Absalom’s Treason

2 Samuel 15 & 16

This is my favorite time of the Year – Easter is such a glorious time

Celebrating the Rez! As good as it gets

A) I also like this time of the year because something else happens that I really enjoy - March Madness

B) NCAA Basketball at it’s finest – Favorite teams – Cinderella teams

C) Well tonight we come to 2 Sam 15 – different kind of Madness going on! – David’s Family

Recap on the last few Chapters

1) 11-12 Bathsheba – Uriah { Sword will not depart

2) Ch.13 – Ammon rapes Tamar – Absalom Murders Ammon

Absalom flees and is gone several yrs

3) Ch.14 Absalom is allowed to return but David doesn’t meet with him for a couple of more yrs. Finally they meet –

4) Absalom is somewhat restored – He is able to move freely now in the Kingdom

Ch.15 – The Attempted Over throw! RD V.1

This was for show – not for speed - Look at me type of thing – Aren’t I important – Aren’t I cool – 50 Body guards

There are two types of people that I watch out for!

1) Those who accept praise easily.

2) Those who are eager to talk about themselves.

Absalom has both of these traits – Vile combination as he sets up his plan to overthrow his fathers kingdom. RD v.2-6

 

Preacher and Choir Director

That was pretty bold – that is not the tactic that Absalom incorporates – His was much more subtle – but just as deadly.

A) There are 4 traits that I want to point out here that Absalom portrays that are typical in this type of situation – {Division & Overthrow

#1 Absalom was Cunning and Crafty – v.2a

He made a point to rise early in the morning and to put himself in the right place to appear available for the people.

#2 He appeared concerned. V. 2b

He would call out to the people Hey where are you from what is your problem.

#3 He presented himself as being capable. V. 3-4

He would say – It is to bad that the king is so busy and can’t meet with you and it is a shame he doesn’t have a deputy counselor person to listen to these complaints.

But Hey I am here – I can help I will listen!

That is always the first step toward division and overthrow – it can appear very subtle! – come across Concerned / Capable -

#4 He came across as Caring V.5

He was affectionate he would kiss their hand!

B) RESULT: Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. David won the peoples hearts with Sacrifice & Service – Absalom did it the easy way – modern way – Manufacturing an image of himself that people could resist

C) Absalom’s tactics were calculated – he knew exactly what he was doing – he planned it. It was a perfect plan.

1) But I have seen people fall into this type of thing – very subtlety

It starts with hearing a complaint against someone else

You are a good listener! –

A) It is so easy to talk to him/ her!

B) You start to hear things – you shouldn’t be hearing – advice

1) I have seen people create quite a following this way – when it wasn’t there intention at all – PRIDE SETS IN.

C) They start to think like Absalom – that they really have it together

1) They have so much to offer.

Listen if you are one who others in the Church or in your group or at your work love to run to and share their complaints

A) You are doing something wrong!

B) You are giving off some type of signal that – I will listen to ANYTHING - not right especially in the Church.

1) Gossip!

C) Always 2 sides to a Story!

One of the weirdest things that I encounter is – there are times when someone from another Church wants to talk to me to complain about their Pastor - { Very Careful – usually stop them – Need to go to them

1 Tim 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

That is something that people don’t practice much at all these days – sad

D) So sometimes people can stumble into this type of situation where suddenly they have a following and are being encouraged to lead a revolt

E) But that was not the case with Absalom – His was a Cool Calculated plan! We see it further unfold RD V. 7-12

Absalom’s corrupt heart is shown; he commits treason under the

guise of worship: then I will serve the Lord

A) Ironically, David’s last words to Absalom are go in peace; and

Absalom goes off to plot the overthrow of David’s government.

B) Now Absalom does two more things here that are common in this type of situation –

1) He takes a crowd – 200 men – who are clueless to Absalom’s intentions but soon won’t be

C) No doubt Absalom felt that these were men that he thought he could influence – that he had made a good impression on.

D) So that was the first thing he did – the 2nd was He connected himself with a bitter ally. Ahithophel – David’s most trusted and wise advisor.

E) Ahithophel was also the grandfather of Bathsheba and no doubt was embittered by what happened to her and Uriah.

F) When you can find a bitter ally it is like adding fuel to a fire! That is exactly what Ahithophel will become in this scenario { RD V. 13-18

 

Now here we see the difference between David and Absalom

A) David acts in the best interest of the people – He leaves – rather than put Jerusalem through a battle and power struggle

B) Absalom acts in the best interest of himself – What was going to further his cause

C) See whenever you do that there is always collateral damage involved

1) But rarely does the person in Absalom’s shoes take that into consideration.

D) However David being that true Shepherd that He was does! RD V.19-23

Ittai was probably one of the high ranking generals of the Philistines, from the city of Gath, who probably had gotten into trouble in Gath,

A) Some believe that Ittai admired David during his stay w/ the Philistines

B) So, he came to David, as an exile. He was a stranger and he had just arrived the day before.

1) So he comes out to go with David, and David says "Hey man, you know you just arrived.

C) There’s no sense you going and putting yourself with us. You know, what we are facing, we don’t even know where we’re going man!

1) It’s gonna be a hazard going with us. You ought to go back and just join with the king.

V.21 But Ittai answered the king and said,"As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be."

D) So swearing by the Lord, and by the life of King David, he pledged his undying obedience to David.

1) "I’ll be with you in death or life.

E) Wherever you are, that’s where I’m going to be." Tremendous commitment, friendship, commitment of love!

I love this about Ittai – not stopping to access the situation – see how it bodes for him – Doesn’t want the facts to see if David deserved this

A) He just commits to stand by David! –

B) So Ittai as well as 600 men who had followed David from Gath – in other words they were his friends before he became King

1) It is usually the people who stuck with you before you became successful who will stick with you when your success is falling apart.

C) That is the case here with Ittai and these others! RD V.24-31

David weeps over this situation: Tozer – " the Bible was written in tears and to tears it will yield the best treasures"

A) Now Probably one of the things that hurt David deeply was hearing that his trusted friend and advisor Ahithophel had betrayed him

B) Psalm 55 Supports this premise – written during this time

Ps 55:1-5

Give ear to my prayer, O God,

And do not hide yourself from my supplication.

2 Attend to me, and hear me;

I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,

3 Because of the voice of the enemy,

Because of the oppression of the wicked;

For they bring down trouble upon me,

And in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is severely pained within me,

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,

And horror has overwhelmed me.

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;

Then I could bear it.

Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;

Then I could hide from him.

13 But it was you, a man my equal,

My companion and my acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together,

And walked to the house of God in the throng.

B) Again in Psalm 41 speaking of Ahithophel David says:

9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,

Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

C) This hurt David deeply – That type of betrayal from a friend is probably the closet thing to adultery one can face

1) Takes a person by such surprise – that it is sometimes very hard to recover from – trust is broken – hard to get it back

So what do you do when you experience that type of Betrayal?

A) Here is what you don’t do? – Speaking from experience – Don’t analyze why? Probably won’t find a valid answer

B) Don’t try question and figure out the rational in their actions –

99% of the time – someone is acting in the flesh –

1) It is just Sin and the flesh – Pride – and Selfish ambition –

C) Don’t do those things – So what should you do?

Answer is do what David did! – Pray and Worship

V.31 He Prays that God would turn the Counsel of God into Foolishness

V.32 He worships –

32 Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God

2 Cor 1:8-10

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us

D) Not trusting in ourselves – but trusting in the Lord {So Key

1) Listen in myself I do not have what it takes to deal with that type of betrayal – my flesh wants to lash out / revenge / it wants to cut off

E) But I trust in the Lord – Two biggest ways: Pray and Worship!

Now there is one thing better than answered prayer and that is being an answer to prayer! V.32

there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.

David sees another good friend – Who is there ready to Help

RD v. 33-37

So Hushai is going to go into Jerusalem and present himself to Absalom but in reality he is going to be David’s Spy

 

Ch.16:1-4

Whenever this sort of thing occurs you can always count on people to come out of the woodwork to seize the opportunity for advancement.

A) Ziba is an example of this – He tells a bold face lie about Meph in order to further himself in the eyes of David.

B) Problem is lies always catch up to you – see later this one does to Ziba

C) The sad thing here is that David believed it – which only added to his sorrows that Meph turned on him as well.

D) David makes a rash decision here – responding to his hurt – by giving Ziba all of Meph. Property

1) Rash decisions are never good decisions!

Prov 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears it,

It is folly and shame to him.

E) God’s leaders must constantly be on guard lest they make unwise decisions based on incomplete information.

1) Unfortunately David does that here.

Now not only are those who seek to profit personally like Ziba in these kind of situations –

A) There are also usually those who – see it as an opportunity to cast further hurt – and attack – the attacked. Shimei – RD V5-15

B) Now Shimei says that this calamity has come upon David because

David wiped out the house of Saul; but this is a false accusation.

1) The house of Saul had been laid waste, but not at David’s hand

C) Now David does not strike out against him; or allow Abaishi to but he receives adversity in humility. Why?

1) Most of the time our anger in adversity comes from the thought "I

deserve better"; BUT David knew that he didn’t.

2) David is willing to try and hear what God wants to say even

through a false accusation; { Take it to heart Examine – any part true or learn from

God may want so say something to us in such situations, even if it isn’t exactly what the accuser is saying

3) There was truth in Shimei’s accusations, but not in the way he meant them.

This calamity is coming upon David in part for his murder of Uriah, and he is now caught in his own evil

I think David is still feeling guilty over his sin. When Absalom rebelled, he remembered no doubt, the words of Nathan, that, "The sword would not depart from his house".

A) That was Part of the tragic consequences of David’s sin. He’s still reaping them.

 

 

B) So David is not striking out in his own defense. He’s just accepting everything that comes. "Maybe it’s of God, I don’t know.

1) But I’m not gonna defend myself." And so, he restrained Abishai from going over and taking care of Shimei.


C) What Happens next is also the fulfillment of Nathan’s Prophecy

RD V. 15-23

 

So Ahithophel basically advises Absalom to "burn all his bridges"; to eliminate the possibility of reconciliation with his father

A) To take the king’s concubines was not only an act of immorality, it was high treason

B) The advice makes sense from the self-interest of Ahithophel; he has the most to lose if David and Absalom reconcile

C) God had promised thru Nathan David I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in

the sight of the sun. For you did it (adultery with Bathsheba)

secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun

(2 Samuel 12:11-12)

D) We often rejoice in the faithfulness of God in keeping His promises;

1) we would do well to consider how faithfully He also keeps His promises of judgment

E) Ahithophel had a well-deserved reputation for giving counsel

almost as good as God; but God answered David’s prayer (2 Samuel 15:31) by prompting Ahithophel to give (and Absalom to take) this foolish counsel

F) See Absalom can never establish his kingdom through immorality; he is wise about raw political power, but ignorant of God’s hand

 

Sin Stinks = Seductress – who turns into a Psychopath

Princess who in reality is the wicked Witch!