Page 19 - September 2025 - Truth & Tidings

ife was good for David. Foes were A question that will be addressed later
subdued, finances could not have is, Can there be genuine forgiveness with-
Lbeen better, the family was prosper- out reconciliation? For now, we must con-
ing, and friends seemed loyal – until his tent ourselves on looking at the scriptural
lapse with Bathsheba. Family problems pattern and pathway for reconciliation
seemed to dog his steps from that time to occur.
onward. One of the saddest fruits of his The steps needed for resolving issues
fall was the murder of Amnon by Absalom between brethren are given in detail in
over his humbling of Absalom’s sister Matthew 18. The goal is always to “gain
Tamar. The sordid details are well known thy brother” (Mat 18:15). The Lord’s use
to all. With malevolent cunning and care- of the word “gain” certainly implies more
ful preparation, Absalom carried out his than mere forgiveness. It implies a res-
deed, to the grief of his father David. toration to a brotherly relationship. The
Absalom fled and spent three years in reconciliation that salvation brought to us,
a foreign land. During that time, David’s effected by God through His Son, remains
grief over a murdered son turned to grief the pattern for us. But none of us can say
over an exiled son. Joab, equal in cunning as God does, “Their sins and iniquities
to Absalom, engineered a way to have Ab- will I remember no more.” With finite be-
salom brought back to Jerusalem. David ings such as we are, memories linger and
sent for his banished son to return him wounds heal slowly. These should never
to his home, but we read this insightful be excuses for slowness in reconciling, but
sentence, “So Absalom returned to his they are realities we have to recognize.
own house, and saw not the king’s face” Does that mean that reconciliation is
(2Sa 14:24). Putting aside for the mo- impossible, or that it only applies to minor
1
ment the fact that genuine forgiveness issues? To suggest that we, as believers
is not possible without repentance (of indwelt by the Spirit of God, are incapable
which Absalom showed none), there was of obeying the Word of God and achieving
the semblance of forgiveness but not of reconciliation is a slight upon the power
reconciliation. of God and His indwelling Spirit.

1 Bible quotations in this article are from the Please grant me a writer’s liberty to take
KJV. a verse out of context. Paul, in urging the
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