Reflections on 2 Samuel 15

2 Samuel 15 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Some time later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses to pull it, and he had fifty men run in front.
   
2. He would get up early each morning and wait by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Anyone who had a complaint to bring to King David would have to go that way, and Absalom would ask each of them, "Where are you from?" If they said, "I'm from a tribe in the north,"
   
3. Absalom would say, "You deserve to win your case. It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear complaints like yours.
   
4. I wish someone would make me the judge around here! I would be fair to everyone."
   
5. Whenever anyone would come to Absalom and start bowing down, he would reach out and hug and kiss them.
   
6. That's how he treated everyone from Israel who brought a complaint to the king. Soon everyone in Israel liked Absalom better than they liked David.
   
7. Four years later, Absalom said to David, "Please, let me go to Hebron. I have to keep a promise that I made to the LORD,
   
8. when I was living with the Arameans in Geshur. I promised that if the LORD would bring me back to live in Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron."
   
9. David gave his permission, and Absalom went to Hebron.
   
10. He took two hundred men from Jerusalem with him, but they had no idea what he was going to do. Absalom offered sacrifices in Hebron and sent someone to Gilo to tell David's advisor Ahithophel to come. More and more people were joining Absalom and supporting his plot. Meanwhile, Absalom had secretly sent some messengers to the northern tribes of Israel. The messengers told everyone, "When you hear the sound of the trumpets, you must shout, 'Absalom now rules as king in Hebron!' "
    
11. (SEE 15:10)
    
12. (SEE 15:10)
    
13. A messenger came and told David, "Everyone in Israel is on Absalom's side!"
    
14. David's officials were in Jerusalem with him, and he told them, "Let's get out of here! We'll have to leave soon, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry! If he moves fast, he could catch us while we're still here. Then he will kill us and everyone else in the city."
    
15. The officials said, "Your Majesty, we'll do whatever you say."
    
16. David left behind ten of his wives to take care of the palace, but the rest of his family and his officials and soldiers went with him. They stopped at the last house at the edge of the city.
    
17. (SEE 15:16)
    
18. Then David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards marched past. The last group was the six hundred soldiers who had followed him from Gath. Their commander was Ittai.
    
19. David spoke to Ittai and said, "You're a foreigner from the town of Gath. You don't have to leave with us. Go back and join the new king!
    
20. You haven't been with me very long, so why should you have to follow me, when I don't even know where I'm going? Take your soldiers and go back. I pray that the Lord will be kind and faithful to you."
    
21. Ittai answered, "Your Majesty, just as surely as you and the LORD live, I will go where you go, no matter if it costs me my life."
    
22. "Then come on!" David said. So Ittai and all his men and their families walked on past David.
    
23. The people of Jerusalem were crying and moaning as David and everyone with him passed by. He led them across Kidron Valley and along the road toward the desert.
    
24. Zadok and Abiathar the priests were there along with several men from the tribe of Levi who were carrying the sacred chest. They set the chest down, and left it there until David and his followers had gone out of the city.
    
25. Then David said: Zadok, take the sacred chest back to Jerusalem. If the LORD is pleased with me, he will bring me back and let me see it and his tent again.
    
26. But if he says he isn't pleased with me, then let him do what he knows is best.
    
27. Zadok, you are a good judge of things, so return to the city and don't cause any trouble. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Abiathar and his son Jonathan will also go back.
    
28. I'll wait at the river crossing in the desert until I hear from you.
    
29. Zadok and Abiathar took the sacred chest back into Jerusalem and stayed there.
    
30. David went on up the slope of the Mount of Olives. He was barefoot and crying, and he covered his head to show his sorrow. Everyone with him was crying, and they covered their heads too.
    
31. Someone told David, "Ahithophel is helping Absalom plot against you!" David said, "Please, LORD, keep Ahithophel's plans from working!"
    
32. When David reached the top of the Mount of Olives, he met Hushai the Archite at a place of worship. Hushai's robe was torn, and dust was on his head.
    
33. David told him: If you come with me, you might slow us down.
    
34. Go back into the city and tell Absalom, "Your Majesty, I am your servant. I will serve you now, just as I served your father in the past." Hushai, if you do that, you can help me ruin Ahithophel's plans.
    
35. Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you, and you can tell them everything you hear in the palace.
    
36. Then have them send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what you've heard.
    
37. David's advisor Hushai slipped back into Jerusalem, just about the same time that Absalom was coming in.
    

    ---

    Repercussions of David's sin with Bathsheba reached their pinnacle with Absalom's attempt to take the throne which occurs in the account of chapter 15. Absalom was living in Jerusalem after David permitted him to return, but David was not associating with him and he was idle, no doubt living off the king's support. So he eventually "got himself a chariot, horses, and 50 men to run before him" and began to establish himself with the people. He was definitely shrewd in his dealings, meeting people who approached the royal city to bring a grievance to the king and suggesting the king didn't have time for them or sufficient judges to listen to their grievance. If only he were appointed chief judge he could see that they received justice. He was also quite affectionate with the people further gaining their favor.
    
    After four years Absalom felt he had a sufficient base of support to attempt his claim to the throne. He requested permission of his father to go to Hebron under the guise of fulfilling a vow he had made while in exile in Geshur. With the king's permission he put his plan in place, sending throughout Israel the message that: "When you hear the sound of the ram's horn, you are to say, 'Absalom has become king in Hebron!'" (15:10) He took with him to Hebron 200 men, who knew nothing of Absalom's intent, and also summoned David's adviser, Ahithophel, to join him as his own adviser. Ahithophel was also Bathsheba's grandfather which may offer some explanation as to why he turned against David. Verse 12 tells us "the conspiracy grew strong, and the people supporting Absalom continued to increase."
    
    Even as the storm of rebellion grew in intensity God was preparing the way to quell the rebellion and to restore David. The first step in this was the report to David of an informer telling him, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." David wished to spare Jerusalem and its people a destructive battle between himself and his son's forces, so he took his entire household and left the city, but left behind 10 concubines to take care of the palace. As he went others, loyal to him, joined him. This included 600 Philistines who had followed him since his days in Gath running from Saul. The Levites also joined him carrying the ark, but he sent them back saying, "If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, He will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its dwelling place." (15:25) He also asked Zadok the priest to return and gather whatever information he could and send word to him by way of Zadok's son and Abiathar's son.
    
    When David learned that his adviser, Ahithophel, had joined Absalom, he prayed that God would turn his counsel into foolishness. Then Hushai joined him and David asked him to return to Jerusalem tell Absalom, "I will be your servant, my king! Previously, I was your father's servant, but now I will be your servant." (15:34) In this way Hushai could counteract Ahithophel's counsel. He, too, could send word to David through the sons of the priests.
    
    David was placing himself in God's hands. He was submissive to whatever God intended. God would use this to restore him. Already God was giving David wisdom in dealing with the rebellion. Rather than planning to use force against Absalom, he simply sought to confound his plans.