While grief is healthy, there is such a way that we can grieve sinfully.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Now this next section (verses 19-32) is dominated by the idea of good news. One pastor has said that the word that was used to announce good news is used some 30 times in the OT, and 9 of those uses are within this section of scripture. You can see it in verses 19, 22, 25, 26, 27, 31. Well, someone has to tell the King the news that Absalom is now dead, and Zadok, the priest, has a son who is eager to spread the news. But Joab is not too keen on this idea because Joab remembers how David responded in the past when news was brought to him concerning Saul’s death and concerning Ish-bosheth’s death. David had the messenger executed. Although the circumstances were different in each of those cases, this is what stuck out to Joab. David killed the messenger. Plus, Ahimaz, there was no prize being handed out for this. So Joab assigns a Cushite to be the one to carry the news to David. After all, who cares if he is executed. So Joab sends off the Cushite, who takes off running to where David was. But Ahimaz insists that he go as well. And since the Cushite had a head start, Joab didn’t think it all that big of a deal if Ahimaz went as well, knowing full well that the Cushite would arrive first to David and would have already told him the news of Absalom’s death. Wouldn’t you know it, Ahimaz is some kind of track star, and he ends up beating the Cushite to David’s location. And Ahimaz shares the news, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!” This is good news! This is great news! The kingdom has been rescued from the threat. The kingdom is intact. The kingdom is safe! The kingdom of God has conquered. But it is as if David never heard those words. His only concern was Absalom. Was Absalom treated gently? Is it well with him? Ahimaz could not bring himself to tell David that part of the good news. He shuffled his feet, kicked the dirt, and said, “You know, there was some type of dust up that involved Absalom, but I am not aware of all the details.” He lied. So right on his heels, the Cushite shows up and said, “Good news for my lord the King! The LORD has delivered YOU this day from the hand of all who raise up against you!” Once again! Good news! Great News! The Kingdom has not fallen into corrupt hands. The enemy has been delivered over to God to receive justice. But once again, David is only concerned about one thing—Absalom. Is he okay? Is he safe? Is he secure? The Cushite is brave enough to tell King David that his son has been handed over to God, and he does so in an ever politically correct way. And upon hearing this, David moves up the stairs into the watchmen’s chamber, and weeps and weeps and weeps. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” David wished that he had died instead of receiving mercy from the Lord. David wept and wept after hearing of Absalom’s death, which is the exact opposite of what he did in chapter 12, where upon hearing of another sons death, he washed his face, and broke his fast. Joab confronts David and makes him face the people and restores their confidence Our story ends with David grieving to a point that it made the people of Israel ashamed of what they had done in the war. They returned to the city with heads down, shuffling their feet, like they had lost, even though it was a victory. As Joab says in this text to David, “you love those who hate you and hate those who love you.” So what is going on here? Is it wrong that David is grieving? No I do not think it is wrong. Is David grieving in a sinful way? Yes I believe he is. And we will dive into that next week.