2 Sam 13-18 - What?

The readings - days 98 and 99 - 2 Samuel 13-18

It's funny how Biblical history so resembles the rest of history - moments (all too infrequent, unfortunately) of incredible brilliance, examples of humanity at its best and brightest, followed almost immediately by harsh reminders that a lot of people, a lot of the time, suck.

It had to happen, but it's still sad to see it - the rise and reign of David at the heights of reverence and upstandingness have now fallen flat on their faces in the wake and midst of his almost impressively dysfunctional family.



Here in the middle of 2 Samuel, we've got David's son raping his daughter (presumably the son's half-sister, since she's only referred to as "Absalom's sister" and then immediately and hatefully casting her out to be generally despised by society, David responding with what looks a disappointing amount like nearly complete indifference, and Absalom finally taking matters into his own hands, murdering his douchebag half-brother in the presence of all his other male siblings and half-siblings. At dinner, no less.

Then we've got Absalom taking off, for reasons that aren't entirely clear, since David is repeatedly identified as being satisfied with the way the whole "Tamar is avenged" thing worked out, and wishing Absalom would come back. While he's away, David is taken to task for not calling his wayward son back from the exile that nobody really identifies as self-imposed or not, and then finally doing so, but not before Absalom has apparently had time and motivation to concoct an intricate conspiracy to usurp his father's throne (and, maybe more impressively and cunningly, his place in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel).

So back comes Absalom, and soon enough it seems that the entire country has completely turned against David, to the point where someone even follows him for quite a ways, throwing rocks and kicking sand at him.

(Presumably in the movie, the sand-kicking Benjaminite would be played by John Cleese, circa 1974.)

In the end, David's still standing, and Absalom has been killed in a hardly dignified way, having been run through by Joab's spear multiple times after getting caught by the head in a tree while riding around on a mule.

Side note: for some reason, the image that I'd always received/seen/pictured was of Absalom on a gallant steed, galloping through the forest triumphantly, etc, etc, not plodding along on a mule. No offense, mules.

Anyway, what's this all for?

I have absolutely no idea. It's a sad chapter, and lines are understandably drawn back to David's "incident" with Bathsheba/Uriah as initial catalyst, but it still seems to come out of left field pretty hard.