7 And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. 8 For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.’” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” 11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12 And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing. – 2 Samuel 15:7-12 ESV
Another four years would pass before Absalom made the next move in his plan to overthrow his father and take the throne of Israel. The Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which came out somewhere between 300-300 BC, has the time length of Absalom’s wait as 40 years. But this would seem to be a scribal error because that doesn’t fit in with the chronological circumstances surrounding the story. But during his four-year delay, Absalom was anything but idle as he carefully and craftily planned for the opportunity to replace his father as king, and that day had arrived.
Absalom requested permission from David to return to Hebron, the town of his birth. The reason he gave for this trip was that it was in keeping with a vow he had made to God while living in exile in Geshur. He had promised God, that in exchange for his safe return to Jerusalem, he would offer sacrifices to Him in Hebron. While the request seems innocent enough, it is odd that David doesn’t question his son’s timing. After all, Absalom had been living in Jerusalem for six years and would have had plenty of opportunities to return to Hebron to fulfill his vow. So, why now? What was the impetus behind Absalom’s sudden desire to keep his word to God? Despite their long history of distrust and disagreement, David doesn’t bat an eye at his son’s request.
This entire exchange should have set off alarm bells in David’s head. If nothing else, it should have caused a resounding sense of dé·jà vu because David had been here before. Years earlier, Absalom had come to him with a similar and equally innocent-sounding request.
Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to a feast. He went to the king and said, “My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?” – 2 Samuel 13:23-24 NLT
When David politely turned down Absalom’s invitation, his son asked if his half-brother Amnon could attend.
“Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?” – 2 Samuel 13:26 NLT
It had been two years since Amnon had raped Tamar, the sister of Absalom, so David was suspicious of Absalom’s intentions and asked, “Why Amnon?” (2 Samuel 13:26 NLT). But instead of answering his father’s question, he simply increased the pressure and persisted in his request, until David finally relented and gave permission for all his sons to attend the feast. His lack of discernment resulted in Amnon’s murder and Absalom’s exile from the kingdom.
Now, years later, David once again exhibits a remarkable lack of perceptiveness or naivete. Was David completely unaware of Absalom’s daily actions at the gate of the city? Did his son’s repeated attempts to win over the people of Jerusalem escape his notice? Based on David’s reaction, it would appear that he was either oblivious to Absalom’s motives or unconcerned. David not only gave Absalom his permission, but he also gave his blessing, saying, “Go in peace” (2 Samuel 15:9 ESV).
That simple statement rings with irony because there was nothing peaceful about Absalom’s intentions. His heart was filled with bitterness and rage against his father. He had spent years stewing over David’s role in Tamar’s humiliation. Absalom was an angry young man with an ax to grind and a deep-seated desire to see his father equally humiliated. In his mind, David did not deserve to be king. He had forfeited that right with his failure to mete out justice on Amnon. And when Absalom saw how easily he got away with the murder of Amnon, he realized his father just how weak and ineffective his father was.
As soon as Absalom received David’s permission, he sent spies to all the tribes of Israel to prepare for the next phase of his plan. These men were to spread the news of Absalom’s coup by telling the people, “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn…you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’” (2 Samuel 15:10 NLT). He had established a network of spies throughout the kingdom that would help announce the news of his kingship as soon as the time was right. This little tidbit of information indicates that Absalom’s PR campaign had extended far beyond the walls of Jerusalem. He had been busy priming the pump and preparing the people for his takeover of David’s kingdom, and it would begin with his inauguration as king in Hebron.
Absalom invited 200 guests to join him. Their identities are not divulged, but they were most likely influential leaders and individuals with whom he had established close relationships. These guests were ignorant of Absalom’s plan because “they went in their innocence and knew nothing” (2 Samuel 15:11 ESV). But when Absalom requests the presence of Ahithophel, one of David’s personal counselors, it reveals that there were others involved in the plot. This whole thing had been well-planned and carefully orchestrated. Everything was coming together just as Absalom had planned it.
…the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing. - 2 Samuel 15:12 ESV
Once again, we see Absalom biding his time. He was in no hurry and was intent on ensuring that his coup was based on a strong public relations strategy. He was going to win through insinuation and incitement. His father was renowned for his military exploits and Absalom knew he could not win the crown through the use of force. He was determined to defeat his father through the spreading rumors of rumors and the instilling of doubt. He was exposing his father’s weaknesses and slowly setting himself up as the preferred alternative. Absalom knew that if he played his cards right, the battle for the crown would be a bloodless one. No swords would be necessary. No lives would be lost. His relentless disinformation campaign would bring down the mighty David and pave the way to the throne of Israel.
Absalom was busy portraying David as immoral and unjust, an incompetent leader, and an uncaring judge of his people. Absalom knew he could win this war in the court of public opinion. He would take advantage of the people’s discontentment and foment increasing dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. If Absalom had been given access to the power of social media as we know it today, his efforts would have taken far less time. We know first-hand just how destructive and effective words can be. Whether it's a Facebook post criticizing the current administration or a Twitter feed promoting a new product, these seemingly innocuous bits of information are powerful tools for disseminating both truth and lies. They have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. We have seen careers ruined, political campaigns derailed, rumors become reality, lies taken as truth, and uninformed opinions shared in ignorance and without discretion.
Absalom understood the power of words. He knew the destructive nature of innuendo and insinuation. Given enough time, he would be able to take down the most powerful man in the kingdom – without a fight. David’s reputation would be destroyed and his throne taken by a war of words and an onslaught of rumors, half-truths, and intimations regarding his leadership and moral character. But so much of it had been the result of his own sinful indiscretions and indecisive reactions to the events surrounding his life. He had brought this on himself. Absalom had simply exploited David’s weaknesses and unwillingness to do the right thing when it counted.
Absalom’s determination to do this to his own father reveals the degree of his dissatisfaction and disdain for David. He was a son who had long ago lost any respect or regard for his own father. He saw David, not as a man to be honored, but as an unfit king who deserved to be taken down.
David would later write in one of his psalms:
O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
for you hate all who do evil.
You will destroy those who tell lies.
The Lord detests murderers and deceivers. – Psalm 5:4-6 NLT
Absalom was wicked and proud. He was a murderer and deceiver. He was a liar and a lover of evil. But as will become apparent, his plan to overthrow his father and take his throne would prove successful. Yet, God would have the last word. In the book of Proverbs, compiled by David’s son, Solomon, who would be God’s chosen successor to the throne, we read the following words:
The plans of the godly are just;
the advice of the wicked is treacherous.
The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush,
but the words of the godly save lives. – Proverbs 12:5-6 NLT
While David had made many mistakes and was ultimately responsible for the sordid state of his kingdom, he was still a man after God’s own heart. He longed to serve his God and care for the kingdom he had been given to rule and reign over. He had not always done it well or with integrity, but his heart was right. Absalom, on the other hand, was an impetuous, headstrong upstart who cared only for himself. He could not be trusted. His words, while powerful and effective, were deceitful and ungodly. Nothing Absalom had planned or put into action had been done with God’s guidance or approval. He had acted according to his own wicked heart. His motives had been purely selfish and driven by revenge.
It’s interesting to note that, years later, Solomon would write a proverb addressed to his own son. Perhaps he had his own brother Absalom in mind when he penned these words:
My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life. – Proverbs 4:20-23 NLT
Centuries later, Jesus, a descendant of David, would pick up on this same theme:
But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. – Matthew 15:18-20 NLT
Absalom’s words and actions revealed the true condition of his heart. It was defiled and devoid of righteousness. His heart had long ago been hardened by sin and the words that flowed from his lips were polluted by anger, resentment, evil thoughts, and wicked schemes. And while those defiled and ungodly words would be the cause of his rise to power, they would also be the reason for his demise. His life would be a testament to the truth found in James 3:6: “…the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
