For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him. 2 Samuel 14:14
David’s sinful relationship with Bathsheba which culminated in the killing of Uriah the Hittite was unequivocally the low point of his life (2 Samuel 11). In 2 Samuel 12:1-14, Nathan the prophet revealed David’s wicked deeds to him prompting him to repent of his sins. In David’s own words, he was worthy of death for what he had done (vs. 5). However, God was merciful to David, forgiving his sin and sparing his life (vs. 13). Nevertheless, the consequences of his actions would follow him the rest of his life. God revealed through Nathan that the sword would never depart from David’s house from that time forward (vs. 10). 2 Samuel 13 records the beginning of these sorrows as David’s son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar prompting Absalom to avenge his sister by killing Amnon. Absalom fled to Geshur to avoid the consequences, and for three years David longed for his son (vv. 34-39).
Having seen David’s sorrow these three years, Joab devised a plan to convince David to bring Absalom home. He convinced a woman from Tekoa to approach the king on behalf of her son who had killed his brother while they fought in the field where they worked (2 Samuel 14:1-11). David showed mercy to the woman and her son ordering that he be spared from the avenger of blood. It was at this point that she revealed her true intentions in approaching the king. In 2 Samuel 14:12-17, she asked David why he would make such a provision for her son while withholding the same from his son Absalom for whom he longed. Moved by her argument, David sent to have Absalom brought home and spared from the avenger of blood (2 Samuel 14:18-24). Mercy was distributed to Absalom, just as God had distributed it to David.
Nestled in the middle of this story is a statement that reveals God’s attitude towards all His people who have been banished from His presence because of sin (vv. 13-14). As the woman probed David’s heart asking why he did not bring back his banished son, the crux of her argument was that, though we all will surely die, God does not take away life but “…devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him” (vs. 14). This remarkable truth is the thrust of the entire Bible. God’s rich mercy driven by His great love for us prompted salvation’s pan (Ephesians 2:1-9). The result is that we who were once far away (banished) have been brought near, incorporated into the very household of God (Ephesians 2:11-22).
As those who have been redeemed by God’s grace, we are to imitate that gracious attitude in our words and deeds towards His other banished ones (Ephesians 5:1-2). It is easy to look at those who have given themselves over to the sins of the flesh with the wrong attitude. We can easily take on the attitude of the Pharisees who considered themselves morally superior to the sinners that surrounded them. They chided Jesus for consorting with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:15-17). On one occasion one of them congratulated himself to God while praying in the temple (Luke 18:9-14).
Though we must not partake of the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11-12), we must never forget the purpose for which Christ came and the commission He left for those He brought home from banishment. We must imitate His aim to seek and save that which is lost (Luke 19:10; Matthew 28:18-20). So, as we enjoy our privileged position, let us use this position, not to congratulate ourselves, but rather to try and bring more banished ones home to Him.