Deep sorrow (2 Samuel 16-18)

I appreciate the humanity of David.  Sometimes when we look at heroes from the Bible there is a tendency to see them as larger than life.  Not so with David.  In fact, I'm not sure if there is any other character in Scripture who shows more emotion.  How would you feel if your son killed another one of your sons?  How would you feel if that son then tried to steal your throne?  How would you feel when that son then was killed in battle?  David shows deep emotion at the death of Absalom.  Probably those around him wondered why he was so distraught.  After all, this was the person who was trying to kill him.  David went so far as to wish that he had been the one to die instead of his son.  I think David caught the bigger picture.  I think David knew that Absalom's outrageous acts were a consequence of his sin.  Certainly David was forgiven for the murder of Uriah and the sin with Bathsheba, but the consequences would haunt him until his death.  The same is true for us: though we're forgiven for our sins, we still must deal with the consequences.  Babies are still born, diseases still plague us, and life is less than what God intended.  God still can bring healing, but it is often accompanied by deep sorrow.