When When King David returned to his kingdom, he was triumphant, and yet he was still overwhelmed with grief about the death of his son, Absalom.

Today on Truth for Life, we'll look at the various responses to David's victory and

consider what this means for us as we await the return of the greater king, Jesus.

Alistair Begg is teaching from 2 Samuel, Chapter 19.

Halfway through verse 8, the scene switches. The sad picture fades, and up onto the screen comes the broader picture of what's happening throughout the land. And all the people, verse 9, were arguing. They've scattered in confusion. So from the king is grieving to the people we're arguing. Let me try quickly to summarize it for us. Absalom, as we know, had stolen the

hearts of the people. They had followed him, but he's now dead. And so in verses nine and

ten, they're in a quandary. They're in a quandary. Because they had

rejected the true king. They had gone with the potential king. He was gone. And therefore,

a number of them were saying, it's time to reverse our decision. We've got nothing here now. That was a futile

exercise. Let's get back to the one who is the true king. And clearly some people were challenging

that as well. Now, all of this had reached the ears of David. He then dispatches Abi Ather and Zedok, whom we've already met,

to go to the people of Judah and to say to them, well, hey, what's going on with you, folks?

Why should you, verse 11, be the last to bring the king back to his house?

And so what is he doing?

Well, he is actually stitching together in his mind these arguing factions,

both Israel and Judah, seeking to bring them together on the same page. And he adds to this very politically,

I suggest, in verse 13, where he says, say to Amasa, are you not my bone and my flesh? Now, that ought

you cause you to pause for a moment if you've been following the story, Because Amasa was the commander of the armies of Absalom.

Joab was the commander of the armies of David. Now, says David, go to Judah and say,

listen, let's have Amasa as the commander in place of Joab.

Now what he was doing, I think, was at least this.

He was making it clear that they weren't going to face any retribution for their rebellion,

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