David is now on the run but he is not without friends, and he has only gone a short distance when he meets Ziba leading a string of donkeys loaded with food and drink for him and his men. David asks where Mephibosheth is, and Ziba replies that he has stayed in Jerusalem in the hope of winning back his grandfather's kingdom, and so David says that all that had belonged to Ziba's master now belongs to him. David may have been usurped by his son, but as far as he is concerned he is still king and he still has authority. The fugitive king is not without enemies either however, and a little further on a man called Shimei from the same clan as Saul curses him and throws stones at him, saying that the Lord has repaid him for the blood he shed in Saul's house and that he has come to ruin because he is a man of blood. One of David's men is ready to have Shimei's head, but David tells his officials to leave him as it may be that the Lord has told him to curse. Perhaps David knows he has blood on his hand and fears that Shimei may be right.
Meanwhile, Hushai has returned to Jerusalem and sworn his allegiance to Absalom, joining the traitor Ahithophel. Ahithophel has a reputation as one who enquires of God, and so when he suggests that Absalom sleep with his father's concubines, the new king follows his advice and thereby fulfils the prophecy made by Nathan after David slept with Bathsheba. Ahithophel then recommends that Absalom set out in pursuit of David to strike him down and bring his men back unharmed. The plan seems good to Absalom but he decides to seek the opinion of Hushai, who now has a chance to frustrate Ahithophel's advice as David asked of him. He argues that David and his men are fierce and experienced and so it would be better to meet them in battle on open ground or besiege them in a city, and wins Absalom and the elders of Israel over to his side. Hushai then sends word of Absalom's plans to David, which just about gets through after the messengers are nearly caught, and so he and his men cross the river and go to Mahanaim, where they are given fresh supplies by the Ammonites. It seems his plan may work.
Absalom and the Israelites also cross the river and set up camp, and it looks like the battle is on. David has always been a great military leader, but this time his men ask him to stay in the city because they know that he is all Absalom is after, and he agrees to do what they think is best, only asking that they be gentle with his son. The two armies meet in the forest of Ephraim and twenty thousand are killed, but ultimately David's men are victorious. Absolom escapes the battle, only to get his head caught in the branches of a tree. David's men will not touch him because they have given their word, but Joab ignores his instructions and plunges three javelins into Absalom's chest as he hangs still alive in the tree. Joab then sounds the trumpet and David's men stop pursuing the Israelites. The battle is over but has it really been won?
Joab throws Absalom into a pit and covers him with rocks, but he knows he cannot keep his death a secret for long. Ahimaaz son of Zadok asks to be allowed to take the news of the victory to David, but Joab says he must wait because the king's son is dead, and instead sends a Cushite to tell David what he has seen. Ahimaaz asks to be allowed to run after the Cushite and Joab reluctantly agrees, but at some point he overtakes the messenger and arrives first to tell David that God has delivered him. David asks if his son is safe and Ahimaaz lies and says he does not know, because he wants the glory of the good news not the pain of the bad news. The Cushite then arrives with the same news and is asked the same question, to which he replies by asking that the enemies of David may all be like that young man.
David knows that this means his son is dead and he goes away to weep, so that for the whole army the day of victory is turned to mourning, and the troops creep back into the city like deserters. Joab chastises him, saying that he has humiliated his men by showing that they mean nothing to him, and that he would rather they had died and Absolom had lived. He says that if he does not go out and encourage the men then not one will be with him by nightfall, and this will be a greater calamity than any he has yet faced. Joab is right to say that Daivd should recognise the loyalty of his men, and from a political and tactical point of view it is vital that he boost their morale and keep them on side, but David has to be allowed to mourn. He is a king but he is still a man, and while it is only right that we have certain expectations of our leaders, we must remember that they are human too.
David takes heed of Joab's advice and takes his seat in the gateway of the city, but the country is in disarray, as the people argue about what should happen now. David replaces Joab with Amasa who was the commander of Absalom's army, and wins over the men of Judah so that they call him back. They meet David at the Jordan to help him cross, and Shimei falls at his feet and begs forgiveness for his curses. One of David's men calls for Shimei to be executed, but David declares that he is king over Israel and no one that shall die that day. Mephibosheth also goes to meet David, and David asks him why he did not leave Jerusalem. Mephibosheth says that the truth is that he stayed behind because he is a cripple but Ziba slandered him in order to get his land, and so David orders that Mephibosheth and Ziba split the fields, to which Mephibosheth replies by saying that Ziba can take everything now that David has returned. It's a sad fact of life that sometimes the jerks come out on top.
Another man called Barzillai also meets David at the river. Barzillai provided for David in Mahanaim, and so David invites him to cross the river and come to Jerusalem so that he can return the favour. Barzillai declines this generous offer on the basis that he is eighty years old and unable to enjoy the pleasures of courtly life, but asks that David take another man called Kimhaum in his place. The finer things of life mean nothing at all if they mean nothing to us, and there is little more gratuitous than wealth for wealth's sake.
Having dealt with his visitors, David crosses the river and returns to Jersualem. A disagreement breaks out between the men of Judah who had gone with David and the men of Israel who had stayed with Absalom. The men of Israel try to absolve themselves of blame by claiming that the men of Judah stole their king away, but the men of Judah argue that they went with him because they are closely related to him, prompting the men of Israel to declare that they have a greater claim on David and were the first to speak of bringing him back. Again we see a tension between Judah and Israel that can only lead to more trouble.
That trouble is not long in coming, as an Israelite called Sheba declares that they have no share in David, leading the men of Israel to desert him once again. When David returns to Jerusalem, he sends Amasa to summon the men of Judah, but he takes longer than he should and we begin to suspect that his appointment may not have been a good move. David is concerned that Sheba will be a greater threat than Absalom and so he sends Joab and his men in pursuit of him. Joab comes across Amasa and kills him, which may prove our suspicions wrongs and explain the delay, then continues his pursuit of Sheba and besieges him in the city of Abel Beth Maacah. As his men are battering the walls, a wise woman calls to Joab and asks why he is trying to destroy their city. Joab tells her of Sheba and she promises him the rebel's head, which she duly provides, so that the rebellion is not put down by the king or the commander but the crone. It jsut goes to show you never know how things will work out.
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