2 Sa 19:8-15

So the king arose and sat in the gate.
When they told all the people, saying,
“Behold, the king is sitting in the gate,” then all the people came before the king.
Now Israel had fled, each to his tent.

All the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying,
“The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.

“However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle.
Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back?”

Then King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying,
“Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?

‘You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh.
Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’

“Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.’”

Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”

The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.

King David arose and sat at the gate.
He was before the people.
The people had fled to their tents.
They were hiding.
They were fear-filled.
They were quarreling among themselves.

Why?

Because of David.
The great King David who had defeated the Philistines and enemies had now fled before his own son.
Should they return to David now?

David sent to the priests Zadok and Abiathar asking them to speak to the elders of Judah.
Would the elders receive the king back?

David provided the argument.
They were brothers.
Bone and flesh.

He also told them to tell Amasa, bone and flesh of David, that he would now be commander of the army replacing Joab.

Uh-oh.

Joab seems to have a problem.

The hearts of the people were thus turned to David.

David returned as King.

Grieving over Absalom?
Of course.

But as King, he must lead the people, not grieve over a son turned enemy.

As the Lord had said to him…the sword would not depart from his family…

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