2 Samuel 15:1-6 Fickle!

 ”After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.” Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.” Moreover Absalom would say, “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 so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him: This means that Absalom did not want the chariot for speed, but to make an impressive procession. This was Absalom the politician, sensing what the people wanted and knowing how to give them the image of it.

i. Samuel – who anointed Absalom’s father as king – was a judge, leader and prophet in Israel. Yet Samuel never went around with horses and chariots and an entourage. Samuel traveled on foot – and as a man, Absalom wasn’t worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as Samuel.

b. Whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision: Ancient kings were more than the heads of government, they were also the “supreme court” of their kingdom. If someone believed that a local court did not give them justice, they then appealed to the court of the king, where the king or a representative of the king heard their case.

c. Your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you: Absalom stirred up dissatisfaction with David’s government and campaigned against David by promising to provide justice that David (supposedly) denied the people.

d. Oh, that I were made judge in the land…I would give him justice: Absalom had reason to be disillusioned with David’s administration of justice. When Amnon raped Tamar, David did nothing. When Absalom did something about it, David banished Absalom and kept him at a distance even when he came back.

e. Whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him: Absalom was skilled at projecting a “man of the people” image. In an obvious display, he wouldn’t let others bow down to him but would lift them up, shake their hand, and embrace them.

i. From what we know of Absalom, we can guess that he really didn’t consider himself a “man of the people” at all. He regularly acted as if he was above others and the laws that applied to others didn’t apply to him. He knew he was better looking, better connected, better off, and had better political instincts than almost anyone. But these political instincts made Absalom aware that he had to create the image of a man of the people.

ii. In ancient Israel they were too easily impressed by image and too slow to see or appreciate the reality behind the image. Since the days of ancient Israel, we have only become more impressed by image over reality.

iii. “Absalom appeared to be the real and was the undisputed heir to the throne; David could not, in the course of nature, live very long; and most people are more disposed to hail the beams of the rising, than exult in those of the setting, sun.” (Clarke)

f. Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel: Absalom’s cunning campaign worked. He became more popular and more trusted than David.

i. Absalom knew exactly how to do this.

· He carefully cultivated an exciting, enticing image (chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him).

· He worked hard (Absalom would rise 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 (Absalom would call to him).

· He took a personal interest in the troubled person (What city are you from?).

· He sympathized with the person (your case is good and right).

· He never attacked David directly (no deputy of the king to hear you).

· He left the troubled person more troubled (no deputy of the king to hear you).

· Without directly attacking David, Absalom 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.)

ii. Absalom’s clever approach made him able to subvert and divide David’s kingdom without saying any specific thing that could condemn him. If someone objected Absalom would simply say, “Tell me one specific thing that I have said or done.” In fact, Absalom could do all this and say, “I’m helpingDavid to deal with all this discontent.” In fact, Absalom was promoting discontent.

iii. David was Israel’s greatest king – and Israel became dissatisfied with him and let a wicked, amoral man steal their hearts. There are many reasons why this happened.

· David was getting older.

· David’s sins diminished his standing.

· People like change and Absalom was exciting.

· Absalom was very skilled and cunning.

· David had to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings, and be rejected like the Son of David would later be rejected. (Guzik)

iv. “Behold a king, the greatest that ever lived, a profound politician, an able general, a brave soldier, a poet of the most sublime genius and character, a prophet of the Most High God, and the deliverer of his country, driven from his dominions by his own son, abandoned by his fickle people.” (Clarke)

v. We might say that Absalom’s greatest sin was impatience. Absalom “seemed to stand nearest to the throne; but his sin was, that he sought it during his father’s life, and endeavoured to dethrone him in order to sit in his stead.” (Clarke)

Fickle!

King David was abandoned by his fickle people! But look at Guzik’s comment again!

“David had to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings, and be rejected like the Son of David (Jesus) would later be rejected.” (Guzik)

This was happening because of David’s sin with Bathsheba!

Samuel’s prophecy is coming to fruition!

Why are people so fickle?

Blessings