[Absolom, a handsome man without any blemish, with astonishingly thick hair (2 Sam 14:25–26), murdered his half-brother Amnon then rebelled and attempted to usurp David. After forcing David and his loyal followers to flee, Absalom gathered a large army from throughout Israel and led them to destroy David.] David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them… And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.” And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders. So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim… During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.” “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him. Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel… While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them… Then the man arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the LORD has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.” “What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?” And the Ethiopian replied, “May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!” The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”
2 Samuel 18:1, 5–6, 9–10, 14–16, 24, 31–33 NLT
Hearing the king’s anguish, Rizpah sent her condolences to David.
Dear King David,
I write to you, not as a stranger to the throne you now hold, but as one who has known the depths of pain in our shared history. I am Rizpah, once a concubine to King Saul, and mother to two sons who met their end by decree under your reign [1]. My words to you are not borne of bitterness, but from a shared grief of parents who also went to the hills of suffering.
Our paths first crossed by profound loss “when the mighty have fallen” [2]. Now your recent bereavement over Absalom moved me to reach out, for I too have known the agony of losing sons. In my own losses, I grappled with the question of God’s nature in the face of suffering. Is He powerful but uncaring? Loving but powerless? Or is He both powerful and loving, yet operating within a wisdom far beyond our grasp? [3] Through the tears and the vigils [4], I’ve come to embrace the latter.
The loss of a child is a chasm of sorrow that seems to defy the very love of God. Yet, in this dark hour, I urge you to remember that the same God who anointed you and guided you through life has not abandoned you in this hour of despair. In our deepest trials, His presence is most profound, not to inflict pain, but to walk with us through it, refining us, and drawing us closer to His heart.
Embrace your mourning, allow yourself the space to grieve, to feel the full weight of your loss, to let the tears flow as a river of healing. Your tears are not a sign of weakness, but of love and humanity. In this, you are not alone. Just as I stood vigil for my sons, know that there are those who stand with you in your sorrow, sharing in the burden of your heartache.
Forgiveness, too, is a powerful balm. Forgiveness does not negate the pain or the past, but it opens a path to healing and peace. It is a difficult journey, but one that leads to liberation of the soul. As you have extended forgiveness to others, I pray you find it for yourself, and in doing so, find peace.
Your reign has been marked by both triumph and tragedy. Yet, your legacy is not defined solely by the tragedies that have befallen you or the mistakes you have made. God’s redemptive power works through our brokenness, weaving our pain and our failures into a tapestry of grace that speaks of His unfailing love and mercy.
In your service to God and His people, let your own experiences of suffering be a wellspring of empathy and compassion. Use them to connect with others in their pain, offering the same comfort you have received from the Lord.
Lastly, hold fast to the hope in God’s promises. Our earthly journey is fraught with trials, but in Him, there is the assurance of a future where sorrow and mourning will be no more. A time when He will wipe away every tear, and the pains of this world will be but distant memories. In this hope, we find the strength to endure, to heal, and to continue our journey of faith.
May the peace of the Lord, which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and mind as you navigate this season of grief.
With heartfelt prayers and understanding,
Rizpah
Share with your friends “How is Rizpah uniquely qualified to minister to David? Which practical insights stand out the most for you in coping with suffering?”
[1] One of her two sons named Mephibosheth. The story can be found in 2 Sam. 21:5-14. Since there was no date attached to this incident, I casted it as before Absalom was killed since it seems like in the later years, David wasn’t that active.
[2] When David wrote the lamentation “How the mighty have fallen” to mourn for Jonathan, Rizpah also was mourning for King Saul as well.
[3] There are 3 basic options for the problem of suffering: God was either (a) not powerful enough to prevent my suffering or (b) not loving enough to care, or (c) God is indeed both powerful and loving, yet He allows suffering for reasons that are beyond our grasp, but never beyond His purpose.
[4] Rizpah stayed on the execution site of her sons for 5 months
To understand more about the subject of suffering in the Christian framework, you can start by reading the Bible, particularly the Book of Job, Psalms, and the New Testament. These books contain various passages and stories that address the topic of suffering and how it relates to faith. In addition to the Bible, you may find the following books and resources helpful:
“The Problem of Pain” by C.S. Lewis: In this book, C.S. Lewis explores the concept of suffering and its relationship to faith from a Christian perspective.
“Where Is God When It Hurts?” by Philip Yancey: This book delves into the question of where God is during times of suffering and offers insights into finding meaning in pain.
“Suffering and the Sovereignty of God” edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor: This collection of essays by various authors addresses the theological aspects of suffering and God’s sovereignty.
“Walking with God through Pain and Suffering” by Tim Keller: Tim Keller provides a thoughtful and practical perspective on suffering, drawing from both Christian teachings and his pastoral experience.
Your local pastor or spiritual leader can also provide guidance and resources on this topic, as well as offer pastoral care and support. Remember that understanding the subject of suffering in the Christian framework is a journey, and these resources can provide valuable insights and perspectives to help you along the way.
Rizpah is qualified to comfort David, because she also experienced loss. Being connected to King Saul, she also understands the benefits and pitfalls of the world of royalty. In her own suffering and loss, she has learned many valuable lessons and therefore she understands David’s sorrows and is able to comfort him in his time of grief. She offered some practical insights. One of them being, once we experience God’s healing in our own sorrows, we can have empathy and compassion for others who are suffering. She also encouraged David to trust in God’s promises and rather than focus on an earthly challenges, remember to hope in an assuring eternal future.
Wow, a mother who tragically lost two sons during David’s reign now comes to comfort him. It’s truly beyond my understanding. I can’t help but wonder how I would react in such a situation. My initial response might be to say, ‘You deserve this pain, and I want you to feel what I’ve endured for the rest of my life.’
Yet, this concubine mother seems to have a deep relationship with God, enabling her to harbor no bitterness, forgive, and even comfort her once-enemy. It’s a remarkable display of how with God, we can love our enemies and show kindness to those who wrong us. This is both inspiring and a bit intimidating for me because I’m not sure if my faith is at that level yet.
I can’t imagine being able to forgive someone who took the life of my child or harboring no resentment. Lord, I pray for your mercy and guidance. May you always be my ultimate focus, and help me love you above all else. Strengthen my faith, so that when faced with pain and suffering, I can endure without bitterness, avoiding the path of destruction. The future can be daunting, so increase my faith, Lord, and keep me from collapsing.
There are two things that make Rizpah uniquely qualified to minister to David. One is that they both shared a specific cause for their suffering, (the death of a child/ children.) And the other, according to the perspective of today’s devotional, Rizpah had experienced the comfort of God’s grace through her suffering, and had come to know the hope she has in Him in the midst of a “seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.” There are many great, practical insights that stand out to me in today’s reading, but one that stands out the most to me is, “God’s redemptive power works through our brokenness, weaving our pain and our failures into a tapestry of grace that speaks of His unfailing love and mercy.” I have come to find that this is true through my own experience. In the Big Book, in a section known as “the Promises,” it tells us that in taking the steps of recovery, we will inevitably find (among other things,) that “no matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.” I have found that the pain and suffering of my past, coupled with God’s redemptive work in my heart and life, have uniquely qualified me to help others in recovery come to know God’s grace and find hope in Him. Not only does God comfort us in our suffering and brokenness, but He takes our darkest moments and turns them into something of invaluable use for His redemptive purposes in the lives of others!
From Becky
Rizpah lost her 2 sons and David also lost his son therefore Rizpah can empathize with David. In coping, it is emotionally healthy to cry your tears out and ask whatever questions you have toward God about the situation. Also, through suffering we will have more empathy and compassion so we can use our experience with this to comfort others in their pain. Definitely God is always with us and will help carry the burden for us when we are grieving.
Psalm 34:8 says, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” When grief rises, we remember that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and he loves to lift up the crushed in spirit. The Lord is spatially everywhere, but he is especially with the grieving, to bless and protect them
Rizpah is qualified to minister to David because they both experienced loss. I think one insight that stands out to me the most is that even though we experience suffering and things like loss, God has not abandoned us. It’s important to remember Him in all aspects. I also like this “Embrace your mourning, allow yourself the space to grieve, to feel the full weight of your loss, to let the tears flow as a river of healing”
I think she can relate to David’s position. I also think she can understand David’s grief like her own. One of the practical insights that stood out to me was the ability to deal with suffering through God’s action on one’s own consequences and to be able to relate to the position of others.
Rizpah was able to truly empathize with David in sharing the grief of losing their sons. These lines stood out the most to me: “Forgiveness does not negate the pain or the past, but it opens a path to healing and peace…As you have extended forgiveness to others, I pray you find it for yourself, and in doing so, find peace.” I think I struggle with peace because i find it hard to forgive myself and let my regrets bury me with guilt, but I‘ve been trying to work on that and need to understand that if God forgives me then I should too to truly experience His grace and freedom
This reminds me of the reading from earlier this week, Rizpah qualified to minister to David because she shared the same experience as David. She understood David’s emotional damages from losing his child. Therefore, she can guide David through his grief just like how God guided her. One of the insight stand out for me is when serving people, let my experience of suffering be the wellspring of empathy and compassion. It is hard to service well if I don’t have motivation. But if I think about how when I was alone in America and God helped me through RP Church. That gives me motivation to serve the Church and give thanks to the Lord.
They both suffered the loss of a child so rizpah is qualified to minister to a child. I think our brokeness and suffering can help us grow empathy. By going thrugh our own battle with God it will help us talk to people who are going through the same struggle.