David had several sons and among the number was one whose name was Absalom, and there was no one who received more praise for his beauty than this third son of David, for we read that “from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.” Absalom had a fine head of hair and each year it was cut and weighed, and the weight of it was astonishingly great. Now with all of his good looks—like many another young man—Absalom was wicked, for he conspired against David and stole the hearts of the people. The poor father was not aware of the deceitfulness of his son until “there came a message to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom,” and then to escape the violence of the wicked son he “went forth, and all his household after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.” Don’t you believe that was a sorrowful sight when “David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up”? Just think of him hurriedly walking over the stones in his bare feet, and then think “all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.” Just think of the distress and heartache brought about by the action of one wayward boy. Even though the father is made to suffer yet he loves the son, and when David sent forth men to battle he gave this command, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.” The sword did not cut him asunder, but we read that “Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under a bough of a great oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth: and the mule that was under him went away. And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak,” and that was the fate of a boy who loved self more than any one else. But how do you imagine David felt when tidings of the son’s death were brought him? When the runner who brought the news was near enough to hear David’s voice, he called out, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” And again we read that he wept; “and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” When it was told how the king was weeping “the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people.” Young people are prone to be ambitious, and that is all right; but, dear young people, don’t let your ambitious desires cause you to disobey father and mother and bring sadness and sorrow upon those who love you. Think of sorrowing David, and then think of the beautiful son’s final end, and may you learn from it what is becoming a child. The tomb of Absalom is before you. We do not know by whom it was built, but it is thought that it marks the site of the pillar which “Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself, which is in the king’s dale,” and this tomb is in the valley east of Jerusalem.