The voice of the tribes of Israel

After Absalom’s death, the situation quickly shifted toward David’s restoration. The first change occurred among the tribes of Israel, who had been his enemies. (1) Although they had sided with Absalom, they took the death of Absalom very seriously. (2) They strongly pursued accountability from the leaders who had sided with Absalom. (3) They began to recall David’s many achievements (his victories over the Philistines and other enemies) and started to long for and cherish his reign once more. The call to restore David to the throne grew louder with each passing day.

Reaching the tribe of Judah

At this point, David could have returned to Jerusalem in triumph and punished the rebels. However, he chose the path of peace. He decided to return to the capital only after being welcomed by the men of the tribe of Judah. (1) David made effective use of the fact that he was being welcomed by the tribes of Israel. He sent the priests Zadok and Abiathar to persuade the elders of Judah (the very ones who had taken part in the rebellion) to welcome him back to the royal palace. (2) David also promised to appoint Amasa as commander in place of Joab, who had struck down Absalom. Since Amasa had also led the rebellion, this promise carried considerable risk. (3) Through all of this, David made it clear that he had no intention of carrying out revenge or punishment. (4) Upon hearing this, the people of Judah were relieved. Then, with unanimous agreement, they went out to welcome the king. They went as far as the Jordan River to meet David. Let us learn a lesson from David’s spirit of peace. David did not return to Jerusalem unless he was invited by the people. The Lord Jesus has the same heart. Unless we welcome Him, He will not force His way into our hearts. The Lord says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20).