II Samuel 14 The Stage Is Set Again.

Since David was still concerned about Absalom, Joab plotted with a so-called “wise woman”.    to have him return. A kind of deceptive parable was used, but David ultimately knew that Joab was behind it all. In any case, David let him return, but he initially did not see David’s face (vv. 1-24). Again we read how Absalom was “praised…for his good looks,” like Saul (v. 25). He had lots of hair that he cut once a year (v. 26), and he had three sons and one daughter, and it should not go unnoticed that his daughter’s name was Tamar. “She was a woman of beautiful appearance” (v. 27). We know that he was previously forced to leave because he avenged his sister Tamar who was violated by Amnon, Absalom’s brother by a different mother, and David’s firstborn (Ch. 13). After two years Absalom still wanted to meet his father, but even Joab refused to make this happen, so Absalom, perhaps bitter because Joab paved for the way for him to return, had one of his barley fields set on fire to light a fire under Joab (vv. 28-32). “So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.” (v. 33).