Trust.
Such a small word that has significant meaning in our lives.
Who do you trust the most?
Have you experienced betrayal from someone you trusted?
Was it a family member, a friend, or a leader in your life who trampled your trust?
Or have you ever betrayed someone else’s trust?
How do our moral failures contribute to making it hard to spot conspiracy in our and other’s worship?
Join me as we study an example from scripture rife with moral failure and trampling of trust within a family.
A Study on 2 Samuel 15:1-12
15 After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.[1]
Who is Absalom? (See 2 Samuel 13:1)
Explain the significance of Absalom’s action in this verse. (See 1 Samuel 8:10-11)
The next eighteen verses of 2 Samuel 13 tell a story of Absalom’s half-brother Ammon scheming to rape Absalom’s sister Tamar. When Absalom learns about this, he says the following to Tamar.
20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house.[2]
Did Absalom follow his own advice? Why or why not? (See 2 Samuel 13:22-32)
Absalom harbored his hatred for two full years, plotting an opportunity to kill his half-brother Ammon for violating Tamar.
Absalom fled to his maternal grandfather, the king of Geshur (1 Chron 3:2) where he remained for three years. (2 Samuel 13:37-38)
Chapter fourteen of 2 Samuel shares that Joab, King David’s nephew and commander of the army, takes action to convince David to allow Absalom to return to Jerusalem. David agreed to Absalom’s return but stipulated he could not come into the king’s presence. (2 Samuel 14:1-24)
Another two years pass with Absalom living in Jerusalem but never seeing his father, King David. (2 Samuel 14:28)
Absalom then schemes to see his father. (2 Samuel 14:29-33)
Having this backstory, we can now return to Absalom’s actions in 2 Samuel 15.
2 And 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,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” [3]
What reaction is Absalom looking for from the person bringing their claims?
4 Then 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.” 5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. [4]
Keeping in mind Absalom murdered his own half-brother, explain why Absalom could steal the hearts of the men of Israel. (Also see 2 Samuel 12:9-12)
7 And 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. 8 For 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.’ ” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.[5]
What is the significance of Hebron? (See 2 Samuel 2:1-4a)
10 But 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!’ ” 11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12 And 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. [6]
What are we told about Absalom’s two hundred guests he invited to Hebron? (v.11)
Explain the implication in v.12 regarding Absalom’s guests.
Can You Spot Conspiracy in Worship?
Lessons to learn
Absalom conspired over eleven years, not only to avenge the rape of his sister, but to usurp the throne of his father David.
Lying to his father, he requested to travel to Hebron to fulfill a vow and to worship the Lord. But the reality was he was conspiring a coup against his father David.
Consider the following verse about Absalom.
25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.[7]
What is the sad irony about this statement given Absalom’s activities of conspiracy against David?
How did Absalom’s appearance help his ability to conspire?
Based on everything above, what was Absalom’s ultimate motivation?
Last week’s post studied David’s failure in moral integrity that, after being called out by Nathan, ended up causing him to return to a humble worship stance before the Lord.
Describe Absalom’s moral integrity in comparison with David’s.
The contrast between David’s moral failure and return to humble worship of the Lord versus Absalom’s using worship as a ruse to steal the kingdom from David is strikingly horrid.
Yet, throughout the chapters of 2 Samuel 13-15, David is passive compared to Absalom.
The conflict between David’s own moral failures, combined with knowing that more punishment was to come (2 Samuel 12:11), clearly hindered his ability to discipline his sons for their own moral failures.
Are there past moral failures in your life that have inhibited you from taking a stand for moral integrity in those same areas with others?
How can we be transparent about our own moral failures while encouraging others to avoid the mistakes we ourselves have made?
What else did you learn from this study?
Heavenly Father, guard our hearts from breaking our trust with you and each other. Help us see clearly so that we can spot conspiracy in worship, whether our own or those around us. Keep our worship of You pure and humble.
Warmly,
Barbara Lynn
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Sa 15:1.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Sa 13:20.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Sa 15:2–3.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Sa 15:4–6.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Sa 15:7–9.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Sa 15:10–12.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Sa 14:25.
Did David start a ‘sin train’? (I just made that phrase up). But, thinking about David’s lineage; Absalom, Solomon, all the evil kings of Judah – yes there were a few good ones – but the vast majority were evil or very evil, and finally Zedekiah. He was the last king to sit on the throne of David until Jesus. A long time!
God is slow to anger and also wrathful. Strong and mighty and full of mercy and grace. Hmm
Am I encouraged with this history or discouraged? Did I have an epiphany, personal regret, or nothing to really worry about – it’s just a story in thr Bible?