2 Samuel 19 – – – >

David’s son (Absalom) has just been assassinated by David’s nephew (Joab), because David’s son staged a coup d’é·tat (because Abaslom’s full sister was raped by their half brother [Amnon], and the governing authorities [David] did not bestow the benefit of a penalty upon the malefactor – hence Absalom [being a member of the governing family] decided to assume the duties of governing authority). David is very very publicly distressed. Joab rebukes David, saying, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”

So David stopped crying about Absalom under the duress of Joab’s threat, and held an ‘all-smiles‘ press conference.

Then David attempted to replace Joab (as commander of his army) with Amasa (who had helped Absalom stage the coup d’é·tat). However, Joab will simply murder Amasa and reinstate himself as the commander of the army in the next chapter. #David does NOT wear the pants!

Then a guy named Shimei comes begging David for forgiveness (because Shimei had cursed David continually when David was fleeing from Absalom. Shimei had called David “evil” and “worthless”, and he threw rocks, and flung dust at David). Shimei pleads with David, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. For your servant knows that I have sinned.”

And David said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And David gave him his oath.

Then David’s faithful friend Mephibosheth comes along. And Mephibosheth had neither taken care of his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day David fled from Absalom until the day he came back in safety.

And David accused Mephibosheth of being disloyal, saying, “Why did you not go with me!? Ziba told me that you refused to join me in the wilderness because you supported the coup d’é·tat!”

And Mephibosheth said, “Ziba deceived you! Ziba slandered me! You have chosen to believe a lie. You have not given me the benefit of the doubt, or done any kind of fact-checking. And THE FACT is – you are like the angel of God in my eyes – do therefore what seems good to you. You have been so so so historically merciful and generous to me! You set a dead dog like me among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to cry to you?”

And even though David was aware of his evil decision to believe Ziba’s slanderous lie, and even though David knew it was unjust – for pragmatic (and perhaps prideful) reasons – David said, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land” (for back in chapter 16, having chosen to wickedly wander and wallow in Ziba’s irreverent and silly myth [see 1 Timothy 4:7 and 2 Timothy 4:4], David had transferred all that belonged to Mephibosheth to Ziba).

And Mephibosheth said to David, “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”

#Mephibosheth is a MASSIVE SIGNPOST pointing to Luke 23:34.

…And Mephibosheth is also a good example of a friend who is willing to give David the benefit of the doubt, and/or be exceedingly patient with David. Mephibosheth sincerely strives to recognize (and empathize with) the fact that David has had a rough go it lately. So Mephibosheth is choosing to cut David a lot of slack.

And finally, there is the big public debate raging in the news and running rampant on social media. The men of Israel are spinning the irreverent and silly myth: “Our brothers of Judah STOLE David away from us!” And the people of Judah are saying, “We didn’t STEAL David away! David is our close relative. Why are y’all so angry with us! Y’all choose to defy David, and now you feel insecure about your choices and you’re simply looking for someone to blame!” And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us!? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king!?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.