2 Samuel 18:1-8
1 Then David took a count of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
2 And David sent the people out, a third under the command of Joab, a third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will certainly go out with you also.”
3 But the people said, “You should not go out; for if in fact we flee, they will not care about us; and if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you will be ready to help us from the city.”
4 Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands.
5 But the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders regarding Absalom.
6 Then the people went out to the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 The people of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, twenty thousand men.
8 For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
The Battle
Organization of David’s Army
David, a seasoned warrior, made thorough preparations for battle. (1) He appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. (2) Furthermore, David divided all the troops into three divisions and entrusted command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. Ittai was a Gittite (a Philistine). This shows how deeply David trusted Ittai. (3) David offered to join the battle himself in order to provide moral support to the soldiers. However, his men urged him not to take the risk, saying that he was worth ten thousand of the people and should stay in the city and give commands from there. (4) David accepted their request and remained in the city. At this time, David gave a request to the three commanders to deal gently with Absalom. This plea became known to all the people. If anyone were to kill Absalom, it would be considered an act of betrayal against the king.
Battle in the forest
David’s men chose the forest of Ephraim, on the side of Gilead, as the battlefield. (1) They must have had sufficient time beforehand to study the terrain and conditions of the forest. (2) In the battle that took place in this forest, Absalom’s army suffered a major defeat, with twenty thousand soldiers killed on the spot. It was a result of David’s army, having knowledge of the battlefield conditions, fighting with overwhelming advantage. (3) More than half of the twenty thousand who died fell in the dense forest. In other words, they died by getting caught in swamps or lost in caves. Thus, the people of Israel came to understand what kind of disaster would befall them if they rose up in rebellion against the Lord’s anointed. Absalom thought that all he needed to do was kill David. On the other hand, David considered Absalom’s life more precious than the lives of his own soldiers. The love of a father for his son is clearly shown here. The relationship between the Heavenly Father and sinners is similar to this. Even when we lived without acknowledging God as God, He had already determined to “deal gently” with our lives. God loved us so much that He gave His Son Jesus as a sacrifice for us. Let us live today in response to that love.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for valuing my life so deeply. Please help me to live in response to Your love. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.