Year One, September 28

A Flattering Mouth Works Ruin1

The hand of God fell heavily on David from the time of his great sin until the end of his life. His children became the source of many of his troubles. Ammon committed an awful sin and his brother, Absalom, killed him for it. Absalom was forgiven for murdering his brother and returned to the king’s court. Then he began to plot the overthrow of his own father, who loved him far too much. In his attempts to undercut his father’s authority Absalom acted very cunningly. He used every method he could to win the approval of the people and make them suspicious of his father.

  

2 Samuel 15:1-12

1After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. (Outward show often catches the attention of ordinary people. Absalom added the attraction of magnificent chariots and running footmen to his own handsome self.) 2And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

Absalom’s ambition prompted him to take great pains to appear very friendly and attentive to everyone. He came to the palace gate early in the morning and spoke to anyone who had a reason to see the king. He flattered them. He convinced them their cause was good. He pretended to regret they were not getting the justice they deserved and that they had to wait so long before their case was heard. He persuaded them that if he were the king, their concerns would have his immediate attention. There would be no delay or injustice for them to complain about. Everybody said, “What a courteous prince! What a just and careful ruler Absalom would be!”

6Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

The hearts of the people were not won, but stolen. The vain young prince deceived them. While pretending such zeal for their welfare, he was only advancing his own traitorous schemes.

7And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. 8For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the LORD.’”

To crown all his other deceit, Absalom pretended to be extremely religious, and claimed that he needed to make a trip to Hebron, in order to keep a holy vow that he had made in the days of his exile. It is a bad person indeed who uses religion to hide their shameful ambition.

9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” 11With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing.

These two hundred men joined Absalom in his devotions out of respect because he was the king’s son. They did not know about his plot to overthrow the king. Absalom used their presence for his own ends. The common people believed in these honorable men. The rebellious Absalom convinced them they had left David and had come over to his side.

12And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.

Ahithophel was a very close friend of David as well as hiscounselor. However, he appears to have been a selfish person who cared more about his own well being than doing what was right. He was convinced that Absalom was stronger than the king and joined his side. David was driven to great distress. His friends were deserting him. His enemy was growing stronger and aiming to dethrone him. Worst of all, that enemy was his favorite son. What dark clouds hung over David after he so sadly turned from the way of holiness.

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¹ Proverbs 26:28