Women with a Story to Tell: The 'Merry' Wives of David: Maacah.

Did you ever feel like you are not getting the respect that you deserve? Other people are emerging as the big players on the field while you remain on the sidelines. It may be that this wife of David felt that way. Or perhaps early in her lifetime, she was in the game, maybe even cherished by David at one time, but we don’t read much about later in life. Her name was Maacah. She was the mother of Absalom, Tamar, and Hanan. And therein lies the tale.

 After Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle with the Philistines, David took the throne. However, only the southern tribe of Judah recognized him as king. The northern tribes resisted and instead supported the surviving members of Saul’s family. There were battles.

 During this time, David made his home in Hebron. He reigned from there for seven and a half years. The text says that: 

 “Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second was Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third was Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; …” (II Samuel 3: 2-3). 

 We have read about the first two in previous devotionals, but the third woman is new to us. Ahinoam and Abigail were commoners, and their sons were born before David became king. That means that Maacah is his royal partner (the text never calls her 'queen'), and Absolom is the crown prince. Apparently, as king, David is now securing his borders. That can be done by conquest, or it can be accomplished by diplomacy. 

 Maacah is the daughter of a king, thus a princess. King Talmai, not an Israelite, controls the area of Geshur on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Geshur is on the northern edge of the area claimed by Israel. It would be prudent for David to have Talmai as an ally and thus prevent him from helping Saul’s family with their claim. Diplomacy in those days, and up to recent times, often involved an alliance that was sealed by a royal marriage. Talmai gave his daughter to David and thus took his side in this succession dispute. (Many European wars were wars over succession; for example, ‘The War of the Spanish Succession’ or ‘The War of the Austrian Succession’.)

 What did Maacah think of this? The text does not say; as usual. Perhaps she too bought into the system or thought that at least now her son has the first claim on David’s throne. She herself then would be perpetuated in the royal genealogy, and that was so important that it was a metaphor for eternal life. 

The war of succession came to an end, and David was recognized as the king of all the tribes of Israel. Then David moved his seat of government from Hebron to Jerusalem, which offended the people of Hebron. David continued to fight some wars to secure his borders. During this time, he had the affair with Bathsheba. Her story will come in another devotional. 

 Maacah had beautiful children, so Scripture says: Absalom (II Samuel 14:25) and Tamar (II Samuel 13: 1). The girl attracted the attention of Ahinoam’s son, Amnon. He was her half-brother; that is, they were the children of David by different wives. The attraction became lust and lust became an obsession. Since they lived in David’s palace, Amnon could not get her alone. One day he listened to a cousin’s advice. He pretended to be ill, then asked his father David for a favor. Let his half-sister Tamar come and bake cakes for him to eat. David allowed it. It was a foolish decision. 

 When Tamar came close to give Amnon something to eat, he showed his true self. He overpowered her. She objected, but he raped her anyway. As sometimes happens when desire gets out of control, Amnon's obsession suddenly turned into loathing. He had his men throw Tamar out of the room. 

 “Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went” (II Samuel 13:19). 

 Tamar’s mother and brother, Maacah and Absalom, expected to find justice from David. After all, he was the king, the man of God (II Chronicles 8:14; Nehemiah 12:24), even the man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), wasn’t he? Well, not this time, he wasn’t.

 “When King David heard of all these things, he became very angry, but he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn” (II Samuel 13:21). 

  David confounded his earlier thoughtless decision with a greater mistake. He sympathies were with his son, not his daughter. What has happened to him? From this point on, his moral compass starts spinning out of control, and he trips into even greater trouble. His family begins to break apart. Knives out!  

 “So Tamar remained, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house” (II Samuel 13:20). 

 What a mess! When males think that they can do anything they want, that women are there to be dominated, used, and then abused, society is on a slippery slope going downhill fast. Where is the compassion for the suffering? Where is the justice for the needy? Who cares for the helpless who cannot act on their own? Did we hear that right, or are those just campaign promises?