Bible Tuesday - David Part 22

Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son.
After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.
2 Samuel 13:37-39

So David's family is all jacked up.  His daughter is disgraced. His son Amnon is dead.  His son Absalom is banished from the kingdom.

Joab comes up with a scheme to try to fix the situation.  He gets this random woman to disguise herself and approach the king with a sad story.  Do any of you remember this story?  This lady is about to lay down the straight up Gospel to David and I don't think I have ever heard this story preached...ever. 

Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.”
“Speak,” he replied.

 The woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son?  Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.
2 Samuel 14:12-14

Please stop fooling yourself with the ridiculous notion that you are in control.  Right now, God is devising a way to bring you to Him.  You aren't reading this post because you happen to enjoy the musings of a chubby housewife.  God has a plan and he is a bunch more patient than you are.  Trust me on this one.

David hears the story and relents.  He allows Joab to bring Absalom back into the kingdom under one condition.

But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.
2 Samuel 14:24

David wants to relent and still punish his son at the same time.  Don't you see people do this all the time?  The "I'll forgive but I won't forget" routine.  But this is not God's way.  If you say you have forgiven someone but you simultaneously still hate their guts, it might be time to re-examine that forgiveness. (And yes, I am preaching to myself here...big time.) 

God could have forgiven our sins through the blood of Christ and just left it there.  But He didn't.  He reconciled us to Himself.  It's not enough to be allowed back into the kingdom.  We must strive to be always in the presence of the King.