help but contrast this with the way our nation treated her soldiers returning from Vietnam. It was a complicated time. We had just lost our first war ever (unless you happen to identify with the Confederacy in the Civil War). A significant percentage of our population had opposed the war, many of them participating in mass protests. Our president was falling from power in disgrace. It is an historical fact that most men who fought in Vietnam did not receive mistreatment when they got back home. But a sadly large number of them did. And few of them received the honor for having done their duty that we had always before—and have always since—made sure to give our veterans.

One story should illustrate the fear and the shame that made America’s post-Viet Nam era similar to the time of Absalom’s rebellion. John Beverly served a tour as an infantryman in Viet Nam from 1967 to 1969. After returning home he became ever more sensitive to loud noises and received the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress syndrome. When a few of his co-workers at a Miller Company brewery learned this, they began scaring him by popping paper cups on the floor behind him, dropping large loads off of forklifts, and even setting off bottle rockets in the lunch room. At first he jumped and yelled when startled. Then he started diving onto the floor. Eventually he began falling down, curling into the fetal position and crying. This only amused his tormentors. As the judges in the suit he eventually filed wrote, ''This is a case where the human insensitivity often witnessed in the children's schoolyard has reappeared in the adult workplace.'' One of his antagonists told a reporter he did not see what the problem was, since Mr. Beverly was a grown-up and besides, he’d probably done something in Viet Nam to deserve it.

Mr. Beverly finally did what any red-blooded American would do: he got a lawyer, went to court and won a pile of money. I do not blame him. But I seriously doubt that potential bullies in other settings would be deterred by the court award. Even if they knew about it they would probably not stop taking advantage of the chance to have some “fun”. And sinful human nature as it gets expressed in groups sometimes causes losers in court to do even more destructive things to their antagonists.

What we need, what David modeled, what Jesus commanded in his Sermon on the Mount, is to meet sin with grace. When confronted by betrayal or bullying, find the strength to forgive and forget. I once visited with a person who recounted a 25 year-old grievance against a family member. This person then said, “But of course I’ve forgiven him. I remember it and I’m still angry, but I’ve forgiven him.” I submit to you now, as I submitted to this person, that this is not forgiveness. Forgiveness forgets. Forgiveness heals. Forgiveness bathes a breaking relationship in grace.

A cynic might comment that King David forgave only because he had to. He needed those soldiers. He needed those leading citizens. His political position was precarious. He was distraught. He had to forgive. But that is not how I read the text. As I see it, David had enough of the Spirit of God in his heart to permit him to meet sin with grace. He had spiritual strength, even in his moments of greatest weakness. Seek to draw close to the Holy Spirit of God that you, too, might find the strength to forgive. Pray for that strength. Rely on the support of the Body of Christ, the church, that you might have that strength. Do not permit your busyness, your fatigue, your doubts to distance you from your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Stay close to him and his grace will flow over you. You will be able to forgive even people against whom you have held grudges for many long years. Grace heals. But we have to want that healing to take place. Go to God in prayer. Confess your own sin. Ask for forgiveness. Then extend it to those who have sinner against you.

David did it. Jesus did it, even on the cross. Our private lives, our church life and even our national life demand that we return grace for sin. Pray. Forgive. Forget.