2 Samuel 18:32-33
"And the king said unto Cushi, is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
Absalom, David's third son, was praised for his beauty. He had long, beautiful, heavy hair that he would cut every year and weigh. Outwardly, he was beautiful. He had no blemishes. He was the perfect specimen of a man. Inwardly, however, was a different story. He harbored hatred after his half brother, Amnon, dishonored his sister, Tamar, and carefully planned Amnon's demise - when Absalom gave the signal, Amnon was openly murdered by the servants. After the revenge, Absalom ran away and was gone for three years. During these three years, the Bible says that "the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom." So Joab convinced David to let Absalom return but David refused to see Absalom for two years. When Joab refused to do anything more for Absalom, Absalom had his servants set Joab's field on fire. He was reckless and foolish, but he got Joab's attention and was reunited with his father. However, this wasn't enough for Absalom - he wanted his father's throne. He won the heart of the people and organized a rebellion. Absalom pursued after David and in the end he got his long, beautiful hair entangled in a tree. He was found and killed by Joab. When David learned of Absalom's death, he began to cry out, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" Even after everything Absalom had done, David still desired for his life to be spared. He was a deceiver and a murderer. He was arrogant, rebellious, and foolish. He was full of pride and vanity. He tried to usurp a throne he was unworthy of, yet despite all of this, David loved him and grieved his death. He mourned and wept for his son.
Acts 13:22
"And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will."
David is described as a man after God's own heart. His love for Absalom is a reflection of God's love for us. David cried out "Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" He would've taken Absalom's place if he could have. That's how much he loved him! Romans 5:8 says "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." We were just like Absalom. We were dead in sin deserving death (Romans 6:23), yet still He put on flesh, was mocked, falsely accused, and beaten. He felt the weight of sins that He never committed and died on the cross so we could be forgiven and reunited with Him. Greater love hath no man than this! God loves us so much and nothing can separate us from it! He loves us when we don't love ourselves. He loves us when we are broken, aged by sin, scarred by the choices we've made. He loves us even when we deny His existence. We cannot separate ourselves from His love. His love is unconditional. His love has no limits, but when we return to sin, when we allow ourselves to become separated, when we forget our first love, it hurts Him. He mourns and grieves for us, and like David He cries out our names.
"O Anna, my daughter, my daughter!" I had forgotten my first love. He never left me, it was I who had pushed away. I'd forgotten who I was and whom I belonged to, but He didn't. He kept reaching for me, calling out, crying my name. When I repented, He welcomed me back with open arms. He took the crown that I had carelessly tossed away and placed it back on my head. I am a daughter of the King. I am a child of God. My crown may not always shine, it may be bent a little, it has a few scars, BUT it's on my head, placed there by the King.
1 Thessalonians 2:12
"That ye would walk worthy of God, who called you unto his kingdom and glory."
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