The Sin That Destroyed Absalom
Absalom: Self-Righteousness Leads to Assuming the Position of God’s Executioner
Absalom was one of David’s sons. He betrayed his father; in self-righteousness, he thought he could do a better job than his father. He disregarded God’s choice of David and God’s anointing on David and did not know or trust God the way his father did. He took the throne God gave to David for himself. His end was bitter. He ended up being hung by his own hair while his father was hoping to show him mercy for his terrible betrayal. Believe it or not, most are tempted with the same temptation as Absalom.
By becoming aware of Absalom’s errors, we can grow in wisdom to protect ourselves from making the same mistakes.
What Was Absalom’s First Mistake?
Absalom murdered his brother Amnon. Amnon had sinned terribly against Absalom and David by raping his own sister. Although David was very angry with Amnon (2 Samuel 13:21), he did not punish his son. (This here is David’s sin. It is similar to the sin of Eli, where he did not hold his sons accountable for the wicked things they did.)
Absalom, instead of bringing this to his father and trusting God to hold Amnon accountable, took justice into his own hands and murdered his brother. It is interesting to note that in 2 Samuel 13:28 he quotes Joshua chapter 1, telling his men to be strong and valiant as they murdered Amnon. Absalom truly felt he was working for God in this execution, when in actuality he was rebelling against God and his own father.
Side note: This is a similar mistake that some people who commit murder through abortion make. They justify the murder of their child because of the sin of another person.
This was his first mistake. From there he fled and was convinced to take his father’s throne, deceived into continuing to think he was God’s executor of justice. David longed for mercy and reconciliation, but the end was not pretty.
How David Passed the Test of Absalom
David failed to correct Amnon, which led to Absalom wrongfully stepping into God’s role. However, in spite of this failure, David had previously passed the test that his son failed.
Saul was formerly God’s chosen king. But through disobedience, rebellion, and witchcraft, Saul lost God’s favor, and God chose another—David—to take his place. David faithfully and humbly served Saul for years. Saul grew in jealousy and bitterness of heart toward David and began to take action to kill him. It became so severe that Saul would chase David around Israel from place to place, trying to kill him.
On two occasions, David had a simple and easy opportunity to execute judgment upon Saul by taking his life. David’s own advisors told him to kill him. Saul was literally within arm’s reach of David. He could have killed him; Saul deserved it, and in human—or even religious—eyes it would have been right to execute judgment. Yet this was David’s response:
“But David said to Abishai, ‘Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?’ David said furthermore, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.’”
— 1 Samuel 26:9–10
Instead of taking judgment and vengeance into his own hands, David trusted God to destroy his enemy in God’s way. Whether God would directly kill him, whether he would be killed in battle, or die of natural means, it was in God’s hands.
How We Need to Walk in Mercy and Complete Trust with God (Like David)
Even after Absalom betrayed David, David sought to forgive him and be reconciled to him. I think David probably did this because he knew that he deserved to be dead because of his sin with Uriah and Bathsheba. Yet God had forgiven him.
Do you know how much you have been forgiven? Do you realize how wicked your sin is? Seriously, some of you mild-mannered people need to be rebuked. You think that because you didn’t rape someone, molest someone, steal money, or murder someone, you aren’t really that bad. Why don’t we remove Jesus as your advocate and see what happens? What if we peeled back the natural and looked at how God sees your secret lust, bitterness, refusal to submit… I could keep going.
You are only alive because of God’s mercy. You are only still a Christian (and not an apostate) because of God’s kindness. David understood this, and you and I need to as well.
My prayer when people around me make mistakes is:
“God, have mercy on ME!!!”
Trust God to take vengeance on your enemies. He will destroy them His way if you just wait. Then you will step into your calling in His timing and in His way.
