The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom." – 2 Samuel 14:21

Today's Scripture Reading (July 28, 2025): 2 Samuel 14

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the last Shah, a word meaning King, of Iran. The term Shah, shortened from Shahanshah, has been used since antiquity to indicate the King of Persia or Iran. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi became the King of the nation after the death of his father, Reza Shah Pahlavi, on July 26, 1944. He was driven from his throne by the Islamic Revolution that shook the country in the late 1970s. The revolution shook the Middle East and transformed a nation that was in the process of secularization into one of the last theocracies left on the planet. How much the country understood the coming change remains a matter of open discussion, with knowledgeable people presenting arguments on both sides of the debate.

It is not that the Shah didn't take steps to stop the revolution. He made several attempts to halt the impending reversal of societal change, but it seemed that almost everything he did only fueled the rebellion. Early on, the Shah acknowledged the existence of a People's Revolution and offered to lead it, a move that gave legitimacy to the rebellion. On September 28, 1978, the Shah's military shot and killed at least 64 people, and likely more than 100, protestors in Jaleh Square, but once again, instead of stopping the revolution, this became a pivotal moment in the rebellion. A few days later, the Shah attempted to calm the situation by granting a general amnesty to many dissidents living in the Persian diaspora, including Ayatollah Khomeini, who would later become the Supreme Leader after Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was ousted from the throne and the monarchy was finally abolished.

Joab, the lead general in King David's army, has orchestrated an elaborate drama to convey a message to King David. It is a hoped for final chapter to the story of the rape of Tamar. Tamar had been raped by her half-brother, Amnon. Amnon is the heir apparent to the throne of Israel, but while David is angered by the rape he does nothing. As a result of this inaction, Tamar's brother, Absalom, decides to take matters into his own hands and assassinates Amnon. Then Absalom goes into exile.

Joab is concerned that Absalom could lead a rebellion against his father, so he attempts to heal the rift between the King and his son. Nothing has worked. And so, Joab convinces a woman to present a story to the king that he has written. Joab hopes the resulting drama will have the same effect that Nathan's story about a rich and poor shepherd had in the wake of David's sin with Bathsheba.   

However, the success of Joab's drama is limited. He convinces David to invite Absalom to end his exile and return to Jerusalem, but David still refuses to invite Absalom into his presence. And, as a result, the rebellion remains on the horizon, and Joab is frustrated as he attempts to keep his King safe.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 2 & 3