"Hate Those Who Love You and Love Those Who Hate You" 2 Samuel 19-21

This story touches deep places in me.  For the past 17 years, I have wrestled with this very thing.          

David is rebuked.
You love  those who hate you---father-in-law and sons.
You hate those who love you---the ones risking their lives.
Wake up.
2 Samuel 19:6

The messengers had long brought the good news of the defeat of David's enemy, his son. The death of Absalom. Joab was victorious but he finds a king in tears not triumph when they come home: "Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” 2 Samuel 19:1 Should he still be? It's been a while. Did he really over-love this merciless, graceless son? Verse 2 says: The victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” And I wonder what David's tears are really for. He never dealt with Amnon---Absalom did---and that scenario started their unheard unresolved family feud.

David has surrounded himself with strong men who are very honest. Joab cries out to David in Verses 3-6: “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. 

Servants are safe. Son is dead. Joab reproofs. David rises. No More. Move on. May our passion for what could have been in this life not overtake our present moment to live fully right where we are. 

And move on.                                                                                                                                           David does.                                                                                                                                                                 To the rightful place of prince.                                                                                                                      I mull things over in my mind way too long. I default to what I thought should have been. Again, an older David pushes through. "And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded... 2 Samuel 19:13-14.

Father, may we "X" out those theological boxes where we hold false hope that Your Love will respond a certain way to us; that Your Will paves a certain way for us; that Your Hand guides all good things to us. That our families just have to turn out a certain way for us to be happy. Shake us up as we read how the elder David responds in over-love even in his maturity; his desire for his family to be all right, a safe haven, took precedence over his life. Help us to see like You do.

PHOTO:  The sun shines not on David's life.  Eclipsed by a tragedy---the death of his enemy son.  Oh, the conundrum.  Loving those who don't love us back; and not loving those who love us so.