2 Samuel 19, Psalm 42 - O my son

O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!

This is the cry of David when he finds that his son has been killed. It didn't matter that his son had betrayed him. It didn't matter that Absalom would have killed him if he had been given the chance. Absalom was his son, and he loved him. Despite all the damage he had done, David would still have died in his son's place.

The king covered his face, and he continued to cry loudly.
David: O my son Absalom. O Absalom, my son, my son!

This is one of those moments where we understand why David is called a man after God's own heart. David not a perfect man. When we read his story, it is difficult to describe him as righteous. He is selfish. He is afraid. He is passive when he should be decisive. He gets lost in fits of passion - both in lust and in grief. But in this moment, we see it. He loves his son fiercely. Despite all his son has done to hurt him, David loves him. He fights his son because he must, because it is his duty as long as God allows him to remain as king to fight for his kingdom.  But he never de-humanizes his enemy.  He still sees Absalom as his son and desires reconciliation more than anything else.

In this, David makes God's heart known to us. Despite all that we have done to rebel against him, despite how many years we have spent scheming to put ourselves into power, despite how many people we have hurt, He loves us. He loves you and He desires you to be near Him. And He was more than just willing to die in our place, He actually did.