"...the army of Israel was defeated by David's men, and the casualties that day were great -- twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword." 2 Sam. 18:7-8
A curious verse. What does it mean? Is it, as some suggest, that more died escaping into the forests and falling into pits and bogs or riding fatally into trees like Absalom or being attacked by wild animals? Why not simply the miraculous? In my imagination I see the trees themselves claiming the lives of those who sought to escape the sword. Trees acting as God's tall, silent soldiers. Like Ents or Burnham Wood or Mirkwood or the Wizard of Oz evil apple tree. The fleeing soldiers are swallowed up by the dark woods. Branches and roots entwine and strangle the crazed troops racing through the trees. Why not that?
Why not something supernatural and miraculous as an explanation of "the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword" rather than something within nature that God uses to accomplish His purpose - a wild animal or pit that fall in to. We want miracles to have some tie to natural laws we can make sense of and count on. It reminds me of the way we pray for healing by praying for the physician rather than to ask God to simply heal the person.
Why won't the purely miraculous do for us?
Lord knows.
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