Absalom! Absalom! That’s actually a reference to a book title by William Faulkner, but we could say the same here. Desperate times call for desperate measures I suppose. But why did Absalom have to go and burn Joab’s field??? Again, we can see the reasons for his misdeed, but I can’t help to think, wasn’t there a better way? He’s already been outcasted for murdering his brother, so his reputation isn’t that great. Now he has justified burning Joab’s field because he needed to ask a question. I do love Joab’s love for King David, and I love Tekoa’s honesty when David caught her in the rouse Joab had devised. Sometimes, we just need to tell the truth. Tekoa was wise, according to the text, and she probably sensed the need to let the cat out of the bag. If I were Absalom, though, I would have had the same question for Joab, especially after two years of isolation. We’re left with a bit of a cliffhanger here. Absalom’s life is in the hands of his father, who is known to be a just king.
Writing prompt: what will he do?
We don’t know yet how David and Absalom’s reunion will go. Absalom seems to show respect by bowing low to his father, and David responds by kissing him. We can assume by his actions that David accepted Absalom’s apology, but we don’t know what will transpire. What would you do? Write about the conflict here and how you might handle the situation.
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