There is a lot we can learn throughout the story of David’s life. One of those things plays out over years. It is more about some characters around David, rather than David himself. It first starts in 1 Samuel 27:8-9 (KJV) And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive…
If we read this and stop here it seems like the end of the story, but there is an interesting detail found in 2 Samuel 3:3 (KJV) And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur. Maacah was the daughter of the king of the Geshurites that David fought in the earlier verse. Notice who her son was, none other than Absalom.
Then where does Absalom run to after he kills his brother Amnon? 2 Samuel 13:37-38 (KJV) But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. He goes back to his maternal grandfather Talmai, the king of Geshur.
It seems that his mother, Maacah, held onto bitterness and anger towards David and this was passed down to her son. It is her unseen, unmentioned influence that leads him to her father and the land of her nativity. For years she seems to hold onto this, leading her son down a path of collision with his father David. The aftermath that unfolds from this is nothing short of chaotic. Why, because Maacah didn’t deal with her own bitterness and unforgiveness and passed it down to her son.
Now you may think that you would never do this. Do you still hold onto an offence that you should have dealt with years ago? Do your children dislike someone because of what they have heard from you? Are you watering your root of bitterness and transplanting it into the hearts of your children?
We should never carry something in our souls that would harm us in such a way. Neither should we pass these things to our children. We should teach our children about forgiveness and mercy. After all, the righteous who walks in his integrity, blessed are his children after him (Proverbs 20:7 ESV)! Your children will follow your lead. Do you want them to be blessed, then walk in integrity, walk in forgiveness, walk in grace.
Ephesians 6:4 ESV
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
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