2 Sam. 18, 19

Absalom had chased his father David from Jerusalem and had proclaimed himself king. God protected the exiled king from certain death by giving the young usurper bogus advice to wait before pursuing his father. David and his entourage escaped.

When Absalom did attack David’s men, he lost his life by getting his long hair caught in a tree. The symbol of his beauty and his pride was his downfall.

His father grieved bitterly at the news of his son’s death. He feared him, but he loved him. Even in the heightened tension of the overthrow, David exclaimed, “Be gentle with the young man.”