“But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.”
~ 2 Samuel 15:30
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you want to be seen by other kids as being really important? Do you want to be seen by other kids as your teacher’s favorite kid in his or her class? Do you say things about and/or do you do things against another kid so that you will appear to other kids as being smarter and/or stronger than the kid? Do you say things about and/or do you do things against your dad so that you will seem to other kids as knowing more than what your dad knows and/or being able to do more than what your dad does? If this is what you are doing, you are pulling an Absalom. Absalom was the third son born to David and Maacah. Absalom purportedly became David’s favorite kid. Growing up as a kid who was born to an Israelite people group king, Absalom had plenty of opportunities to fail or pass life tests. Absalom’s first hard life test involved David’s oldest son – Amnon. Amnon disgraced Absalom’s sis – Tamar, after he overpowered her. Amnon was the oldest son of David and Ahinoam – making Amnon the oldest boy of all the boys who were born to David’s wives and concubines. Absolom – two years later, would avenge Tamar’s honor by ruthlessly murdering Amnon – resulting in Absalom failing this life test. Absalom – after he killed Amnon, fled to the town of Geshur where he remained for three years estranged from his dad. Even after Absalom was allowed to go back to the city of Jerusalem – which was where his dad lived, Absalom was not allowed to see his dad. After Absalom spent two years of settling back into living in the city of Jerusalem, Absalom coerced Joab – who was David’s army commander, to set up a time to talk with his dad again. Absalom was said to be the most handsome guy in the entire land area of Israel – the land area that God gave to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own if . . . being a very handsome guy probably made it that much easier for Absalom to become really full of himself – which had Absalom failing another life test. Per what a Samuel Book editor scribed in what is now 2 Samuel 15, Absalom began finding ways to usurp the authority and power that an Israelite people group king was ascribed. Even though the Israelite people group king at this time was Absalom’s dad, Absalom began promoting himself with pomp and showiness by riding around the city of Jerusalem’s streets in a chariot with fifty guys running ahead of him. Absalom would get up early in the morning to head to the road that led to the main gate into the city of Jerusalem. Absalom would stop guys who were heading into the city of Jerusalem – from where they lived in the land area of Israel, to voice their complaints to the Israelite people group king – who was his dad, for his decision. Absalom would first find out what town and tribal clan that the guy was from before he would tell the guy that even though the guy’s complaint was a valid and proper complaint, that the king had never assigned a guy to hear and resolve complaints. Absalom’s solution for the guy with the complaint was that if he – Absalom, was given an appointment to be the Israelite people group’s judge, that guys – like the guy who he was talking to, could go to him with their complaints and he would see to it that justice would take place. Absalom failed another life test when he perceived himself being more capable of doing the king job than what his dad – David, was doing.
A misguided aspiration that Absalom had was to steal the hearts of the Israelite people groups guys and gals. Absalom would kiss the hand of any guy or gal who approached him and bowed down to him. After four years of being back in the city of Jerusalem, Absalom had everything in place to pull a power play to take over his dad’s job of being king over the Israelite people groups guys and gals. Absalom’s plan was for him to get his dad’s okay for him to go to the town of Hebron by using the pretext of fulfilling a vow that he had made to the Lord. David told his kid to go in peace to the town of Hebron. Absalom then sent a message via secret messengers to each tribal clan. The message said that when the guys and gals in a tribal clan heard the sound of trumpets that they would know that while Absalom was in the town of Hebron, that he had become king over the Israelite people groups guys and gals. When Absalom arrived in the town of Hebron, he contacted Ahithophel to join him in what he was planning to do. Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandpa. Bathsheba was another one of David’s wives. Ahithophel had been one of David’s trusted counselors. Absalom’s plan to replace his dad as king over the Israelite people groups guys and gals was solidly in place. Do you think that murdering, lying, being disingenuous, cozying up and subversion are answers for life tests that God is giving you? Your grandpaa sure hopes that you are always answering the life tests that God is giving you with answers that denote a living obedience to His truths and a persevering faith in His will.
How do you think that David responded to what his kid – Absalom, was doing? Verse 30 says “But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.” David had already done the right thing when he had the ark of God – which Zadok and some guys from the Levi tribal clan were taking with them when they left the city of Jerusalem with their king, sent back to the city of Jerusalem. David had already told a supportive band of 600 Gittite people group guys to go back home as . . . the guys though insisted on staying with David. When David got to the top of Mount Olives, David tore his robe and he put dust on his head. David refused to go against his kid; David let God handle the next move. Do you like waiting for God – as God the Spirit, to help you pass a life test that God is having you take? Your grandpaa knows that the life tests that God is giving him is teaching him who God is.
2 Samuel 15 (726)