IN the days following the tragedy that struck the house of the King of Israel, the aging ruler was compelled to ponder on the cause of that woe.
Every day was laden with care and concern. Every day, the king stayed in his bedchamber and did not appear in the throne room.
He would mourn the death of Amnon and wonder why his little brother killed him.
Well, he’d got lots of time to think and figure that out.
On one of those lonely days, when the old man wouldn’t even be comforted in the arms of his wives, the man untied the knots eventually.
And the discovery he made was too frightening that he couldn’t endure.
Yes, the king knew his third son so well; after all, he was his favourite child.
The young prince was a gentle handsome cub. From head to toe he was a replica of the king’s graceful self.
The quiet prince was the first child of the king’s third wife, Maacah. Maacah herself was the beautiful princess of the king of a faraway land, called Geshur.
Yes, the king of Israel loved Maacah; and had won the damsel’s heart when he was king over his own tribespeople in Hebron.
And that was before he went on to become king over the entire nation in Jerusalem.
But this ruler over all Israel was now faced with this sole fact. That his son and pride was never him in heart or soul.
True, the resemblance was uncanny; the gentleness also was definitely inherited.
But no, the Third Prince was hardly a son of his father. Particularly when it came to the spirit that ruled him.
So, the king lamented all day long. That his son hadn’t taken after him at all.
‘Ah, S’alom my son! Absalom! If only you learned the ways of your father! If only you were born peaceful!’
Truly, Absalom had carefully mapped out the brutal revenge against Amnon, since the day the older one raped his only sister two years back.
Amnon and Absalom were only half-brothers. And as far apart are the poles of our earth, the brothers were never meant to be close.
Then when Amnon went entirely amiss and began to fancy the fair and beautiful sister of his brother enemy—
Up to the point that he lured her and forcefully had his way with her, then the fate of that man was sealed that day.
Absalom wouldn’t let it go, ever. He began the masterplan that took him two years to execute.
Yet this Third Prince didn’t say a word when the First violated his sister.
He didn’t respond either. No, not in word or ever in action.
The young man only took the sister to his own house, and hid her from all the gossip and shame.
Absalom expected the king to react. At least, he expected him to banish Amnon from the land.
Even if he wouldn’t hang him on the gallows like he wanted.
But the gentle king didn’t also say a thing. He only went inside and hid in shame, too. As though he was the crushed one.
Then right now, as the king recalled his own hiding, the words of a prophet came back to him. But it knocked him down as it did the first time they came.
Those words, they were the judgement that he received when himself committed the abominable few years earlier.
It was when the righteous king fell in a moment of recklessness. When he slept with a woman, then killed her husband so as to be free to marry her.
When he went on to marry her also, and thought he had buried everything under sand.
It was Nathan the Prophet that the God of Israel sent to her king that day, few years back.
And he declared the frightful verdict, and said:
‘David King of God’s people, hear what the Lord says concerning you:
‘“I gave you your master’s house, indeed Saul’s kingdom – together with his wives to keep.
‘“I also gave you to rule over your own tribesmen, and then over the twelve tribes of your nation.
‘“Now if that had been too little, I would also have given you more, and much more!
‘“Then why? Why have you despised the commandments of the living God, to make the enemies of the Lord blaspheme His holy name?
‘“You had an innocent man killed in battle; you let the enemies kill him, and then you took his wife for yourself.
‘“Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death, because you have despised Me and have taken another man’s wife.”’
Right then King David shuddered terribly, when he recalled those words which had already begun playing out.
It dawned on him too hard, the cost of one reckless moment.
So now, the king remembered that he was the genesis of the troubles befalling his house. He reminded himself that it was his yesterday that was returning now as nemesis.
Thus, when he hid himself rather than punish his son’s incest and rape two years back, Absalom misjudged his silence, and went on to stage his revenge for him as well.
Yet the wise king was able to see through the young one’s scheme. He was able to read through the boy’s intention when it began.
For when Absalom invited David for his special feast in the countryside, the man refused in spite of all his plea.
He knew that something ghastly was coming; and the schemer child wanted him to simply watch it, and bleed.
It was to be the fair price for his silence when Amnon defiled the poor lovely soul.
And now, David churned in bed all day. When he saw the reckless paths that his sons chose.
He cried. ‘If only you weren’t this, my sons; my sons!
‘If only you weren’t like me—ah, if only!’
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