King David was running for his life, fleeing from his son Absalom. Absalom had just usurped his throne and was trying to kill David and his family. David had been betrayed by some people he thought were his closest friends. They sided with his son. He was discouraged and heartbroken when he wrote out his thoughts and revealed how he was coping with all of this.
This is Psalm 42.
David became king when he was 30 and ruled for 40 years. He was probably in his late 50s to 60s when his son Absalom rebelled and tried to usurp his throne.
David experienced great anguish, not only because of his son, but also one of his key advisors. Ahitophel, a man David trusted, had joined the rebellion and others had joined too. So many that David was forced to flee Jerusalem and run for his life.
At least in part, these betrayals of David were the result of his flaws, his actions and failure to act earlier in his life. Remember that growing up, David was rejected by his father Jesse, and that wound apparently never healed. He became a father himself, but carried that brokenness into his parenting.
He showed favoritism, ignored family problems and failed to discipline his children. When his oldest son Amnon raped his half sister Tamar, David was furious but did nothing, leaving Tamar broken and Absalom her full blooded brother.
Enraged, murdered Amnon in cold blood in front of the other brothers and then fled. Three years later, David gave him permission to return but then refused to see him for another two years.
That five years of rejection hardened Absalom's heart and he began plotting rebellion. He actually went about his rebellion very openly in Jerusalem, yet we see David doing nothing.
Meanwhile, David's sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, her husband, left others like his close advisor, Ahithophel, embittered against David. Ahithophel was Bathsheba's grandfather. David had brought great disgrace upon their whole family by what he had done with Bathsheba.
David's failure to discipline his children, his favoritism, his character flaws and past sins fractured his family and his kingdom, setting the stage for Absalom's rebellion and the civil war in which Absalom and 20,000 soldiers were were killed.
Yet through it all, God remained faithful, restoring David to the throne and preserving his covenant with David.
David was a deeply flawed man whose redeeming feature was that he loved God. Does that sound familiar? That's you and me.
Jesus later gave us a warning then, a powerful promise. "In this world you have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." John 16:33