2 Samuel 18:1-9 – Absalom: The Man Who Would Be King
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 war in Israel. 20,000 people are killed. But we’re hardly told anything about it. What the chapter seems to want us to focus on are the two leaders: Absalom and David.
Absalom’s attempt to become king has been a long time in the planning. Back in chapter 14 we saw how he weaselled his way back to Israel and then into David’s presence. One step at a time. Then in chapter 15 we saw how he stole the hearts of the men of Israel. Slowly, deliberately, he turned the hearts of the nation towards him over the course of years. In chapter 16 David has had to flee Jerusalem, and gets out just before Absalom enters. Then in chapter 17, it takes the crucial intervention of Hushai – Absalom’s advisor who is secretly working for David – to delay things enough so that David can prepare to fight. Now in chapter 18, battle commences. And before we’re even half-way through the chapter, Absalom is killed. All that build up, all that planning, all that momentum. His victory had looked inevitable. But a ‘chance’ meeting with some of David’s soldiers, an attempt to flee, his head stuck in a tree, and that’s pretty much that. It’s amazing how quickly things can change. All those years of planning, the charm offensive, the campaign, the misinformation. It all worked – for a while. But then he ran head on into reality. The reality being that God had promised that David’s throne would flourish, that he would build David a house – a kingdom.
We live in a world where people are suppressing the truth. But they can only do that for so long. One day, they’ll have to stop pretending and come face to face with reality. It can seem like things are moving inevitably and irreversibly in one direction. But God can stop it just like that. So don’t panic when you see things moving apparently unstoppably in the wrong direction. Because God can stop the apparently unstoppable, and he can do it in an instant.
Question
- How quickly does God turn the situation around here?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that God can change things in an instant.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.