With this passage we will culminate the series about David's life. In retrospect, I see his life as divided into two parts. The first is ascending, from Goliath's death until David consolidates himself into the throne ending the civil war. People are at peace and the whole country is starting to thrive. God has promised to ensure that David's descendants had a continued reign. What more could David ask for? That's where he's careless. The second part is descending and begins the day he did not go to war and walks through his palace and sees Bathsheba and sends her to search. To cover up adultery, he commits murder and everything becomes such a dirty affair that even David admits it when the prophet Nathan confronts him. David regrets it, but the consequences of what he did would follow for the rest of his life.
The sin that began with David, continues as a cancer with his family when his firstborn Amnon, with the same weakness for women, brought his half-sister Tamar to his room and there he raped her. David was very angry, but he did nothing to help Amnon suffer the consequences of what he had done. Perhaps he expected it to be forgotten, but in rare cases sin has no further consequences. His third son, Absalon, waits two years to avenge his sister Tamar but at the end of the day kills Amnon and flees. David again laments but takes no action. Five years pass and he finally reconciles with his son without judgment or punishment for offense and sin committed.
It seems that it was finally over but only happened that the cancer went to remission but it was still there because for the next four years, Absalon was undermining the people's confidence in David until he rebels against his father. So what began with a look at a beautiful woman who was bathing culminates in another civil war affecting the whole town. First David, then his family, and then the nation.
For David the King, the victory over Absalon was an absolute and decisive one that ended the risk of losing the throne. But for David the father, it was a tragedy of greater proportions. The worst thing that can happen to a parent is losing their son or daughter. In David's case, he was the third son he lost, the first son of Bathsheba, Amnon and now Absalon. That is why David cries, "My son, Absalom! My son, my son, Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!"
David arranged his accounts with God when he asked forgiveness for what he did with Bathsheba. But what he did marked him for the rest of his life. This should teach us the importance of keeping a clean life before God. Like cancer, sin must be attacked firmly and aggressively in our lives before it takes root and affects my family and those around me. And when I fail, because I will fail, I must immediately come running at your feet repentant to reconcile me and ask you to cover me with your grace and mercy.