Big Idea: The Lord’s discipline, once decreed, is inescapable and just; it often brings great sorrow in its wake.

Understanding the Text

As the previous episode came to an end, David was in serious danger. But the preceding episode made it clear that David was not alone and that the Lord, while using Absalom as an instrument in his discipline of David, is going to bring about Absalom’s defeat (17:14). This episode tells how that happens. The Lord halts Absalom’s coup in its tracks, but in the process David pays the third installment of his self-imposed fourfold penalty (cf. 12:6). Nathan’s prophecy continues to echo through the story as the sword continues to rip through David’s house (cf. 12:10).

David’s response to the loss of his son is heart wrenching yet also symptomatic of his fai…