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II Samuel
Chapter
14
{David's
4th Installments of 4 Installments of Discipline -
Absalom Revolution (David Rebelled against the Authority of God -
His Son Will Revolt Against His Authority)}
{Verses
1-20: A Three Act Drama: The Woman from Tekoah}
1~~Now
Joab, the son of Zeruiah {David's sister}
perceived/knew
that the king's {David's} heart . . .
{was}
against/toward Absalom.
{Note: RBT says that this is a change of feelings for David. In the last chapter David longed to see Absalom. David is now unstable - back in his arrogance complex. But Joab now knows that none of David's adult sons are capable of ruling Israle once David passes away. So, he is going to scheme to bring back Absalom. And, he is going to set up a scenario where 1) Absalom can return 2) Absalom will not be stoned to death when he returns, and 3) Absalom will be given over to Joab as his personal responsibility when he does return. So, we will see Joab will be given the 'responsibility' for Absalom when he is permitted to return to Jerusalem. That is why when David will order in the revolution that no one kill Absalom. Joab will violate this order - because HE was responsible for Joab and it was his right and responsibility to kill him when he revolted against David.}
{Verses
2-3: Joab Stages a Drama - A 3 Act Scenario}
2~~And
Joab sent {shalach} {someone}
to
{the town of} Tekoah {T@qowa`}
{means Joab did not go himself - apparently he knew this woman
and she owes him a big favor - Tekoah is a town 6 miles south of
Bethlehem},
and
he brought from there
a
'technically skilled' {chakam} woman
{from the context, apparently she was a skilled actress},
and
he {Joab}said to her, please/'I pray you',
pretend
that you are in mourning {the actress' role},
and
please dress in mourning clothes {the costuming/wardrobe},
but
do not put on any cosmetics/'cosmetic oils or lotions'
{will make her look really bad and to be pitied -
wearing cosmetics is normally very acceptable - is a volitional
choice of the woman},
and
instead act like a woman who has for many days
been
mourning for the dead {Joab is the producer of this play}.
{The
Full Rehearsal}
3~~And
when you have gone to the king,
you
will speak to him 'in this manner'/
'words
like these' {the scenario}.
Consequently,
Joab put in her mouth these words {the script}.
{Note:
Joab is not only the producer, he is also the director. He is not
only giving her the script, but also the scenario - meaning not only
what to say, but how to say it - the inflection . . . how to look
when saying it - posture . . . going over all the possible responses
of his Uncle David and how to respond to each.}
{Woman's
Acting Before Supreme Court Judge King David}
4~~Now
when the woman of Tekoah
'received
an audience before'/'went before' the king,
she
fell with her face to the ground,
and
'did homage'/'prostrated herself',
and
said, "Help/Deliver, O king".
{Note: She had to practice falling to the ground just right. They she had to prostrate herself before David to look like the true damsel in distress. Finally, she does not lift her eyes to him or he might be able to tell she was faking. She is a very talented actress here, playing her role well! All real men desire to help a woman in need. This Act is intended to play on the emotions of King David.}
5~~And
the king said unto her,
"What
is your grievance?"
Then
she {the plaintiff} replied,
"Truly,
I am a 'widow woman' . . .
and
my husband is dead.
{Note: This is setting up the Law of Posterity - a civil law to ensure that a man's name would pass from generation to generation. It only applies to 'true widows' where the husband has died. It does not apply to 'grass widows' - those who are divorced from their husbands (making their husband's 'dead' to them under the law). Joab is setting up non-pertinent civil law where the case between Absalom and Amnon was a criminal matter.}
{Basis
for the Supposed Grievance}
6a~~And
{your Honor} your 'female subject/citizen'
{setting up the principal that Supreme Court Judge David
had jurisdiction over this case and this woman}
had
two sons.
{of course these will turn out to be Amnon and Absalom}
6b~~Now
the two of them were fighting each other in the field,
and
there was no one to separate and pull them apart.
Consequently,
the one stuck and killed the other.
{Note:
Now under the Jewish law, Amnon should have been tried
for
the rape of Tamar. As Tamar's closest male relative, Absalom would
have been the rightful 'avenger of blood' - the Jewish form of
executioner - whose duty it would have been to put Amnon to death.
But since love blinded David, there was no justice (no one to
separate the two brothers) so there was no justice in the land for
Tamar. Because of David's failure Absalom's murder was individual
vengeance and also illegal punishable by death. The only ones here
under David who are forgotten are the victims! But, two wrongs do not
make a right!},
7a~~Now,
behold, the entire clan/family
has
risen up against your 'female subject',
and
they said/'have demanded',
"'Hand
over'/Deliver up' the one who killed his brother,
in
order that we may put him to death,
for
the life of his brother whom he murdered.
{Note: In Israel there were no public executioners. These close relatives would have been obligated to enforce the law and be 'avengers of blood'. And, this would also be the right of Amnon's 50ish brothers. This tells us that David has 'tried Absalom in abstentia' an Absalom would be executed by his brothers if he returned.}
7b~~Furthermore, we will destroy {shamad} the heir.
{Note: Joab through this actress is introducing a false issue. That of the law of posterity - see Genesis 38:8. All the names of the families who escaped Egypt via the Exodus were to be perpetuated through the male heir. This is a very important civil law particularly since all lands were to return to the original families every 50 years - unless the line of posterity had been broken.}
{Note: Now shamad here in the Hiphil stem indicates the false motivation of the supposed avengers of blood. Really, Joab is telling us the motivation of Amnon's 50 brothers in wanting Absalom now dead also - they all think then they would be the heir apparent. Their motivation is evil. Human good plus arrogance = evil (same as sin plus arrogance = evil)}
7c~~Therefore,
they {the avengers of blood}
will
extinguish my spark/'burning coal'/posterity
which
is left {introducing the false issue of the law of posterity}
and
cause my {dead} husband
to
be without a name nor posterity on the face of the earth.
{Note: When a law is not pertinent, a person has to appeal to the emotion of the judge. And, since David is emotionally charged, he will fall for the trap. Therefore, again with Absalom as with Amnon, the punishment for his crime will not be imposed. When laws are not enforced, revolution will follow.}
{Note: See Psalm 38:28. David probably wrote this psalm afterward this event to remind all of us that the prosperity of the evil SHOULD be cut off!}
8~~So
the king said to the woman,
{David is allowing social action law to bury the relevant criminal law
- his decision will 'manufacture criminals' since law is not
respected - and revolution will result}
"Go
home {an order} . . . and I will 'issue an order' . . . on your behalf
{protecting her son from the legitimate 'avengers of blood' - no
execution}."
{Note: This will set a legal precedent that will be used in Absalom's case to distort justice.}
{Verses
9-11: Act 1 Beginning of Dialog by which Absalom's Freedom will be Obtained}
9a~~But
the woman of Tekoah said to the king,
"Oh
my lord the king . . . let the guilt be on me . . .
and
on my father's family'
{literally: "Upon me . . . my lord king, be the iniquity . . .
and on
the house of my father}.
{Note: This is strange. David ruled incorrectly in her favor. Why this? What is SHE guilty of? Principal: when a woman in distress changes something and it does not make sense . . . BEWARE . . . you are about to be had!}
9b~~But
let both the king and his throne/government
be
free from guilt.
{Note: Now the woman saying to David 'it is NOT your fault' and David can not know HOW it ever could have been his fault!!! He has to be spinning mentally!}
10~~Then
the king replied,
"If
anyone 'threatens'/'tries to intimidate' you,
then
you will cause him {the offender} to be brought me,
and
he will not bother/annoy/harass/disturb you any more.
{Note: This is David's second bad decision. Not only did he allow his sympathy for this woman to allow a criminal to be pardoned and therefore no justice for the victim, but now, his second decision is to completely protect the criminal from society (so now who protects society? No one.)}
{Note: Principals coming up: Crusaders plus criminals = revolution. Crusader arrogance plus human good = evil. Human good + evil = revolution.}
{David's
Solemn Oath Before the 'Higher Court'}
11a~~Then
she said, please/'I pray you',
let
the king remember this decision
before
the Jehovah/God your 'Elohiym/Godhead . . .
{a request for David's solemn oath}
to
restrain the 'public executioner'/'avengers of blood'
from
adding to the destruction
{principal of forget the victim and forgive the criminal - if you
protect the criminal from society there is no way to protect
society from the criminal},
so
that my son will not be destroyed.
11b~~Consequently,
he replied, "By the life/essence of Jehovah/God,
not
one hair of your son's head shall fall to the ground."
{Note: David is actually being prophetic about Absalom's death. His long hair will be caught in the trees and Joab will throw three javelins into him. No 'hair' fell to the ground. Absalom would go to the barber once a year and they would cut off about five pounds of red hair by the king's scales. He had become a 'long hair hippy type' once he decided to not respect the laws of the land.}
{Act
II - the Emotional View of the Law - the Plea for 'Criminal Rights'}
12~~Then
the woman said,
"Please/'I
pray you' let your female subject,
speak
a word to my lord the king.
And
he {David} replied, "Speak."
{Note:
Coming up, now the woman is going to introduce 'politics' into the
court. This is 'crusader arrogance'. When the rights of the criminal
take precedence over the rights of society, revolution will result.
She will say, the loss of her son is a personal loss . . . but the
loss of Absalom is a 'national loss' so he also should be pardoned.}
{Distortion
of the Law}
13~~Then
the woman expatiated/'spoke at length',
"Why
then have you {David}
devised
such a thing/'scheme like this'
against
the people of 'Elohiym/Godhead?
{David is now being accused of being the criminal in his case
against Absalom. These are words designed to cause trouble.
Joab is stirring up trouble though he is being 'sincere and patriotic'
- but he is just being stupid - you set aside the law, and
lawlessness will result (a revolution).}
For
since the king has rendered this judicial decision
he
has incriminated himself,
unless
the king restores 'the fugitive'
{everyone knows this is Absalom - David has trapped himself
through emotion those who play God with the law destroy
themselves AND the law!}.
{Note: So by being gallant, David has taken the bait and fell into her trap. Principal: a woman in distress is not always a woman in distress - but a carefully baited trap to catch a sucker. They are saying David has issued now a 'blanket pardon' against all 'avengers of blood' so that applies to Absalom also . . . or he is 'discriminating'. She is saying that David is guilty until he pardons Absalom!}
14a~~And
we {pausing for emphasis} . . .
are
like water poured out on the ground . . .
which
cannot be recovered . . .
so
we shall surely die.
{Note: This means 'you can not bring the victim back by killing his murderer. But you can save the life of the poor criminal who murdered him. But God says it is a very bad mistake for any society to forget the victim. Capital punishment eliminates one direct threat to society AND is a deterrent to other potential murders.}
{Ultimate
of Distorting Doctrine}
14b~~However,
'Elohiym /Godhead
does
not take away life {nephesh - soul}
{this is false - God does issue the 'sin unto death' and capital
punishment is HIS doctrine! this is the "you are not in God's will
brother' . . . (if you do not do what I WANT you to do!)"}
but
He provides Doctrines
{chashab - to think, devise . . . + machashabah - 'thoughts,
plans' so the idiom is 'literally 'He thinks thoughts'},
so
that He will not 'drive away'/banish/expel
the
one who has been 'driven away'/expelled.
{Note: Who has been 'driven away'? Absalom . . . a murder! She makes him sound like a hero! This last phrase is correct when one rebounds. But she is using 'non-pertinent doctrine' - grace is not the issue here. There is no indication that Absalom has rebounded his sin. Either way, God's law is capital punishment for 1st degree murder.}
{Act
III - How Distortion is Converted to Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Revolution}
15~~And,
now that I have come to speak this word
to
my lord {'adown} the king,
it
was because I was afraid of the people.
{this is 'false motivation' designed to distract David from the real
reason - it is really Joab who fears a popular uprising if Absalom is
not brought back - the people are restless - this is also
'Exploitive power' - power that presupposes threat or the use of
violence }
Therefore,
your female subject thought . . .
{this actress is now probably standing . . . looking at David . . .
and through David}
"I
will now speak to the king.
Perhaps
. . .
{adverb of uncertainty - probably batting her eyelashes, and
slumping in humility}
the
king will grant the request of his female subject
{implying that so far he has not done a thing for her! Meaning
perhaps the king will do what SHE wants him to do!}.
16~~For
the king will agree/hear, to deliver his female subject
from
of the hand of the man
who
would destroy both me . . . and my son together
from
the inheritance of 'Elohiym/Godhead.
{bringing up again the very important but non-pertinent civil law of
posterity}.
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