Joab, the general of David’s army, sees the pain of his king, seems to understand the exile that both he and his son are experiencing, and makes an attempt at intercession. He “realized that the king longed to see Absalom” (2 Samuel 14:1b). He sends a widow with a story of pain and heartache to the king, which evokes the response that Joab desired to hear, as his plan seems to be coming to fruition. The woman continues speaking to David, and speaking on behalf of Joab, who has knowledge of the king’s grieving over Absalom and his desire to see him because he has been consoled from the death of Amnon, she makes reference to the Absalom situation, inquiring why “the king has not brought back the one he has banished” (14:13b).
Now, this is the first that we are hearing of this. As far as we know to this point, Absalom has fled. He was not banished by the king, but appeared to have fled willingly. However, this use of “banished” actually points out David’s ability to take actions, and his lack of doing so, because the very fact that David desired to see Absalom, but did not make any moves to bring this to pass, was an ongoing act of banishment. Again, this causes us to perform a thoughtful consideration of the Genesis narrative, in that God both banished humanity from that for which it had been created, but without prodding on the part of anybody else (like Joab), God moved to end the banishment and restore the relationship that has been broken. With Joab’s influence, exerted through the woman that he has sent to speak to David, and after calling Joab to see him, David eventually gets the point and tells his general to “bring back the young man Absalom” (14:21b). With this, David makes a move to end Absalom’s exile, beginning to grant him exodus.
“So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, ‘Let him go over to his own house. He may not see my face.’ So Absalom went over to his own house; he did not see the king’s face” (14:23-24). As we can see, this is the beginning of an exodus for Absalom. His exodus is incomplete. There is still a measure of exile in his return, as he is not allowed to see the face of the king. The broken relationship is not fully mended. This is similar to the experience of Israel as a whole. Even after the Egyptian exodus, their exodus is incomplete. First, they wander in the wilderness for forty years. Then, when they finally do enter the promised land, they must begin the process of subduing the land as a whole by driving out the inhabitants that God said were defiling the land. This proved to be a feat that, for them, could not be accomplished, as Israel never achieved a complete consolidation of both land and power. In a sense, then, their exodus, though very much real, and though very much a sign of God’s blessing upon them (so that they could be a blessing) was never complete. There was always one more battle to be fought, one more challenge to overcome, and one more temptation to resist.
This is how we are able to consider our own exodus (salvation, redemption) as well. Though we have been retrieved from exile, by an operation of grace and Divine favor, our exodus---though we have entered into the kingdom of God (just as Israel had entered into the place that God had for them)---will not be complete until that kingdom is finally consummated. There will always be one more battle to fight, one more challenge to overcome, and one more temptation to resist. More than that, there will always be evil that needs to be pushed back, which we do through one more act of the manifestation of Resurrection power and the Gospel at a time (caring for orphans and widows, giving up a cup of cold water or food or clothes to those in need). We will have to continually work out our salvation (our exodus), with fear and trembling, here within this world, with a constant desire to see the face of our King and our God. This brings us back to Absalom.
“Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king’s face” (14:28). This was not good. We can be sure that neither the king nor Absalom reveled in this situation. Absalom sends for Joab, saying to him “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there” (14:32b). This does not sound at all unlike what Israel would say to Moses on numerous occasions during the time of their incomplete exile, with the regular refrain of “wouldn’t it have been better for us to have stayed in Egypt?” Absalom continues and says, “Let me see now the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!” (14:32c) In response to this, “The king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him” (14:33b). Thus, having seen the face of the king and not being put to death, Absalom’s exile was concluded, and his exodus was consummated. Those that live in this day as sons and daughters of the King, look forward to the same.
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