This Makes the Kardashians Look Normal

2 Samuel 15

We saw in chapter 14 that David’s son Absalom was exiled from Jerusalem for many years after killing his half-brother Amnon for raping Absalom’s sister, Tamar (who was also the half-sister of Amnon). Yikes, this would make a very interesting reality TV show. It makes the Kardashians look (almost) normal. Joab, David’s right hand man, was in the reconciliation business and he brokered a reunion of David and Absalom.  David kissed Absalom signifying full restoration of Absalom back into David’s family and kingdom.

When a loved one stabs you in the back

So, you would think that things are back to normal and perhaps the consequences of David’s sin were waning. Not so. Absalom gave the appearance that that he wanted restoration with his father for love and reconciliation purposes. It turns out that Absalom’s heart was filled with deceit and hungered for power. He used his own cunning wit along with exploiting his father’s trust to turn the hearts of the people away from David and toward him. Verse 6 says, “…so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.”

Sheep in wolves clothing

In this chapter, Absalom is described as one who would endear the heart of the person before him through kindness and gracious words but, it was simply a tactic to achieve his own deceitful end. We’ve all encountered people such as this. It makes us weary, untrusting and vigilant to protect ourselves. That is an understandable response, but David gives us a better response.

First response

When David hears that the hearts of the people are with Absalom, he gathers his family and his servants, and they flee Jerusalem. Rather than turning his heart toward anger and revenge (as many of us would do), he turns to God. This is the critical moment of truth that we all face when dealing with people who disappoint us, abandon us and turn on us. Do we immediately focus on our response, our counter-scheme, our revenge? OR do we look upward toward God to seek His counsel and His guidance? It’s a critical moment of truth whenever we face a challenging situation such a betrayal and disappointment.

Here I am 

When David fled, he took the ark of the covenant with him. It seems that after he took the immediate action to protect himself, his family and servants, he then reflected and realized that this situation is not about Absalom’s control but it’s all in God’s hands. So, David said to his servants, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back again…but if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ (then I will say) behold, here I am. Let Him (God) do to me as seems good to Him.” WOW! David’s first response is not a counter-attack. His first response is surrender to God’s will, WHATEVER IT IS, and to say to God, ‘here I am, your servant.’

God, you’ve got this one

David goes to the Mount of Olives where he weeps and prays to his Sovereign God. He then emerges and God starts to guide him in His plan against Absalom. Lord, we acknowledge with our lips that You are Sovereign, but we don’t always live it. We are consumed with the things of this world. We harbor attitudes of revenge, fear and self-protection as if we are alone in this world to deal with it ourselves. You are our God. We are your servants. Here I am, I am yours! Amen.