Sunday Sermonette: Physical impossibility

Much is puzzling about 2 Samuel 18. The first is David ' s decision not to lead his troops into battle, but to stay behind. The rationale is that if the troops flee, Absalom ' s men won ' t pursue them if David isn ' t with them. It seems a very strange decision to accede in that way to his troops ' cowardice. I don ' t know what to think about David ' s continuing concern for Absalom, who has usurped his throne, spent two years trying to kill him, and set up a tent so he could rape David ' s concubines in public. But I suppose a father ' s love knows no bounds. I am completely baffled, however, by how Absalom gets hung up in that tree. He ' s riding a mule, and manages to hit the branch of an oak tree, and finds himself suspended and unable to free himself. I have thought long and hard about this and I can see no possible way for that to happen. I also don ' t understand how the forest killed more men than the sword -- we seem to be dealing with ents. Finally, I don ' t understand why Absalom thought he didn ' t have any sons since we learned just a few chapters back, in 2 Samuel 14:27, that he had three sons and a daughter. Anyway, maybe you can figure it out.18 Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.2 And David sent forth the army, one third under the command of Jo ′ab, one third under the command of Abi′shai the son of Zeru′iah, Jo′ab’s brother, and one third under the co...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs