A Long Fall from Glory

In 1935, the National League’s Boston Braves signed history’s greatest baseball player: Babe Ruth. But at forty, Ruth had fallen far from his Yankee glory. He could still hit, but the Babe had lived hard, never conditioned much, and it was all catching up to him now. He couldn’t run, and his fielding was so bad that three pitchers threatened to strike if he was in the lineup. The Braves lost about every game, and Ruth quit on June 1. It’s not how you want to see a legend go out.

That’s David in 2 Samuel 20. For so long, he ruled Israel with power, wisdom, and glory. Now at age 70, he’s trying desperately to maintain control. But he just can’t. After so many successes at the beginning of his story, his failures dominate the end. It’s not how you want to see a legend go out. But there is a message here for us all.

After the war with Absalom, David the politician has pulled every string to unite the nation. He appealed to Judah out of family loyalty. He cut a deal to make Amasa his general, even though he had fought against him. He delayed judgment on Shimei to gain Benjamin’s support. Like Abraham Lincoln after the American Civil War, David tries to extend “charity toward all and malice toward none.” But all his efforts backfire. His deal with Judah divides them from the other tribes. Sheba rises up against him, and all of Israel follows this “worthless man,” instead of their king of forty years. At one time, “all that David did pleased the people.” Now, David tries to create peace and starts a second civil war. He had been the Great Unifier of the Twelve Tribes; now he can’t make them get along for one day.

David finally returns to his palace. After hiding in the wilderness, this should be a moment of tremendous relief! When President Grover Cleveland lost the 1888 election, his wife, Frances, told the White House staff to keep everything ready for their return in four years. It seemed unlikely, since no president had ever been re-elected after losing. But sure enough, Grover moved back to the White House in 1892, and Mrs. Cleveland was vindicated. David should also feel triumphant as he returns to the palace. He told his servants he’d be back, and now here he is! He’s ready for a party, a hot shower, and a good night’s rest on his sleep-number mattress.

He’s met instead by ten grieving women. David left his concubines to keep house, but when Absalom took over, he violated them on the palace rooftop to disgrace David. They are the first people David sees at his homecoming. Think of what they represent: as a younger man, David ignored God’s law by taking a harem as a sign of his strength and virility. Now they symbolize his weakness and foolishness, his inability to protect his home, his many failures as a father and husband, the betrayal and death of his son. Most of all, they remind him of Nathan’s prophecy: David’s great sin would rip his home apart. The destruction of his actions have spread to many lives. That’s heavy.

David tries to do the honorable thing by them, but he can’t treat them as his wives anymore. They also can’t leave. They’re trapped in this palace as royal widows, isolated for the rest of their lives. David knows it’s his fault. He can feed and clothe them, but he can’t reverse his choices. He can’t change the past. We can’t either. Tomorrow, we’ll find hope in this homecoming. Today, we are sobered by the reality of our sin, its long-term consequences, and our need for a redeemer.

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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church