“After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. ”
Have you ever gone through a season of rebellion? Rebellion is a common trait that is often exhibited by the human heart. From our earliest days we have a bad habit of practicing it. Children rebel against their parents. Citizens rebel against their governments. Man rebels against God. It isn’t pretty and it isn’t uncommon.
I remember a season in my own adolescence when I think much of my personality was characterized by rebellion. I looked the part. I fed my mind the anthems of rebellion through the music I listened to on repeat. The walls of my bedroom became a shrine dedicated to the honor of my rebellious heroes. Whatever my parents approved of, I approved of the opposite. Whatever they wanted, I dismissed as silliness or irrelevant. That season of rebellion lasted for several years until the Lord gripped my heart, opened my eyes to see the truth, and changed my mind.
Rebellion isn’t something God is unfamiliar with. He’s seen it and experienced it up close. Even before He created man and we rebelled against Him in the garden, there was an angelic rebellion that took place in Heaven. Satan grew proud and enamored with his own beauty. He elevated himself in his own eyes above God, so God cast him out of His presence.
“You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. ”
As Satan rebelled against God, and we’ve rebelled against both God and our parents, so too did Absalom choose to rebel against David, his father.
Assuming the role of a king is a dangerous thing and certainly isn’t a role for the faint of heart. When you serve in that role, there are people who will attempt to manipulate you in order to get something from you. There are others who will conspire against you, usurp your authority, and attempt to take your life. Sometimes those aggressors will be your own family.
This, sadly, is something David knew all too well. In 2 Samuel 15, we’re given a vivid picture of the ways in which his son Absalom attempted to wrestle his authority out of his hand. When David himself rebelled against the Lord, sinned with Bathsheba, and had Uriah executed, he was warned that there were going to be consequences for his rebellion. Absalom’s attempt to steal the throne of David was one of those consequences.
It’s interesting to read the crafty ways Absalom went about orchestrating his attempted overthrow of David’s leadership. When the people of Israel tried to go to David for his judgment on a matter, Absalom would meet them at the gate, flatter them, imply that there wasn’t anyone available to attend to their requests, then put the thought in their heads that things would go better for just about everyone if he personally had more authority.
In time, Absalom won over the people of Israel, and many became loyal to him. After four years of this behavior, when he sensed that enough people were united with him, he incited a rebellion against David which forced David and those who were loyal to him to flee Jerusalem.
“And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” ”
As David and his servants fled, he experienced all kinds of things from those he encountered along the way. Some demonstrated their unshakable loyalty to him. Others attempted to manipulate him in his time of need. We’re also told of a man who threw rocks and dirt at David while cursing him as he fled.
By far, this was one of the saddest moments in David’s life. I think he understood that the calamity he was experiencing was directly connected to his rebellion years earlier. We’re told that David walked barefoot, covered his head, and openly wept as he went. It was a sad sight to see, but what would you have done if you were him?
When we experience low moments, it’s natural to want those moments to come to an end. We may try to escape our trials. In some cases, we may even try to ignore them. But I think David’s response is a helpful thing to observe. In the midst of great conflict and sorrow, he purposed in his heart to trust the Lord and accept whatever outcome the Lord saw fit to orchestrate.
“And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” ”
This is a painful moment in David’s life to read about, but it’s certainly instructive. Whether this situation resolved with David’s restoration or his destruction, he was content to entrust the outcome to the hand and will of God.
For those of us who walk with Jesus, isn’t this the best we can do as well? I know it’s tempting to fight and complain against His will, but is there any point in doing so? In the end, who can truly thwart the Lord’s will? In the end, doesn’t it make the most sense to seek His favor while also admitting that if we receive it, it’s really a matter of grace because favor is far from what our rebellious hearts deserve?
In the midst of this turmoil, David trusted the Lord and he lifted up his heart in prayer. In fact, we’re given a glimpse of his prayer when we read Psalm 3 which he composed in the midst of this trial. In that powerful psalm, David prayed…
“O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”
David was surrounded by enemies. He was being slandered. People thought his situation was utterly hopeless, but David knew otherwise. He knew he could trust the Lord to be a shield that protected him. He knew the Lord would hear and answer his prayers. David even knew that he could lay down and sleep without fear because the Lord would sustain him.
Sometimes it’s helpful to be brought to a place where our only real option is to trust the Lord. Satan puffed himself up in pride and attempted to set himself as a god. Absalom did a similar thing to David. But lest we point fingers at others, we do the exact same thing. Far too often, we mistakenly trust our own wisdom and abilities instead of entrusting our lives over to the Lord who is truly in control. I think the Lord makes great use of our most painful trials to teach us that our trust in ourselves is misplaced. He’s the one who deserves our faith.
““The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” ”
““Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” ”
Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth to give us His peace in the midst of this ongoing culture of rebellion we’ve been born into. This world can’t give us that kind of peace because the peace of Christ is contentment regardless of our present trials. The peace of Christ is the kind of rest our souls can only experience when we’re absolutely confident that our lives and the outcome of our circumstances are being securely and benevolently held in the palm of His hand. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is worthy of our trust.
I recently read something that was shared by Dr. Michelle Bengston. She said…
It’s that time again. Blood work, port flushes, and CT scans. As a cancer patient and his caregiver, tests are necessary to determine if the treatment is working. But there’s this almost reflexive breath-holding that takes place during the wait for results.
Yet the wait also allows for a time of reflection. While I personally have rarely found it helpful to ask God, “Why?” I have come to experience great growth when instead I ask, “Lord, what do you want me to learn from this?” It was quite the year, and although I wouldn’t wish the events we faced that year on anyone, I am so grateful for the lessons I have learned through it:
God is faithful
We are never alone
When we are weak, He is strong
Trials are a season, not a destination. We will get through them.
Trials help us grow in our faith.
Waiting is active, not passive.
We can rest in the assurance that God’s plans for us are good.
David was ultimately rescued from his trial in a way that most certainly would have been unexpected by many. Absalom rode a mule under the thick branches of an oak tree and his hair became entangled in them. The mule kept moving which left Absalom dangling from the tree and unable to free himself. Joab, the commander of David’s army was informed of this and he and his men struck Absalom down and took his life. Soon after, David was restored to the throne of Israel.
I don’t know what trials you may be called to endure, but know this, you can entrust your life to the care of the Lord. Jesus, our Savior, has secured salvation for all who trust in Him. And just as He is fully capable of delivering us from eternal separation from Him, so too is He able to deliver us in the midst of the momentary trials we experience during our time in this fallen world. In Jesus, we find rest. We can rest in the assurance that He will never abandon His own, even while we’re going through our lowest and most painful seasons.
© John Stange, 2023
