2 Samuel - Let me see His face.

The full story I am about to tell is located within 2 beautiful chapters of 2 Samuel.
2 Samuel 13 & 14

It's a very detailed story, so much like the Harry Potter books, two small chapters will be even more abridged for the sake of time. Read the chapters though for the full amazing picture written into those pages.

Ammon is the son of David. Absalom is the son of David. Tamar is the sister of Absalom.
Ammon loved Tamar and tried to get her to “lie with him” but she refused saying that all he needed to do was to go to the king, David, and David would give her to him so it would be done honorably. But Ammon refused and since he was stronger than her, he “forced” her.

Absalom sees Tamar's grief and is very angry about this and plots to kill Ammon and succeeds. But, fearing his fathers anger, he runs away to another country and stays gone for 3 years. David, a father that throughout the book of 2nd Samuel displays a powerful love for his children and his heart appears to be hurting concerning Absalom’s banishment.

2 Samuel 14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

Joab pulls some trickery to get David to agree to let Absalom return to the city and David agrees under this one stipulation:

2 Samuel 14:24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.

2 Samuel 14:28-33 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face. Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come. Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire? And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

I’ve seen it in other places that I don’t really have time to mark out; that desire to see someones face. Absaloms ultimate punishment was a severed relationship with his father. “Let him not see my face.”

It seems like such a small punishment for murder; even a justified murder. But that was the punishment. And it was too great for Absalom to bear. “It would have been good for me to still be in Geshur”. “If there be any iniquity in me let him kill me.” He was willing to die rather than to continue on outside the inner circle of David’s life.

There have been a few times in my life where it truly felt as though God were lost to me; that my words wouldn’t reach Him. How great a thing it is to be in the presence of the Lord. To seek His face, and to seek to know Him. I do not ever want to lose my access to the face of God. Oh, I don’t have full access now – my body and mind are too foolish and weak to truly experience His full presence. Even a part of it though, the tastes that I have had – they are beyond compare.

Let me see His face.