On
realizing that Joab was behind all that the woman of Tekoa had done, David
summoned for him. When he came before the king, he gratefully fell prostrate
and thanked the king for favorably acceding to his request. The commander then
arose, went to Geshur immediately and fetched Absalom, and brought him back to
Jerusalem. However, David did not fully forgive his renegade son and would not
allow him to return to the court. He sent him home instead and would not see
him. So Absalom went directly home and did not see David.
Meanwhile
verses 25-27 tell us that Absalom was well-liked by the people. He was a good
looking broke and it was said that there was no one in Israel as handsome as
he. This is to say that he was astoundingly handsome. Absalom also had a head
of bushy hair. He was said to be physically impeccable from head to toe. Every
end of the year when he cut his hair, what he had trimmed off would weigh two
hundred shekels which would be approximately 3 to 5 pounds. Absalom was not
only physically endowed but was also blessed with three sons and one gorgeous
daughter. So fabulously pretty was the daughter that he named her after Tamar, his
own beautiful sister.
We
see in these verses the emphasis on physical and outward appearances of man.
Absalom was said to be a very good looking person with a head full of hair. His daughter
was said to be very pretty, as stunningly beautiful as Tamar, his sister.
However, good looks are no substitute for wisdom, spirituality, and godliness.
While it is a blessing to be endowed with good physical appearance, it is more
important that we make time to nurture our inner man. Pitifully, man’s tendency
is to take great care to adorn the outward man but foolishly neglect the inner
man, which is more important to God. The beauty of our inner man is infinitely
more important. The inner man or the spirit of man is the part of us that
allows us to connect, touch, and communicate with God. It will do us well to
spend time nurturing the inner aspect of our lives than to dress out the
physical and live soulishly. Remember God’s focus is on our hearts. Hence, we
are told to take care of the heart because out of it springs forth or flows the
issues of life. The Lord Jesus in Matthew 15:18-19 reminds us that “…the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the
heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” When we take care of our inner man, we ensure
that what comes out of us will honor and please God. Hence it is important
that we take care of our hearts so that godly desires will be nurtured. Emulating
God, we must learn not to be impressed by looks, neither should we seek to
impress others with our looks. It will do us well to seek to adorn our inner man.
Inner beauty will outlast outward appearance.
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