Joab, a general under David, was concerned about the current state between David and Absalom. To reunite them, he devised a plan. He hired a woman to act on his behalf.

The woman pretended that one of her sons killed her other son. As a result, her whole clan was trying to kill her remaining son, who was now her sole heir. King David promised that he would pardon her son so he could come home.

Then the woman turned the attention to David, saying: Why, then, will the king not bring back his own banished son?

Although this woman was part of a scheme born of Joab’s personal wish, she was right. God does not want a banished person to be forever banished.

God gave us a way to be brought back to him, a way to be freed from our eternal punishment. Through Jesus, we no longer must be banished from God’s sight forever. Our sins deserve banishment from God. Like how Adam hid from God, we all must hide from God because of our dirty sins. But thank and praise God for sending his one and only son Jesus to die for our sins and bring us back to him from eternal banishment.
Application: Lord, thank you for opening a way back to you through Jesus.
One Word: No longer banished, freedom in Christ