and 614 Warehouse Toronto 230 pm service, Aug 20, 2017
by Captain Michael Ramsay
We have been studying covenant lately through our sermons and our Bible studies. We have discovered particularly through 2 Samuel so far how well one’s life can go when one is walking in a proper covenant with the Lord.
Today I have come with a story: A story from a long time ago in a place far, far away. The time is about 3000 years ago and the place is the land of ancient Israel and in this story no one is walking in a proper covenant with the LORD.
“Taking Matters in His Own Hands: the Story of Prince Absalom.”[1]
Chapter One: the Son of the King.
This story is about a young man by the name of Absalom. Now Absalom isn’t just any ordinary young man. He is a beautiful man. All the features that the people of his day love including the long following hair. And he has a gift. He has a silver tongue, he does, and he can tell you just exactly what you think you need to hear.
Absolam is a prince but this Prince Absalom isn’t just any prince, he is the son of King David. One of the most powerful kings that Israel would ever have and the founder of a dynasty that would last –well – with the advent of Christ, ultimately forever. Prince Absalom’s dad, the king, was a man after God’s own heart. God loved him and in his early days he followed the Lord religiously, in his early days sought the Lord’s council in everything he did, in his early days he was walking in a strong relationship with the Lord.
But Prince Absalom wasn’t born in these early days – he wasn’t born until after David was already made King of Judah but he must have heard the stories when he was growing up. He must have heard the stories about how his father and his cousins (Aunt Zeruiah’s kids – Joab, Abishai and Asahel) how they lived there life on the edge for a long time fighting as mercenaries and committing all sorts of heroic acts. He must have heard about how David was anointed as a young shepherd boy and then rose to be King of this Kingdom. He must have heard the stories about how his dad had slain the giant Goliath and about how he was victorious in the civil war.
He must have heard all of these stories when he was young and I imagine these stories would be almost all that Prince Absalom would have of his father as his mother (who herself was the daughter of the king of Geshur) tucked him in at the night. His dad, in Absalom’s early years, was always off at work fighting wars alongside his cousins and the other ‘mighty men’ – away pursuing the foe while Absalom and his brothers grew up at home. The King was a busy man.
Chapter 2: Dad Comes Home.
It is too bad that Prince Absalom probably didn’t get to see too much of his dad in his early days but as Absalom got older, the King took his job closer to home. Some would say too close to home and some would say that he wasn’t taking the job too seriously either. Prince Absalom at this time would see his cousins bail his father out on a couple of occasions as his dad, at times, doesn’t even bother to rise from his couch until late in the day.
Absalom would hear the stories of his father’s heroics from a time when he wasn’t around but when his dad comes home, Prince Absalom would see quite a different King than that. He would see a man who takes matters into his own hands instead of relying on the Lord.
I don’t imagine it was too well hidden from Absalom, his sister Tamar, or his older half-brother Amnon, the affair that David had with Bathsheba right in their own home. Remember that? David wants Bathsheba, so instead of consulting the Lord, he takes matters into his own hands.
The princes were probably in the palace when the king had their neighbour’s wife brought to him so he could sleep with her and then they would’ve certainly learned about how his attempts to cover up this act resulted in the murder of Uriah and the deaths of many others. They would see David taking matters into his own hands instead of relying on the Lord.
Is it any wonder that when Absalom’s brother decides that he is in love with Absalom’s sister, that Absalom’s friend tells Amnon to rape her. Amnon then takes matters into his own hands and rapes Prince Absalom’s sister. This isn’t too different from dear ol’ dad now is it?
Absalom loves his sister. He loves her so much that he even names his own daughter after her. Absalom loves his sister so much and even though he tells her not to take this abuse to heart, he himself refuses to talk to Amnon for years and the King, his father; and the King, Amnon’s father; and the King, Tamar’s father, and the King does nothing…you see the time where the books of Samuel mention that David turns to the Lord for council have passed and are yet to come but they are not here. David is now taking matters into his own hands. He sons see this.
Can you imagine? Your half-brother rapes your sister and your father does nothing about it for two whole years and continuing. Well, I guess it might not seem too much of a stretch since Bathsheba, the lady with whom David had the affair, is still living in the same house with the King and Absalom’s mother.
One day though Absalom has had enough. He takes matters into his own hands. He was biding his time and his time comes. He has a plan. He invites all his brothers to a big work party. They have this great feast and Amnon, whom he hasn’t spoken to for two years is getting drunk and Absalom commands his servants – in a way sort of like his dad did with Uriah – Absalom orders his servants to kill his brother. When no one else would, Absalom takes matters into his own hands and Absalom kills the man who raped his sister.
Now David loves Amnon, who had raped Tamar and who was both Absalom’s sister and David’s own daughter. He loves him and it doesn’t say that he ever punished him for the rape of Tamar. Absalom knows this and Prince Absalom flees after killing his brother whom the King loves.
Chapter 3: Absalom Comes Home.
Prince Absalom is living in exile (in his mother’s home town of Geshur) and now the King, who refused to help Absalom to deal with his brother. And now the King - after Absalom has murdered his own brother - And now The King, David, misses Absalom. Well, cousin Joab notices this and, taking matters into his own hands, he decides to convince David to bring Absalom home and since he misses him so much and David does. Again the scriptures say nothing about any of these men consulting the Lord in how they are trying to solve these problems at all. They are rather taking matters into their own hands.
Well now David has invited Absalom back to Jerusalem but he refuses to let him come back to stay at the palace. He is just fine having him around but – parents of adult kids will probably understand – it is time for him not to be under foot anymore.
This isn’t good enough for Absalom however. He figures, well, why did dad invite me back to town if he won’t let me stay with him in the palace; so, Absalom, taking matters into his own hands, comes up with a plan – he’ll ask cousin Joab. After all Joab helped him last time he needed something. So he sends for Joab but Joab doesn’t come. He sends for him again but Joab doesn’t come. So Absalom has an idea – he takes matters into his own hands and he has his men set Joab’s barley fields on fire.
Now cousin Joab is a soldier, a general, a fighter, and the leader of David’s armies and he comes and he is mad…but Absalom’s plan works for now – Joab, albeit angrily I imagine, helps to patch things up between Absalom and David – a father and son reunite but Joab, I’m sure, has not forgotten about his barley fields.
Well Joab may be unhappy but Prince Absalom has another idea. There is no mention of anyone turning to the Lord in these stories and I imagine that Absalom’s respect for his father - who was absent all the years he was growing up and who was what he was when he was home - I imagine his respect for his dad has hit a low tide right about now as everyone is taking matters into their own hands.
His respect for his dad may be at an all time low but Absalom is now back at home and Absalom is strutting his stuff. He is letting everyone know that he is a prince in the land. He cruises around all the days in a fancy chariot with fifty guys running around ahead of him. He is living it up and letting everyone know that he is a force to be dealt with in the Kingdom.
Chapter 4: On His Own Authority
Absalom returns home to the palace and is living it up and not only that…you see, one of a King’s jobs in these days, when he is not out fighting battles is to hear the complaints of the people. The King is also a Supreme Court judge, as it were.
Absalom notices some weaknesses in the way that his father is doing this job and he thinks he can do it better on his own. He heads down personally to meet people who are coming to see the King and when they go to bow and pay their respects to Prince Absalom, he grabs them and kisses them and tells them that he understands what they are going through.
He is like an opposition party heading into an election – “If I were the premier ruler, things would be different…” and just like when David was at war with Saul’s house and he became stronger all the time, now it is Absalom of whom they might be singing songs. It is Absalom who, on his own, is stealing the people’s hearts… and is he who has a plan.
Without any mention of consulting God, he goes to his father and asks, “Dad, can I go to Hebron…I have vow to take care of.” Now you see Hebron was where David was crowned King of Judah and Hebron was where David was crowned King of all Israel and Judah. Hebron was David’s first capital. David later abandoned it and made Jerusalem his capital and now Absalom asks permission to go to Hebron.
When Absalom gets there, they proclaim him king instead of his father! Absalom is a popular young man, he is a beautiful young man, and if the leaders of God’s people were chosen by general election, he would win a landslide. Support is flocking to him from his dad’s camp. Even one of David’s more popular cabinet ministers, as it were, cross the floor, his chief advisor, Ahithophel, whom everyone loves and respects, joins Absalom. Maybe things are going well in Israel, maybe they aren’t but David has been in power for many (even more than 16) years and in many people’s eyes it is just time for a change. Absalom is forming government.
David is vacating the capital as quickly as he can. If there were shredders in those days, they would be a buzzing. There isn’t a lot of time to leave. He is being outmanoeuvred by the opposition but as he is leaving something happens…
Chapter 5: The Return.
As David is fleeing, it says in the scriptures, 15 verse 31, it says David prays. David prays. In our story today there has been no mention of people seeking the Lord’s direction. No mention at all. Not Absalom, not Amnon, not Joab nor Tamar, and not even King David who was a man after God’s own heart but now David is recorded as approaching God for the first time in five chapters. David prays…
David prays that the Lord will turn Ahithophel’s council to foolishness and without dragging out my story for too many more pages suffice it to say that God answers David’s prayer. As David returns to the Lord, the Lord returns the kingdom to David. David ceases to take matters into his own hands, but instead puts matters in the Lord’s hands and in the battle that follows because the Lord turned Ahithophel’s council to foolishness, as David turns to the Lord, Prince Absalom dies, the battle is called off and the Lord then uses Joab to save David’s victory.
Prince Absalom is dead. David mourns his death for he loves his son even though his son hated him. At anytime had Absalom returned to the King probably would have continued to forgive him
Epilogue.
It is a sad note on which to end this story really, for David was a good man, a praying man who often sought the council and leading of the Lord. He went through a period though when there is no record of that devotion and he went through this period in the formative years of his sons and he paid the consequences just as the prophet Nathan had said he would for his affair with Bathsheba.
And now Prince Absalom is dead; it is too late, he is not in his father’s Kingdom anymore.
Well, it’s not too late for us. If we are taking matters into our own hands instead of praying, if we are in rebellion against God and only relying on ourselves, we can stop and return to His palace because as long as we have breath in us, we can still return to God. Just as David loved Absolam even when Absolam hated his Father, our heavenly father will accept us back with open arms – so let’s lay down our arms before it is too late.
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[1] This sermon took some very different directions as it was preached: if you heard it preached in either Nipawin or Tisdale and you think that this is different – it is. The Nipawin sermon was also somewhat different from the Tisdale one…
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Click here to read related questions: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2017/08/2-samuel-13-questions-peace.html
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