Greetje: New page: {{info}}''King David's son, Absalom, had killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar. Then he led a rebellion against the king and drove him out of Jerusalem. As we enter this poe...

Greetje — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:40:27 GMT

New page: {{info}}''King David's son, Absalom, had killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar. Then he led a rebellion against the king and drove him out of Jerusalem. As we enter this poe...

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{{info}}''King David's son, Absalom, had killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar. Then he led a rebellion against the king and drove him out of Jerusalem. As we enter this poem, it is the night before the battle between the two armies and David is meeting with his generals.''

The battle council sat around The midnight fire upon the Mound Of Ephraim above the plain Of Gilead. Beneath the pain On David’s face the duty of A king took charge. “The God above These bloody fields will guide the spear And sword tomorrow. Do not fear. If we find favor in his sight, It will be well, and morning light Will bring success.” Before him sat His three commanders, Ittai, at The head of foreign troops, and then Brave Abishai and Joab, men Whose fierce and cruel strength had shed More blood than David ever said They should. Now David looked into The eyes of Joab: “Friend, to you I owe my life. You are a man Of war. How often has the plan Of battle triumphed better far Than we had ever thought. You are A mighty man. But there have been Conspiracies in which your twin- Edged sword, I fear, has brought more death Than good, and silenced noble breath. The blood of Abner was not shed In righteousness. But he is dead.”

Joab had heard these things before, And did not blink. “In love and war,” He said, “things are not clean. I kill To save my king, and I fulfill The single focus that I see— The duty God has given me: Protect the king at any cost, And die before the crown is lost. Your enemy is mine, and should I have one breath to breathe, I would Breathe death to him, or anything That threatens God’s anointed king.” “I thank God for your loyalty, Joab,” the king replied, “You see Things through a solitary lens. Such is the price of many men’s Success. To play one role alone, And be the best. You’re like a stone, Joab, a smooth hard stone—so good For bringing giants down, but would Not work to build a home.” The two Men stood in silence looking through The smoke across the muddy plains Of Gilead. The fleeting gains Of Absalom and his desires Stretched South and West in dying fires As far as one could see, the sheep Of Israel, all now asleep, Awaiting slaughter at the break Of day. The boy-king cannot make A match for Joab’s might. Before The slumber David said, “He’s more To me than you can know, Joab.

For you, like picking at a scab, Would be his death. For me, my life Is bound up in this boy. A knife To my own throat would be the news That he is dead. Joab, don’t bruise My son. Deal gently with him for My sake.” Before the sun was more Than half way up the morning sky, Or Absalom could question why, Full twenty-thousand of his men Were dead, the army routed. Then The rebel son fled on his mule, Alone. And (to the end a fool) He flew with haste among the oaks Of Ephraim. And there the jokes Of hard and callous men were made: His hair became a deadly braid, And caught him in the branches of A terebinth. He hung above The ground unable to undo His famous hair. And thus he flew Where there was no one else to blame. His boast became his final shame. And then a man told Joab, “I Have seen the king’s son hanging by His hair entangled in the trees Of Ephraim.” “And did you seize Him there?” Joab inquired. “Or was He dead?” “He was not dead, nor does Your servant disobey the king’s Command.” “You fool, such mutterings As these will save the enemy And kill the king. Come now, and we Will see how this insurgent swings, And dies like all pretender kings.”

When Absalom perceived the sound Of horses coming from around The tree, he gained his consciousness And grabbed once more the twisted tress Still tangled in the branches of The terebinth, and reached above His head with fading strength to free Himself—to no avail. “So we Now meet again young traitor to Your father’s throne. I see that you Forgot to cut your hair before The battle, Absalom. Ignore The basics, boy, in love and war And you will hang. It takes much more Than flawless face and gorgeous hair And kisses in the gate to tear The crown from off the head of my Anointed king. If you would try, I think you better wear a band Around your head, though not so grand— A rope, perhaps, to hold the hair In place, and leave the crown just where It is, upon your father’s head.” Then Joab took his spear, as dread Filled Absalom. And as he took This spiked and splintered lance, his look Was merciless. And when he hurled That spear, it was as if the world, For one split second, in the mind Of Absalom, had stopped, confined Within the space between the hand Of Joab and the brilliant band Around his swinging breast. And in That instant all that might have been He saw, and wished, though but a trace, That he could see his father’s face.

The spear smashed through his chest and came Out on the other side. “The name On that one, Absalom, is this: Your brother Amnon, slain. Your kiss A cover for your kill, the first Born of the king was dead, and cursed Be Absalom who thought to take His place.” Then Joab said, “Now make Room for a second spear. This lance Has twenty thousand names. Come glance Now if you can across the plain Of Gilead! Behold the vain Attempt of Absalom to be The king: as far as one can see, The dead, with wives still waiting in Jerusalem.” And then the twin Spear sank beside the first. “One more, Fine-looking Absalom. My store Of rage will be complete. He drew His mighty arm again and threw A third spear in the bloody chest Of Absalom, and said, “O blest And honored is my king and lord. May all his foes have this reward.” The word that Absalom was dead Reached David as the crimson red Horizon faded into night. He stood, and as he took the flight Of steps that led up to his room Above the gate, he wept. Thick gloom Now gathered over all the town And all could hear his wail come down Like shame upon the victory That Joab won beneath the tree In Ephraim.

“O Absalom My son, my son, if you would come Back from the dead, would I not take Your place! O Absalom, awake, My son, Awake! Would I had died Instead of you.” Joab defied The order for the king to be Alone, and did not bend the knee When he approached. “My lord, do you Not see what you are doing? Two More hours of this, and not a man Of war will stay. You shame the plan And sacrifice that on this day Was made in fierce and bloody fray To save your crown and wives and seed. Why show such love to those who speed Your fall, and heap such shame on these, Risked their lives and left their ease And shed their blood for you? And now You weep for Absalom! I vow, My lord, if you lift not this shame From off this triumph for your name, There will not be a man beside Your throne at dawn.” The king replied, “You killed my son.” “I saved your life, And gave you back your throne. This knife You feel from Absalom’s demise, Would you prefer it waken cries From our defeat, and pierce the souls Of widows waiting in their holes Which they have dug, and where they wait And pray that God would vindicate The king, and bring their husbands back And break the enemy’s attack. Are these the ones you hate and smite? I’ll see you in the gate. Good night.”

So David sat a long time in The dark—alone, he thought. “I’ve been Here listening.” The tender sound Of Tamar startled him. “I found The other door. My mother said It’s true—that Absalom is dead. I thought that I would come and share Your grief. Joab does less than fair At comforting the king. He sees Things through a single lens. At trees He looks and sees the wood for spears. At fields of grain, and what appears? A battleground. He looks at men At work and play, and sees again The troops of war. One single thing Compels this man: protect the king. Is Joab not a gift from God? A sinner like ourselves, and flawed From head to toe. I am not numb. I loved my brother, Absalom, More deeply than you know. But I Have seen and felt, my lord, how high The price of vengeance is. I dread This curse. Two brothers now are dead. Two sons. And I now dwell alone. And Joab is a useful stone. I heard the wounded anger in Your voice tonight. Perhaps it’s been There simmering like Absalom’s. But you can see that nothing comes Of it but death. Revenge is not What makes a noble king. Your lot, As the anointed of the Lord, Is now to lead your people toward Their God, and sing for them a psalm, And show them there’s a healing balm Upon the plains of Gilead Where twenty thousand men lie dead. The burden of a king is great. Tonight your place is in the gate.

Come flame and fire from candle two. Consume revenge. We look to you, Faint flicker of another Light That once burned here. And O how bright And pure it shone! Betrayed, denied, But blameless, just, and crucified. When he was struck, he did not strike Again. And when the deadly spike Was driven through his hands, he cried, “Forgive them, Father.” Then he died, And carried all your rage and hate. The burden of a king is great.

Absalom and David, Part 2 - Revision history

Greetje: New page: {{info}}''King David's son, Absalom, had killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar. Then he led a rebellion against the king and drove him out of Jerusalem. As we enter this poe...