Weeping as He Went
Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
"But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up." 2 Samuel 15:30 NIV
Tradition tells us that David wrote Psalm 62 in the middle of devastating heartbreak. His son, Absalom, rebelled against his father, plotting to take his throne. When David turned to trusted friends for help, he learned that they had joined his beloved son Absalom in his betrayal. David could trust no one.
Truly, the earth shook beneath David’s feet. He worshipped God, dedicating his life to His service. David knew God loved him, that he was God’s son and anointed King of Israel. Years before this betrayal David had experienced forgiveness when he acknowledged his great sin against God for his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband. Though forgiven, his sin was always before him (Psalm 51) acting as a fence to remind him of the consequences of disobeying God, but also as a reminder of God’s supernatural and unconditional love for him. He experienced great blessings in battles and in leading Israel. Yet consequences from his sins followed the King. At a time when he should have been able to enjoy God’s blessings and rest in God’s protection, his son Absalom, his own flesh and blood, plots to take him down, to not just take his throne, but to murder him. His own son! The Scriptures describe how Absalom intentionally created division in God’s people, cultivating a base of supporters, ready to make him King:
"So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." 2 Samuel 15:6b ESV
"And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing." 2 Samuel 15:12b ESV
When David heard that Absalom and his army were coming to kill him and take the throne, David fled the city with his people.
Note the deep grief in David. This is a broken-hearted father: "But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up." 2 Samuel 15:30 NIV
Don’t miss the fact that in grief David fled to the Mount of Olives, the place where God was worshiped. He fled to the Lord, not away from Him:
"While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head." 2 Samuel 17:32 ESV
Sometimes when faced with crushing news or a shift in our world, we are tempted to run away from our church. After the death of our son, I dreaded our first Sunday back to church, but I longed to be with God’s people. To this day, I feel badly for those who watched me cry every Sunday, through every hymn. I walked in crying. I cried while there. I left crying. But something supernatural, slowly but surely, took place as I sat in a church pew, hungry for hope. In time, I realized broken people surrounded me. I knew their stories of how disappointments, shattered relationships, terrifying medical news, and betrayal had shifted the earth beneath their feet. Yet they came every Sunday, sang every song, sometimes raising their hands in surrender to our Lord, tears streaming down their cheeks. God touched me through each one. Their worship encouraged me to do the same.
It is not surprising that David rushed to the place of worship in the middle of a disaster. Throughout the Psalms he repeatedly declares his hunger for God’s presence:
"O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1 ESV
When the world shifts beneath your feet, run to the presence of our God and His family and by faith declare that He alone is your Rock, Rest, Rescue and Refuge.
PRAYER
Oh Lord, you ARE our Rock, Rest, Rescue, and Refuge. We trust You to be all of this to us. When we falter in our trust, give us faith to believe.
More free resources for help, hope, & healing:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Monday, 09 October 2023.
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