Access or Death!

2 Samuel 14:1-15:22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 16:10-11

 

For three years, David’s murderous son Absalom fled to Geshur (2 Sam. 13:38). David could not bring himself to bring Absalom back, probably because David knew that he needed to discipline his son severely and was unwilling to do it.

 

But then Joab found a way to encourage the king to bring Absalom home, and David permitted Absalom’s return. Still, David seemed to be trying to enforce some kind of discipline and said, “He must not see my face (2 Sam. 14:24).”

 

David’s heart was aching for Absalom. But Absalom struggled with this set-up, too. After two years in Jerusalem without being allowed to see his king and father, Absalom wanted access. Why? Because he was supposed to have access! He was the king’s son, the first in line to receive the throne when his father passed away. Being allowed to exist was not enough. Absalom needed to know his status in the kingdom once again. He had never been charged with a crime. He had never been convicted of a misdeed. And yet he was living under the stigma of an uncertain place in the kingdom.

 

So Absalom said, Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death. – 2 Samuel 14:32. To him, it was better to know his standing before the king than to remain in limbo between the fullness of life and the fullness of death – even if it meant death.

 

Now Absalom was guilty. There was no “if” about it. And David never did punish him. Instead, he allowed Absalom back into his presence, back into the full privileges he had as a prince of Israel.

 

But God is a better king than David was. We need access to God. But when we approach God, we should approach knowing that we are guilty. We should approach knowing that God punishes guilt. So the only way that we have access before God is by Jesus Christ. God found another way to punish our guilt when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. When we approach our God and King, we are pronounced guilty, and then we stand and watch in horror as the fullness of God’s wrath is poured out on Jesus Christ for our sins. The cross should have been ours! But God also loves us more than David could ever love Absalom, and so we can now have access. Because Jesus Christ not only took the punishment for our sins, but rose again to give us new life with Himself. The One who died for us is the One who lives for us. Unlike Absalom’s access to David, our access to God is not cheap! But it is transforming, and it is genuine, and it is full! We stand before God now, guiltless, not because we never sinned but because Jesus has already been punished for us. And so with Jesus we now have the full privilege of God’s sons in His Kingdom.

 

Father, thank you for giving me access without killing me. I was guilty. But You have made me able to stand in Your presence without guilt. You have changed me in my very heart. You have raised up my brother, Jesus Christ, to stand forever before You. And you have made me a co-heir with Him, though He did everything good and I did nothing good. Thank You for access to You.