2 Samuel 15:1-12

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. ² And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. ³ And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. ⁴ Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! ⁵ And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. ⁶ And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. ⁷ And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord, in Hebron. ⁸ For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. ⁹ And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron. ¹⁰ But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. ¹¹ And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing. ¹² And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

Warren Wiersbe once wrote: “It’s one thing to experience God’s power when you’re facing giants or fighting armies, and quite something else when you’re watching people tear your world apart.” How true that is. The Lord had told David that He would raise up evil against David from his own household. That came to pass through David’s sons Amnon and Absalom. Last week, we learned that because David failed to discipline or carry out justice for the sins of his sons, the sin only multiplied. 2 Samuel 14 ended with Absalom being allowed back into the palace, Absalom bowing to David, and David kissing Absalom. If the story ended there, we may think that all was well, but 2 Samuel 15-18 reveal quite a different story. Instead of Absalom’s sin and hatred of his father being resolved, it only worsened. Absalom’s sin would now move him to try to take the kingdom from his father. 2 Samuel 15:1-12 reveals to us how Absalom would go about doing so. Last week, we learned that Absalom had the appearances of a king and was very likeable for his looks. In 2 Samuel 15:1-12 we find that he also had the craftiness and winsome personality to go along with those looks that would enable him to steal the hearts of the people of Israel. Just like Israel, many people today are prone to follow false saviors, false teachers, self-appointed leaders, and false ways of salvation. Why would Israel choose Absalom over David, the man that God had clearly called and chosen to lead them? How do you and I avoid falling into the trap of following the wrong people and beliefs in our own lives? 2 Samuel 15:1-12 provides three critical warnings.

First, we must beware the trap of fleshly appearances. Verse 1 begins the chapter by telling us what Absalom did after being restored to the palace in Jerusalem. He “prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.” The first thing Absalom did was engage in some politics of pomp. He presented himself as royalty and made a public show. This public showing involved him strutting around the city with a royal entourage of a small army. This was an action to get himself noticed by the people of the kingdom. By drawing attention to himself, Absalom would accomplish the first step in the process of stealing their hearts from his father David. Last week, we noted Absalom’s handsome appearance and beautiful family (2 Samuel 14:25-27). His actions in verse 1 gave him an opportunity to show that off. One of the greatest red flags in a person is the need to show themselves off or put on some kind of show. Fleshly appearances are always misleading. Someone can look the part, look beautiful, and look polished on the outside but be corrupt on the inside. For us, there is a warning about what we are drawn to. If we are drawn to something for fleshly reasons, we are drawn to it for the wrong reasons. Appearances and experiences can be good and fine in and of themselves, but they can often be covers for wickedness and deception. Jesus warned in the Sermon on the Mount about doing righteous deeds “before men to be seen of them” (Matthew 6:1-4). He warned about the “scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feast” (Luke 20:46). Just because someone appears godly or is pleasant to our senses, does not mean that they are godly or sent from God. The first trap that Israel would fall into was the trap of Absalom’s fleshly appearances.

Next, we must beware the trap of fake kindness. Verses 2-6 reveal to us that the second thing that Absalom did was present himself as a kind and generous man who identified with the people. He engaged in the politics of promise and pleasing. By telling the people what they wanted to hear and promising to give them what they wanted, he would effectively win them over to his side. He accomplished this by positioning himself in the gate of the city early in the morning when people were on their way to see David for matters of judgment in the kingdom. He would ask those that came what city they were from so as to be able to gather loyalty from people that were from all over the nation. After that, he would undermine the methods and leadership of his father by subtly pointing out that the king had failed to appoint someone to help him see all of those who came to him for help (v. 3). In contrast, Absalom pointed out that if he were the judge of Israel, then he would surely do justice for everyone who came (v. 4). Absalom essentially told people that his father couldn’t meet the needs of the people and that if Absalom were given the opportunity, he would always do right by the people. This created discontent in the people with David and pointed the people to find their contentment in Absalom. Any leader knows how terrible it is to have to exercise authority (which sometimes requires making decisions people don’t like) and have someone come alongside or behind them and tell people what they want to hear instead. It undermines and prevents the leader from being able to lead because the people will be more prone to follow one who gives them what they want rather than what they need. Absalom also manipulated the people. Everyone who came to Absalom and did the customary bow before a son of the king, he would respond to by grabbing their hand, raising them up, and kissing their hand. That may not mean much to us, but in that time, that was a sign of equality. By doing this, Absalom presented himself as “one of the people” who was a friend to them. John MacArthur once rightly said, “Satan is most effective in the church when he comes not as an open enemy, but as a false friend.” That is what Absalom did and he succeeded in stealing the hearts of the people (v. 6). Unfortunately, that is what many people do. We must distinguish between “niceness” and true kindness. Niceness is palatable. It gives people what they want and tells them what they want to hear, but doesn’t deliver what’s truly good for them. Kindness acts in the best interests of the other. Love is not concerned with perception, but with truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).

Lastly, we must beware the trap of phony religion. To add to the blasphemy of working against God’s anointed king, Absalom organized his rebellion against David under the guise of religious piety. He asked David if he could go to Hebron fulfill a vow to the Lord. He even ended his request with “If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord” (v. 8). There was no vow and there was no desire to please God. Absalom was the consummate hypocrite here who pretended to serve the Lord while working against the Lord’s anointed. He claimed to go serve the Lord as a cover for working against the one that the Lord had called to lead God’s people. It is impossible to serve the Lord and work against those that He has called. The verses bear out for us that Absalom wanted to go to Hebron to set up his rebellion. He had spent the last years gathering a following from all over Israel and he would finally rally that following in Hebron. He had sent spies throughout Israel that would call the people to come and join him. Caught up in all of this were 200 unsuspecting men from Jerusalem (v. 11). The verse tells us that “they went in their simplicity” which means they were just being obedient and didn’t know they were about to be caught up in a coupe. It was really a trick from Absalom to hold these loyal servants hostage. But what was most painful about the whole situation for David is what is found in verse 12. Ahithophel’s betrayal of David is written about in the psalms (41:9; 55:12-16) and those psalms would be quoted later to refer to Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus. Why did Ahithophel do this? 2 Samuel 23:34 tells us that Ahithophel was Eliam’s father. Eliam was the father of Bathsheba. Both Eliam and Ahithophel would have been friends with Uriah and, no doubt, knew what David did to him. Ahithophel betrayed David while offering sacrifices. While doing the Lord’s work, Ahithophel betrayed the Lord’s anointed. Both he and Absalom stand as examples of just how crooked and phony religious hypocrisy can be. A person can join a church, attend regularly, serve faithfully, sing joyfully, exercise great talent, and do a great many things that may make them appear pious and religious, but live with a heart that is far from God. The true test is submission to the Lordship of Christ and obedience to Him (John 14:15).

In much the same way that Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel from his father, The Apostle Paul was undermined by false teachers in the church at Corinth who turned many in the church against him. 2 Corinthians 11-12 deal with that explicitly and remind us that the devil does not come with horns, scales, and a pitchfork. He comes as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) who looks the part and those that are with him do the same. He comes in the appearance of what is appealing to us. He comes offering us what we want and what we want to hear. But we must remember that he comes to destroy.  In a world of false religions, false teachers, and false saviors, who we follow matters. One issue in all of this is not with Absalom or David but with Israel. How was Absalom able to so effectively deceive the people? Could it be that they hadn’t really changed as a people since 1 Samuel 8 when they first demanded a king like all the nations around them? They weren’t necessarily victims of Absalom, but rather Absalom revealed where their true loyalties were. There are a multitude of preachers presenting “Jesus’s” that are false. They are able to gain a following because people want what they offer. It is important that in a time where everyone “knows Jesus” that we remember that it is only those who are known by the true Jesus that have eternal life (Matthew 7:21-23). Who are you following today? We must avoid the traps of fleshly appearances, fake kindness, and phony religion. Instead, we must submit and follow the truth given to us why the One who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).