One minute Absalom is on his mule, the next minute the mule is still running but with no rider on his back. It seems like a total fluke. But then we remember that in the words of Deuteronomy, ‘a hanged man is cursed by God’. Or as Paul quotes it in Galatians: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a […]

As is the case throughout the story of Absalom, God doesn’t intervene dramatically. Absalom isn’t struck by lightning. There’s just a ‘chance’ meeting in v9. Absalom ‘happened’ to meet the servants of David. But of course, God is overruling it all. Absalom doubtless tries to get away, and suddenly his head is caught fast in an oak tree. Now it […]

In this chapter we have a civil war. Some people want Absalom to be king of Israel instead of David, and other people want David to stay king. This war is only going to end when either Absalom or David are killed. But when it comes to the decisive battle, it’s covered in only 3 verses (verses 6-8). It’s civil […]