2 Samuel 14:33 (ESV Strong's)
33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
Sweat Reconciliation
The above passage has a long backstory. This verse is the final verse in what is nothing more than a late-night-movie-soap-opera-theme plot. The story goes like this: Absalom was David’s son. Amnon was David’s son, by a different mother. Absalom had a sister named Tamar. Tamar would be Amnon half-sister. Amnon lusted after Tamar and finally succumbed to his urges and raped her. He then shamed her by having nothing to do with her. David was angry but that was it. Absalom wanted revenge. Two years later Absalom gets that revenge and kills Amnon. That, too, displeased David. As a result fo this action Absalom is banished from the country. He is in this country for three years (we are now five years past the rape of Tamar). Finally, King David agrees to allow Absalom to return. But, two years later he has still not even seen David. He is home, in the country and city, but still has no relationship with his father. Finally, after much urging, David agrees to meet with Absalom. That is where the above verse fits in the story. David finally is reconciled with his son. He has, however, lost a son (Amnon), the reputation of a daughter (Tamar) and almost seven years of fellowship with a son (Absalom). This is what sin does. But, sin does not have to reign. Forgiveness can be king if we allow it to be. David waits entirely too long to bring this reconciliation about. Here, in chapter 11-12 of this book David finds forgiveness from God for his “rape” and/or “seduction” of Bathsheba, but David can’t find a way to forgive his son. This is the problem when we fail to forgive. Sweet reconciliation can come from forgiveness. But, when we withhold forgiveness to others even though God has forgiven us, we find ourselves missing out on the relationships we could be having.
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