Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20021208.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part LIII: Avoiding Insurrection By Executing Justice Both Impartially And Decisively
(2 Samuel 14:1-15:6)
  1. Introduction
    1. Parents along with church, governmental and business leaders must at times make difficult judgments regarding the punishment of subordinates. This is always the "down" side to leadership.
    2. However, we must be both impartial and decisive, or the "down" side of leadership can produce chaos!
    3. David's partial and indecisive judgment of Absalom only festered insurrection as 2 Samuel 14 shows us:
  2. Avoiding Insurrection By Executing Justice Both Impartially And Decisively, 2 Samuel 14:1-15:6.
    1. After Absalom murdered his half-brother, Amnon, for raping his sister, Tamar, and had fled to Geshur, David longed to be reunited with Absalom, 2 Samuel 13:1-38, 39.
    2. David's military chief, Joab realized this fact, and conspired to use a cunning woman of Tekoa to trick David into forgiving Absalom so he could return to Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 14:2-3.
    3. The woman pretended to be a widow with two sons where one son had murdered the other, and who feared the execution of her sole living son would undermine her livelihood support base, 2 Sam. 14:4-7.
    4. David promised to settle the matter without disclosing what he would do, so the woman pressed him further, 2 Samuel 14:8; she claimed she did not want David to be guilty of injustice were her murderer son spared, saying she would take the blame herself for not executing him if guilt were leveled, 2 Sam. 14:9.
    5. David responded discreetly, not wanting to fail to execute a murderer while still showing mercy to the woman: he claimed the judge had to answer to him without disclosing what his judgment would be, 14:10
    6. Finally, the woman begged David to deliver her from the avengers of blood, so David claimed her son would not be executed, 2 Samuel 14:11. This decision is actually in violation of the law, Num. 35:33!
    7. When David had voiced his leniency to the murderer in the parable, the woman applied the parable to David's son, Absalom, urging him to recall Absalom without executing him, 2 Samuel 14:12-14.
    8. As she continued to talk and try covering the fact she had deceived David, he perceived Joab had set this woman up to speak this way to him about Absalom's return, 2 Samuel 14:15-20.
    9. Having verbally committed himself to be lenient with Absalom, David ordered Joab to return Absalom from his refuge in Gentile territory to Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 14:21-23.
    10. However, not wanting to look like he was unjust before others by welcoming a murderer with open arms, David made Absalom return to his house without a formal palace reception, 2 Samuel 14:24.
    11. This indecisiveness on David's part only led Absalom to be bitter toward his father, and led him to begin making trouble for David in a variety of ways, 2 Samuel 14:25-15:6:
      1. When David failed to see Absalom for two full years (14:28), his anger only festered as follows:
        1. First, Absalom was still festering over the failure of David to do justice in Tamar's case! Being handsome, Absalom married and had children. One child was a beautiful daughter whom Absalom named after his sister, Tamar whose rape had cause his problems with David, 14:25-26, 27.
        2. Second, Absalom was angry at David's failure to be decisive in judging him as seen in his efforts to get Joab's attention: (a) As David stalled to see Absalom, he asked Joab for an audience with David, 14:29. (b) When two such requests were ignored, Absalom burned Joab's barley field to get his attention, 14:30-31. (c) Absalom told Joab he wanted to meet the king, and felt he had to set Joab's field on fire to get his way, 2 Samuel 14:32a. (d) At that time, Absalom expressed his frustration at David's indecisiveness, saying if he needed to be executed, David should kill him and end the tension between them, 14:32b. (e) Thus, Joab arranged for Absalom to meet David, 2 Sam. 14:33.
      2. However, Absalom's later actions showed he was already trying to usurp even David's throne, 15:1-6.
Lesson: By failing to deal out IMPARTIAL justice on Amnon for his rape of Tamar, and then failing to be IMPARTIALLY RIGHT as well as DECISIVE in his judgment of Absalom for his murder of Amnon, David only incited Absalom to disrespect him and become a bigger problem, 2 Samuel 15:1-6!

Application: Though passing judgment in oversight is a hard thing to do, if it is required by God's Word, it MUST be done, and done IMPARTIALLY and with DECISIVENESS to avoid future chaos!