Conspiracy

2 Samuel 15:1-12

Good morning! Today we continue with our account of David and his son Absalom. I think a good place to start is reviewing David’s family situation and the events that have happened so far. As much as I can, I will try to keep today’s message family friendly, but we will talk a lot about family estrangement, and so, depending on the age and emotional maturity level of your child, this topic may or may not be appropriate for them.

Amnon was David’s firstborn son, born in Hebron. His mother was Ahinoam of Jezreel.

The second son was Kileab, also called Daniel, also born in Hebron. His mother was Abigail of Carmel. It is likely this son died young, as there is no record in the Bible of his life.

The third son was Absalom, also born in Hebron. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. His full sister was Tamar. Over the past few weeks, we learned how Amnon behaved reprehensibly towards Tamar, and the result was that there were lifelong severe negative consequences for Tamar.  As it is written in I Samuel 13:20, it says that she lived on as a “desolate woman.”

When David learned what had happened, Scripture says that he was furious. Absalom was also furious, and I Samuel 13:20 tells us that he had Tamar live with him after that. We also see that Absalom has his first case of family estrangement:

And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. – 1 Samuel 13:21

We then learn that over the next two years, Absalom never stopped hating Amnon, and he finally hatched an involved plan to have Amnon killed. Absalom invited his father David the King and all his attendants to a sheep-shearing event or festival elsewhere in Israel. We can read into the story that Absalom did this knowing that David would refuse because it would be such an imposition to have his entourage come and be provided appropriate hospitality. He then asked that Amnon join him instead. David was surprised at this, presumably knowing something of the strained relationships between his children, but he agreed, and Amnon joined Absalom along with David’s other sons.

Absalom had his men attack and kill Amnon while he was drunk. In Abaslom’s mind, he was finally getting revenge on Amnon for what he had done to Tamar. Absalom then fled to Geshur, the original home of his mother Maacah. Here began Absalom’s second, and longer estrangement, this time from his father David, and indeed, presumably, from the rest of the family as well. (We are not told if his sister Tamar came to join him.)

David was understandably in grief over the death of Amnon, but over time he was consoled, and Scripture tells us in I Samuel 13:29 that David longed to Absalom. But he did not do so.

David’s advisor Joab knew David longed for Absalom but would do nothing on his own to make it so. So he orchestrated a complicated plot that almost sounds like a man-made version of God’s use of story in how Nathan confronted David over Bathsheba years earlier. Rather than a prophet, Joab used a woman from Tekoa. Just as David had spoken condemningly of a person in Nathan’s tale, thereby implicating himself for doing something similar, this woman did the same kind of thing with regards to David’s continuing banishment of Absalom.

She said something quite profound that I want to repeat here – it is peripherally about estrangement between people, but even more so about estrangement between people and God:

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from Him. – 1 Samuel 14:14.

I will return this thought at the end of the message. But her immediate point was that the king should do likewise.   The king ultimately agreed, and he had Joab bring Absalom back to his own house in Jerusalem. But he also instructed Joab not to bring Absalom face to face with David.

So Absalom was back in the town of his father, but he was still every bit as much estranged from him as before. Why did David not have Absalom see him? The Scripture does not give us a direct answer. But situations like this are not at all uncommon in estrangement.

In the case of David and Absalom, there is a gigantic unspoken disagreement between them. Absalom believes he was right to take his action against Amnon, and David does not. Underlying this disagreement between them is the broader question of whether justice was served prior to Absalom’s actions. Despite David’s desire to reconcile with Absalom, David did not see how this broader disagreement could be solved unless Absalom were to admit he was wrong.

Was Absalom wrong? I believe Scripturally an exceedingly strong case can be made that Absalom was wrong. According to the Law of Moses, there were procedures that should have been followed that likely were not followed after Amnon did what he did. But this fact in no way gave Absalom the right to take the law into his own hands and have his brother killed.

I feel like I am rushing headlong into controversy here, both in light of the MeToo Movement and Black Lives Matter, but I believe that the Bible clearly condemns the idea of becoming a law unto yourself and becoming judge, jury, and executioner. Yes, we are to seek justice, defend those who cannot get justice for themselves. But we are to do it lawfully. I am bothered by how our culture tries to say that we either agree with everything a movement or organization says or we are totally opposed to it. This is false. Of course we can believe in many things a movement stands for while disagreeing with others! And most modern movements are not even remotely uniform in their message anyway. And there are always others on the fringe who try to get their more controversial ideas added into the list of things a movement stands for.

Turning back to Absalom – was what Amnon did to Tamar reprehensible? Absolutely. Did she get appropriate justice? Not at all. But did any of this justify Absalom’s decision to kill his brother? Absolutely not. And did Absalom’s unrepentance put David in an extremely awkward position? Absolutely. 

Making matters even worse, all this drama was taking place on a public stage. David and his family were a cross between the Kardashians and the Trumps. Everything David did had honor/shame implications and political overtones. Everything he did was spread throughout the kingdom and beyond. If he were perceived as weak or distracted, it might have even led to war.

So, Absalom lived in Jerusalem, presumably again with Tamar. He also had his own family. He named his daughter Tamar, after his dishonored sister.

Absalom was not content with this silent treatment his father the king was giving him, so he once again took matters into his own hands, becoming a law unto himself.  He asked for Joab to come to him, but Joab refused. In response, he had his servants burn down Joab’s field!

In our modern society I feel I have to say this, but it should be apparent. This is not appropriate behavior! Was Joab wrong to have not wanted to talk to Absalom? Possibly, but that is debatable, and the Bible doesn’t give us enough details to really make a definitive answer. But even if Joab was in the wrong, once again, this fact wouldn’t give Absalom a green light to do whatever he wants, even if it is in violation of both civil law and the Law of Moses.  

After learning that Absalom had been responsible for the burning up of his crops, Joab did now go to Absalom. Absalom is a grown man and should have already known how to be a responsible adult in society. But I am concerned that, with Joab’s coming to him, Absalom was getting reinforced a dangerous message that it was OK to do whatever it took to get the results that you want. He had received no real punishment for his act against Amnon, and therefore, in Absalom’s eyes, his plan had been a success. And now, his burning down a field was being rewarded with Joab’s presence and willingness to give Absalom what he wanted just to get him to leave him alone. If you already know the rest of the story about Absalom, you can see where this is going.

At Absalom’s insistence, Joab arranged for a meeting between Absalom and the king. And 2 Samuel 14 concludes with these words:

Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom. – 2 Samuel 14:33b.

Scripture is brief, but this doesn’t seem like much of a reconciliation. I don’t know if any words were spoken at all. But it was a powerful public statement – it said to the kingdom that Absalom was now accepted by the king. This gave Absalom freedom to conduct business and do other activities without other people worrying that their association with Absalom could hurt them. Did Absalom take advantage of this new freedom and respect to live a quiet life, raising his family well, and submitting himself to God and the king? Hardly.

Here is today’s passage:

In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”- 2 Samuel 15:1-4

This terribly manipulative behavior. Absalom would fit in well with modern politicians. What is the point of the chariot and the horses and the men? It is to give the appearance that he is rich and powerful and important, and most of all, honorable. But do these things give a person real honor? Of course not. But people have fallen for appearances for thousands of years, and they still do so today.

Now one of the important roles of kings was to serve as a judge. Some kingdoms had regional judges, but when someone was unhappy with their decisions, they could appeal to the king. In smaller kingdoms you might go directly to the king. People came to David just like they came to the kings around them in neighboring lands – to settle disputes.

Absalom hung around outside the city gates much like an “ambulance chasing” lawyer hanging around a hospital looking for a new case. Notice what Absalom did: He told everyone seeking audience with the king to settle a case that nobody would listen to them. Was this true? Almost certainly not. But his goal was to disillusion the man who had come all this way so much that he would not go on but instead would return home disgruntled against the king. And he would also mention the kind, and apparently powerful man who only wished to become a judge so that he could help people who were not currently being helped.

What Absalom was doing can only be called evil. One by one, he stirred up person after person against the king, his father.   

Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel. – 2 Samuel 15:5-6

In an honor-shame culture, this behavior was highly unorthodox – and highly regarded. People thought, “Wow! Here is a man of such high status – look at all his men, and his chariot and horses – and yet he treats you like an equal. He is a man of the people!”

I love how David Guzik breaks down Absalom’s cunning and effectiveness:

“He carefully cultivated an exciting, enticing image – chariots and horses and 50 men […]. He worked hard – he rose early. He knew where to position himself – beside the way to the gate. He looked for troubled people – anyone who had a lawsuit. He reached out to troubled people – he would call to them. He took a personal interest in them – “what city are you from?” He sympathized with them – “your case is good, and right.” He never attacked David directly [but] left the troubled person more troubled – “no deputy of the king to hear you.” Without attacking David directly, he promised to do better – “Oh that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.”

And notice how Absalom is sowing discontent without saying anything that could directly get him in trouble. He is not overtly plotting anything. He is not even mentioning the king. And the people buy it and more and more love Absalom. Why? Absalom is doing all these things Guzik mentioned. Plus he is young and good looking, and David’s reputation has been tarnished.

At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’” The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron. – 2 Samuel 15:7-9

Was this vow real? Probably not. Did Absalom really want to worship the Lord? Probably not. But it is possible. Some people are so self-deceived that they do terrible things under the guise of their religion. But it is more likely that this is just a story, part of the master plan, just as the sheep shearing was part of his earlier master plan.

Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’” Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing. – 2 Samuel 15:10-12

The deception is huge here. First, Absalom’s wording “Absalon is king in Hebron” along with trumpets is quite vague. It makes it sound as if David has died or is otherwise unable to rule, and that Absalom has been set as king, being the legitimate person next in line to the throne. Recall that Absalom is the oldest living son of David at this point in time.

Absalom does not yet have 200 reputable people from Jerusalem willing to endorse him, so instead he brings them there as guests so that others think that they are supporting him. This is fiendishly clever.  

Absalom’s sacrifices were to show the people that he was a follower of God. As already explained, it is possible that he really thought he was doing God’s work – but I think it more likely that this too was just a show.  

And to gain even more credibility, he had brought in Ahithophel, one of David’s top advisors. Was Ahithophel misused like the 200 guests from Jerusalem, or did he genuinely support Absalom? The passage is not clear, and so we will wait to see what else Ahithophel will due (in coming weeks) before we try to answer.

David’s final words to Absalom were, ironically, “Go in peace,” yet peace is the opposite of what Absalom has planned. He plans to overtake the kingdom and David by whatever is necessary, including force.

I find Absalom’s actions, between the measuring out of his hair, mentioned last week, and the extreme long-term cunning in his plans for personal power, make him like some sort of a cross between the villain Gaston (from Beauty and the Beast) on one hand and the Emperor Palpatine on the other. 

Far from reconciliation, David and Absalom are heading towards war. Did it have to be this way? No. This seems to be the direct fulfillment of Nathan’s pronouncement of God’s prophecy against David:

“Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.” – 2 Samuel 12:10.

But equally the actions of Absalom are sin. Absalom is refusing to be at all open to reconciliation. He is, again and again, doing whatever seems right in his own eyes, only “serving” or “seeking” the Lord when it has good optics. I would say that he is misusing God in the same way that he is misusing the 200 guests from Jerusalem.

Some of you may have situations in which you are unreconciled with friends or family members. What I can tell you is that our God desires reconciliation between people through Him. Reconciliation apart from Him is unlikely to be successful or long-lasting. But reconciliation between people through God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is another matter entirely.

As you know, the most severe rift between persons is that between man and God. This rift is our own fault, because like the prophet said to David, we despised God. In sinning, we rebelled against Him. In fact, we were like Absalom, eager to be our own king, willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. But when a king already sits on a throne, there is no way to be your own king unless you overthrow the king that is there. And that story is the story of each of us.

But thanks be to God! He has reconciled us to Him through the death of His Son. As we repent and put our faith and trust in Him, we become reconciled to God. And in taking of the bread and cup in remembrance of Him who died for us, we remember and we reaffirm that we are no longer our own king, that instead the rightful king, King Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, is back on the rightful throne of our hearts.

And through Him, we become ourselves ministers of reconciliation. That is, God has entrusted and empowered us to help others become reconciled to God. From 2 Cor. 5:

All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Cor. 5:18-21

And with this ministry of reconciliation we are also empowered and equipped to reconcile people to one another. If you have a friend or family member that you are estranged from, if you or another person helps them to become reconciled to Christ, then through Christ you and this person can be reconciled to one another.

As we spend some time now in Communion together, I encourage you to reconnect and recommit to God, through Jesus. Let the bread and the cup remind you of His suffering for you and praise Him for how He has reconciled you to God. And as the Lord brings to mind others that need reconciliation – to Him and to others or to you, pray for them as the Spirit leads.

After I pray, John will play a recording of some music for our time remembering the Lord, and at its conclusion he will close us in prayer.