Omitting the sin of the deed, we have here a picture of what is often done by our gracious God with the wisest and best design. Often he sends for us, not for his benefit, but for ours; he wants to have us come near to him and receive a blessing from his hands, but we are foolish, and cold-hearted, and wicked, and we will not come. He, knowing that we will not come by any other means, sends a serious trial--he sets our barley-field on fire, which he has a right to do, seeing that our barley-fields are far more his than they are ours. In Absalom's case it was wrong: in God's case he has a right to do what he pleases with his own. He takes away from us our most choice delight, on which we have set our heart, and then we ask him, "Why do you contend with me? Why am I struck with your rod? What have I done to provoke you to anger?" And thus we are brought into the presence of God, and we receive blessings of infinitely more value than those temporary mercies which the Lord had taken from us.