2 Samuel 18:33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom… The stroke which David feared fell upon him at last. In spite of all his desire to save his rebellious son, and his commands to each of the generals to "deal gently" with him for his sake, he had been slain. When the father learnt the unwelcome truth from "the Cushite" (Revised Version), he was overwhelmed with grief; and retiring to "the chamber over the gate" he burst out in the pathetic lamentation, "O my son Absalom!" etc., and continued crying with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Samuel 19:4:). These loud demonstrations of grief were in a high degree impolitic, as Joab soon convinced him (2 Samuel 19:5-8), but they were the natural outburst of his tender heart and his unquenchable love for his worthless son. He had grieved sorely in the expectation of the death of his infant child (2 Samuel 12:16, 21, 22); much more must he grieve over this young man, on whom his heart had been set for so many years, and for whom he had done and borne so much. Moreover, Absalom had died suddenly, and by violence, and in sinful war against his father - unrepentant, unforgiven. David might even, in his passionate grief, reflect on himself as the occasion, however innocently, of his death, since it arose from the measures he had taken in defence of himself and his throne. Still more bitter would be the reflection that, by his foolish fondness, his evil example, his laxity of discipline, his refraining from merited punishment of his son's earlier sins and crimes, and his neglect to crush his treasonable practices at their commencement, be had greatly contributed to the formation of his evil character, and to his untimely and miserable end. I. THE SORROW OF PARENTS BEREFT OF GROWN-UP CHILDREN. It is composed of various elements. 1. Sorrow of natural affection. Which cannot always give account of itself, but is implanted by the Creator for most important purposes, is increased by years of exercise and mutual endearments and services, and often survives when these have ceased, and parental love is requited with ingratitude, neglect, injury, or deadly hostility. 2. Sorrow of disappointed hope. Parents picture to themselves a career of prosperity and honourable activity for their children, and try to ensure it by the education and start in life which they give them. Or they may have looked to their son to be the prop of their own old age. How can they but sorrow bitterly when all their hopes are scattered by death? 3. Their sorrow may be increased by painful fears. It may be a sorrow uncheered by hope, because over the death of one who lived and died in sin. 4. Self-reproach may, as in the ease of David, accompany and embitter the grief. The highest parental duties - those which have respect to the souls of children - may have been neglected. The home may have been, through parental indifference and worldliness, if no worse, a quite unfit place of preparation for holy service on earth or entrance into heaven. The sorrow arising from the consciousness of this cannot be assuaged by remembrance of the education given to prepare for this world's business, or the accomplishments imparted to render life refined and agreeable. 5. The sorrows of bereaved parents are increased and from time to time renewed by observing the happiness of other parents whose children are continued to them, and are living in habits of piety, rectitude, and benevolence. II. CONSOLATIONS FOR SUCH SORROW. These are to be found in: 1. Profound submission to the will of God. The death we mourn, however it comes, was his doing who has the right to dispose of us and ours according to his pleasure; and who is infinite in wisdom and goodness - "our Father." "Thou didst it" (Psalm 39:9); "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away" (Job 1:21). 2. Assurance of his fatherly compassion. That he sympathizes while he chastises (Psalm 103:13). 3. A good conscience. Happy the fathers, the mothers, who have the consoling reflection that they did their best to fit their departed children for this world or the. next. 4. In the case of the death of godly children, the assurance of their blessed existence and happy commencement of nobler careers than those cut short by death. The assurance also of future reunion where "there shall be no more death" (Revelation 21:4). In conclusion: 1. Let parents think of their children as mortal; and be concerned so to train and influence them as to fit them for both living and dying. 2. Let children live in view of a possibly early death. Seek safety in Christ. Let life be a constant following of him. Dread to have life shortened and death made terrible by sins and vices. Let your parents have the consolation of knowing, should you die young, that you are "not lost, but gone before." - G.W. Parallel Verses KJV: And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! |
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