Introduction

In this moving narrative we have several very effective character studies: King David, torn between losing a battle and losing his son; Absalom, the ambitious young man, caught by the "chances" of life; and "a certain man," a soldier of Joab’s, caught between loyalty to his King and loyalty to his commander.

As parents, as leaders, as citizens of our country, we can all identify with the age-old dilemmas played out so powerfully in this account. When we look at the human situations described in this narrative, and then look into our own hearts, we can truly see "human nature revisited." The mysteries of human nature are the same as they were 3,000 years ago (and probably will be 3,000 and and more years from now).

1. A parent’s dilemma

On the eve of a crucial battle, David was …