HAIRS
THE PRIDE
2Samuel GW 14:25-26 Now, no one in all Israel
was praised for his good looks as much as Absalom was. He had no blemish from
head to toe. At the end of every year, he used to cut his hair because it
became heavy for him. When he cut the hair on his head and weighed it, it
weighed five pounds according to the royal standard.
2Samuel 18:1-14 … The king ordered Joab,
Abishai, and Ittai, "Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake."
All the troops heard him give all the commanders this order regarding Absalom.
So the troops went out to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim.
There David's men defeated Israel's army, and the massacre was sizable that
day-20,000 men. The fighting spread over the whole country. That day the woods
devoured more people than the battle. Absalom happened to come face to face
with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the
tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. So
he was left hanging in midair when the mule that was under him ran away. A man
who saw this told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree."
"What! You saw that!" Joab said to the man who told him. "Why
didn't you strike him to the ground? Then I would have felt obligated to give
you four ounces of silver and a belt." But the man told Joab, "Even
if I felt the weight of 25 pounds of silver in my hand, I wouldn't raise my
hand against the king's son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and
Ittai: 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.' …
Living in Nebraska has apparently altered my
speech, vernacular that is; rarely now does anyone here ask me where I’m from?
(On a few occasions a perceptive individual wouldn’t ask where, but smile and
say, “You’re from Maryland, aren’t you?) Now don’t ya’ll get the idea that all
Merlinders elide and slide, they don’t.
I could benefit you with a Merlin lexicon,
but shant do so at this time, as this whole thing started with “hairs the
pride” foremost in mind in my waking moment. (Undoubtedly having something to with
all the Bible reading lately.)
Pursuing waking thought further: I well know
that sinful arrogant ego-centric pride is major hindrance to maturation in
love, and does lead to disaster. (Pr.11:2; 13:10; 16:18; Rom.1:31; 2Tim.3:3) And
it can get you dead.
A sad illustrative tale was David’s son
Absalom yearned to be king. He had much support in this and decided to
overthrow his father. This led to war. During the big battle Absalom, mounted
on a mule, fled David’s soldiers with his hair getting caught in the tangled
branches of a tree, leaving him vulnerable as he hung from his long tresses. He
was killed.
I know pride led to Absalom’s humiliating downfall.
But knowing warriors carry sharp swords and knives in their kit; Aware of his
father’s order to Joab and the army, to “protect the young man Absalom for his
sake”, did he not lower himself to hacking his hair and freeing himself? In the
end was it this seemingly small element of his pride in his beautiful hair that
did him in? Considering the history of man, it wouldn’t be first or last
instance of ostensibly diminutive detail involving conceit contributing to failure.
I just completed reading a non-fiction book on WII North African campaign, the
account telling of many hair instances costing life and injury of a
large number of Allied soldiers.
The personal part: My hair is short could say
I, but is my waking thought cautionary so that I or you don’t get hung up
today? I’m no more sure of this than I am of why Absalom didn’t cut himself
free, but, just in case …
EBB4
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