II Samuel 16:15-18
“The Rise & Fall Of Absalom” • 4.15.08 • Autonomy, Authority And The Man Of God, Session# 28
Intro.
- David is getting out of Jerusalem at about the same time that Absalom, his son is coming in.
- Absalom is aided by David’s former chief counselor Ahithophel, but is also infiltrated by David’s double agent Hushai. Absalom believes that Hushai has genuinely defected.
- Ahithophel is still holding court though and counsels Absalom into a despicable act.
• II Samuel 16:20-22 : “Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, ‘Give advice as to what we should do.’ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.’ So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.”
- Ahithophel then counseled Absalom to allow him to run after David while they were weak.
- This would have been the death knell for David. This is when Hushai stepped in and played his part in the counter-conspiracy. He proposed that if Israel went, that it would be at a disadvantage.
- David, after all, had been there before and was likely to win. The logic won over Absalom.
• II Samuel 17:14 : “So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.”
- When Hushai saw that his counsel was followed, he sent word through David’s spy network.
- David and his people crossed over the Jordan river and Israel, led by Absalom, camped in Gilead, setting up the imminent conflict. David’s three companies were given these instructions.
• II Samuel 18:5 : “Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.”
- The word was clear, but when the battle turned ill against Absalom, Joab was the first to contradict David’s orders. Absalom was stuck in a tree, most people believe hanging by his own hair.
- Joab then called for the murder of Absalom. News comes to David.
• II Samuel 18:32,33 : “And the king said to the Cushite, ‘Is the young man Absalom safe?’ So the Cushite answered, ‘May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!’ Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ‘O my son Absalom--my son, my son Absalom--if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!’”
- As always, I recommend you read the entire three chapters that I have just synopsized. In them I believe that we can learn some lessons that will help us to understand what Absalom did not.
- Authority desired is the issue before us and we must learn what Absalom learned about it’s acquisition. We may not yearn to be the King, but authority in this life, to live out our roles before the Lord is elemental. Here are the lessons that Absalom learned, the hard way.
• II Samuel 14:25,26 : “Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head--at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him--when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king's standard.”
- We have also noted his sympathetic ear, when he stood at the gate and told the people who had been disillusioned or disenfranchised, that if he were King, then things for them would be different.
• II Samuel 15:6 : “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.”
- Now we watch him come, first, with all the people. Absalom’s popularity had soared. The people saw in him both power and empathy. He was a man of the people.
- Note secondly, the men of Israel had been swayed to following Absalom.
- If we have a sense in our reading of the scripture, that David has lost a step of two from those early years, imagine what the men of Israel witnessed.
- A man that no longer goes out to war and who involves himself in illicit affairs. The men are likely ready for a new leader.
- Absalom has the people, the popularity and the pundits on his side. Ahithophel was no ordinary, run of the mill counselor. His presence with Absalom was a major coup in and of itself.
- II Samuel 16:23 notes that Ahithophel was a remarkably gifted counselor.
- The problem is that while God has used Absalom’s rebellion to chasten David, he never annointed Absalom to be His King over His people.
- Not once do you see Absalom confirmed by a prophet, or annointed for service.
• Psalm 113:5-8 : “Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, That He may seat him with princes - With the princes of His people.”
- It is God’s design to give authority to the believer, an annointing by which that brother or sister, exerts His influence, and extols His agenda on the earth.
- You cannot decide today to just do anything. Be wise and ask the Lord to reveal where He has chosen to give you authority. But realize that no matter your gifting, and how earnestly you believe yourself capable, you will never be able to take another man’s place by simple will.
- Ahithophel’s advice was cruel toward the concubines that David had left in the house after he left Jerusalem. He was willing to advise another man to abuse women. He was willing that another would suffer if it carried out his plan against David.
- Sure, one can see the political reason to make such a move. If Absalom carried out Ahithophel’s counsel, he would not just cut off the possibility of reconciliation with David, but he would also fuel the fire of the men against David.
- That being the case Ahithophel’s advice was godless and likely motivated by bitterness against David.
- There are always men like this, who in their cruelty and godlessness, put the political expediency over the Spiritual correctness of any situation.
- Every man of authority has that voice in his life, either in the form of a real man or our own vindictive flesh life.
- The issue here is that Absalom follows this advice and in the sight of everyone, rapes David’s harem! His actions show that Absalom had no heart for God or His righteousness.
˚ “Every part of the conduct of Absalom shows him to have been a most profligate young man; he was proud, vindictive, adulterous, incestuous, a parricide, and in fine, reprobate to every good word and work.”
- Can God bless a marriage that is not faithfully attended to by both man and wife?
- Can God give you a ministry if you have undermined and cajoled your way there?
- God’s authority must be given, in God’s time, employing God’s method, every time!
• II Samuel 18:6-8 : “So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.” - Even though David had thousands of people on his side, he was still vastly outnumbered by Absalom’s forces.
- Positionally, Absalom had the advantage, having come from Jerusalem, forcing David’s men into the wilderness.
- But all the advantages turned to deficits, as God had disciplined David, but had not ceded his authority by any means.
- The Bible shows us that David’s men slaughtered twenty thousand of the insurrectionists.
- This was not unusual, as David’s men were mighty men, having fought alongside David during all the years that he fled from Saul.
- But that is not the point of significance here. Based on pure numbers, positional advantage, Absalom and his forces should have prevailed.
- That did not happen. Absalom lost, not because of the war waged by David and his servants, but because God was against Absalom and his reign. Look again at verse 8, especially the last phrase. “And the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured!”
- Let’s talk about the natural occurrences that this might be speaking of. Israel fled into the woods at the sight of David’s men. Perhaps they fell into pits or cave openings.
- It’s possible that when they fled, they became disoriented and came out only to be met with David’s men who killed them. Another explanation might have been that in fleeing into the woods, they became tripped up and David’s men simply caught up with them and killed them.
- A final, natural explanation is provided for us in the Syriac version of the Bible. This ancient version of the Bible offers the explanation that wild beasts devoured Absalom’s men.
- Let me offer another suggestion: GOD! The Lord used the elements at hand and delivered His man from the hands of the oppressor!
- This would not be the first time that the Lord did something like this. He used the Red Sea to deliver Moses from the Pharoah and his forces.
• Exodus 15:9-12 : “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with Your wind, The sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them.”
- When Joshua was left to face the Amorites, again the Lord fought for them.
• Joshua 10:8-11 : “And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.’ Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.”
- There are so many stories like this in the Old Testament and so many in the lives of believers lives today.
- This should be a comfort for any of you who think that there is no way that God can deliver you. He has all of nature at His disposal and if He wants something to be sustained in your life, He will do it!
- But to the one who believes that he can trust in his own creativity, the number of his strength, the power of his own ingenuity, will find himself like Absalom: Defeated and running to his own ruin.
- Authority cannot be sustained in the power of my flesh. Ministry cannot be maintained in the flesh. Only the power of the Lord can sustain the power that we need to operate spiritually. Why?
- God will not share His glory with another. Each of us will always be a testimony to His greatness, never our own.
Conclusion
- As we come to the end of this section, we will be wise to understand that God has an intention to authorize us to represent Him in this world in one way or another.
- He must give that authority. And to whom that authority is given, there is the need to appropriate that privilege in a godly way.
- To that man who is faithful, God’s power will sustain Him and make Him fruitful in the things that He calls him into. People like Absalom however, have no such hope.
“The Rise & Fall Of Absalom” • 4.15.08 • Autonomy, Authority And The Man Of God, Session# 28
Intro.
- David is getting out of Jerusalem at about the same time that Absalom, his son is coming in.
- Absalom is aided by David’s former chief counselor Ahithophel, but is also infiltrated by David’s double agent Hushai. Absalom believes that Hushai has genuinely defected.
- Ahithophel is still holding court though and counsels Absalom into a despicable act.
• II Samuel 16:20-22 : “Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, ‘Give advice as to what we should do.’ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.’ So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.”
- Ahithophel then counseled Absalom to allow him to run after David while they were weak.
- This would have been the death knell for David. This is when Hushai stepped in and played his part in the counter-conspiracy. He proposed that if Israel went, that it would be at a disadvantage.
- David, after all, had been there before and was likely to win. The logic won over Absalom.
• II Samuel 17:14 : “So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.”
- When Hushai saw that his counsel was followed, he sent word through David’s spy network.
- David and his people crossed over the Jordan river and Israel, led by Absalom, camped in Gilead, setting up the imminent conflict. David’s three companies were given these instructions.
• II Samuel 18:5 : “Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.”
- The word was clear, but when the battle turned ill against Absalom, Joab was the first to contradict David’s orders. Absalom was stuck in a tree, most people believe hanging by his own hair.
- Joab then called for the murder of Absalom. News comes to David.
• II Samuel 18:32,33 : “And the king said to the Cushite, ‘Is the young man Absalom safe?’ So the Cushite answered, ‘May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!’ Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ‘O my son Absalom--my son, my son Absalom--if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!’”
- As always, I recommend you read the entire three chapters that I have just synopsized. In them I believe that we can learn some lessons that will help us to understand what Absalom did not.
- Authority desired is the issue before us and we must learn what Absalom learned about it’s acquisition. We may not yearn to be the King, but authority in this life, to live out our roles before the Lord is elemental. Here are the lessons that Absalom learned, the hard way.
I. Authority Cannot Be Taken; It Must Be Given
II. Authority Cannot Be Built On Wickedness; It Must Be Lived In Holiness
III. Authority Cannot Be Sustained In The Flesh; It Must Be Fueled In The Lord
TextII. Authority Cannot Be Built On Wickedness; It Must Be Lived In Holiness
III. Authority Cannot Be Sustained In The Flesh; It Must Be Fueled In The Lord
I. Authority Cannot Be Taken; It Must Be Given
• II Samuel 16:15 : “Meanwhile Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was with him.” : Absalom has all the right stuff, that intangible that the world’s leaders have. The Bible makes a point to note his looks. • II Samuel 14:25,26 : “Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head--at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him--when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king's standard.”
- We have also noted his sympathetic ear, when he stood at the gate and told the people who had been disillusioned or disenfranchised, that if he were King, then things for them would be different.
• II Samuel 15:6 : “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.”
- Now we watch him come, first, with all the people. Absalom’s popularity had soared. The people saw in him both power and empathy. He was a man of the people.
- Note secondly, the men of Israel had been swayed to following Absalom.
- If we have a sense in our reading of the scripture, that David has lost a step of two from those early years, imagine what the men of Israel witnessed.
- A man that no longer goes out to war and who involves himself in illicit affairs. The men are likely ready for a new leader.
- Absalom has the people, the popularity and the pundits on his side. Ahithophel was no ordinary, run of the mill counselor. His presence with Absalom was a major coup in and of itself.
- II Samuel 16:23 notes that Ahithophel was a remarkably gifted counselor.
- The problem is that while God has used Absalom’s rebellion to chasten David, he never annointed Absalom to be His King over His people.
- Not once do you see Absalom confirmed by a prophet, or annointed for service.
• Psalm 113:5-8 : “Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, That He may seat him with princes - With the princes of His people.”
- It is God’s design to give authority to the believer, an annointing by which that brother or sister, exerts His influence, and extols His agenda on the earth.
- You cannot decide today to just do anything. Be wise and ask the Lord to reveal where He has chosen to give you authority. But realize that no matter your gifting, and how earnestly you believe yourself capable, you will never be able to take another man’s place by simple will.
II. Authority Cannot Be Built On Wickedness; It Must Be Lived In Holiness
• II Samuel 16:20-22 : “Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, ‘Give advice as to what we should do.’ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.’ So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.” : Absalom, in his first act of public office, defers to Ahithophel, who we discovered last time, was the grandfather of Bath-Sheba. As a result, we might infer from his counsel, that Ahithophel was thinking about retribution.- Ahithophel’s advice was cruel toward the concubines that David had left in the house after he left Jerusalem. He was willing to advise another man to abuse women. He was willing that another would suffer if it carried out his plan against David.
- Sure, one can see the political reason to make such a move. If Absalom carried out Ahithophel’s counsel, he would not just cut off the possibility of reconciliation with David, but he would also fuel the fire of the men against David.
- That being the case Ahithophel’s advice was godless and likely motivated by bitterness against David.
- There are always men like this, who in their cruelty and godlessness, put the political expediency over the Spiritual correctness of any situation.
- Every man of authority has that voice in his life, either in the form of a real man or our own vindictive flesh life.
- The issue here is that Absalom follows this advice and in the sight of everyone, rapes David’s harem! His actions show that Absalom had no heart for God or His righteousness.
˚ “Every part of the conduct of Absalom shows him to have been a most profligate young man; he was proud, vindictive, adulterous, incestuous, a parricide, and in fine, reprobate to every good word and work.”
John Clarke
- Can anything that God wants to exercise in our life, be built upon principles that are directly opposite of His character? Can God bless a man who proposes to be promoted based on lies?- Can God bless a marriage that is not faithfully attended to by both man and wife?
- Can God give you a ministry if you have undermined and cajoled your way there?
- God’s authority must be given, in God’s time, employing God’s method, every time!
III. Authority Cannot Be Sustained In The Flesh; It Must Be Fueled In The Lord
• II Samuel 18:6-8 : “So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.” - Even though David had thousands of people on his side, he was still vastly outnumbered by Absalom’s forces.
- Positionally, Absalom had the advantage, having come from Jerusalem, forcing David’s men into the wilderness.
- But all the advantages turned to deficits, as God had disciplined David, but had not ceded his authority by any means.
- The Bible shows us that David’s men slaughtered twenty thousand of the insurrectionists.
- This was not unusual, as David’s men were mighty men, having fought alongside David during all the years that he fled from Saul.
- But that is not the point of significance here. Based on pure numbers, positional advantage, Absalom and his forces should have prevailed.
- That did not happen. Absalom lost, not because of the war waged by David and his servants, but because God was against Absalom and his reign. Look again at verse 8, especially the last phrase. “And the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured!”
- Let’s talk about the natural occurrences that this might be speaking of. Israel fled into the woods at the sight of David’s men. Perhaps they fell into pits or cave openings.
- It’s possible that when they fled, they became disoriented and came out only to be met with David’s men who killed them. Another explanation might have been that in fleeing into the woods, they became tripped up and David’s men simply caught up with them and killed them.
- A final, natural explanation is provided for us in the Syriac version of the Bible. This ancient version of the Bible offers the explanation that wild beasts devoured Absalom’s men.
- Let me offer another suggestion: GOD! The Lord used the elements at hand and delivered His man from the hands of the oppressor!
- This would not be the first time that the Lord did something like this. He used the Red Sea to deliver Moses from the Pharoah and his forces.
• Exodus 15:9-12 : “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them.’ You blew with Your wind, The sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them.”
- When Joshua was left to face the Amorites, again the Lord fought for them.
• Joshua 10:8-11 : “And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.’ Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.”
- There are so many stories like this in the Old Testament and so many in the lives of believers lives today.
- This should be a comfort for any of you who think that there is no way that God can deliver you. He has all of nature at His disposal and if He wants something to be sustained in your life, He will do it!
- But to the one who believes that he can trust in his own creativity, the number of his strength, the power of his own ingenuity, will find himself like Absalom: Defeated and running to his own ruin.
- Authority cannot be sustained in the power of my flesh. Ministry cannot be maintained in the flesh. Only the power of the Lord can sustain the power that we need to operate spiritually. Why?
- God will not share His glory with another. Each of us will always be a testimony to His greatness, never our own.
Conclusion
- As we come to the end of this section, we will be wise to understand that God has an intention to authorize us to represent Him in this world in one way or another.
- He must give that authority. And to whom that authority is given, there is the need to appropriate that privilege in a godly way.
- To that man who is faithful, God’s power will sustain Him and make Him fruitful in the things that He calls him into. People like Absalom however, have no such hope.
1 comment:
1 Absalom attempted to seize authority from David by force. Spiritual authority, ministry or position can only be given by God. How are people guilty of the same thing today? What are some “forceful” methods that men use today in order to gain spiritual authority or ministry?
2 Absalom built his ruling days on the foundation of wickedness. What ungodly or wicked methods have you seen or even used to bring about a good end? Consider family, marriage, work or church examples that can be shared with each other.
3 Absalom learned that authority gained in the power of the flesh, would then have to be sustained in his flesh. Anything begun in our flesh must be maintained in the power of our flesh. Share with each other times when you saw this principle at work in your life, in areas of ministry or in the roles that God has placed you in.
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