Betrayal is part of life, but God is still in control.
Have you ever had a conflict with a person that you tried to resolve and work out? Perhaps you met with them, talked about differences and came up with a solution or reconciliation. You shook hands, hugged one another, and prayed together. You left the appointment feeling, “case closed” and all is OK only to find out later that the person is still mad, perhaps, still bad mouthing you. Have you ever been in that boat? How did you feel? Were you hurt, frustrated, or confused?
Have you ever had a dear friend turn their back against you, try to hurt you or undermine your reputation? If so, you know how painful it can be. Such is the case with David in this chapter. What looked like a reconciliation between David and Absalom in chapter 14 was not what it appeared to be and a man that David counted upon as a good friend turned out to be a traitor and betrayed him because his friend was duped by the Thief of Hearts.
Absalom is the Thief of Hearts. He becomes one more member of the Rebellious Sons Club, joining the ranks of people like Cain, Hophni, Phineas and the sons of Samuel.[1]
A father’s mistakes can be reflected in the lives of his children. In Absalom, David saw a bitter replay and amplification of many of his own past sins. God had predicted that David’s family would suffer because of his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah. David’s heart was broken as he realized that God’s predictions were coming true. God forgave David, but he did not cancel the consequences of his sin. David was horrified as he saw his son’s strengths run wild without the controls God had built into his own life.
By most casual evaluations, Absalom would have made an excellent king, and the people loved him. But he lacked the inner character and control needed in a good leader. His appearance, skill, and position did not make up for his lack of personal integrity.
David’s sins took him away from God, but repentance brought him back. In contrast, Absalom sinned and kept on sinning. Although he relied heavily on the advice of others, he was not wise enough to evaluate the counsel he received.
Can you identify with Absalom? Do you find yourself on a fast track toward self-destruction? Absalom wasn’t able to say, “I was wrong. I need forgiveness.” God offers forgiveness, but we will not experience that forgiveness until we genuinely admit our sins and confess them to God. Absalom rejected his father’s love and ultimately God’s love. How often do you miss entering back into God’s love through the door of forgiveness?[2]
We Can’t Control Who Betrays Us (15:1-6)
And it came to pass after this.… after two years in Jerusalem, Absalom begins to run for the Presidency, if you please. He is on the campaign trail. Absalom begins to stir up trouble in Jerusalem by his attitude, actions, and accusations. A look at what he does reveals the characteristics of a betrayer, a person who creates trouble and problems.
Betrayers are prideful. They like to elevate themselves, and promote themselves with pomp and splendor. Their goal is to get a following before they make a move. Absalom prepares chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him. Chariots and runners were similar to a parade honoring a hero. The runners cleared the traffic for the chariot and announced the name of the person coming. Runners and chariots were usually used by rulers or those who desired to rule (1 Kings 1:5). Absalom had begun to set his plans in motion to steal the hearts of the people. Samuel prophesied that this would happen (1 Samuel 8:1).
Betrayers are critical. Scorners have difficulty seeing good in anything. Those in leadership do nothing right. They question the authority of others. Absalom undermines the authority of his father at the city gate. The gates were like the city hall or shopping mall. It was a place of much activity with many people as business and governmental affairs were being taken care of.
The judicial cases were backlogged because David is not in good health to hear the cases. Psalm 41 and 55 are psalms written by David during this time period. Psalm 41 reflect the criticisms and sickness and Psalm 55 refers to his heart. Absalom is trying to convince the people that David doesn’t care about them and that he does.
Betrayers want power. They claim to have all the answers or to be something they are not. They will gloat over the inability of others while whining “I wish I had a chance.” They believe they are God’s gift to mankind. Absalom is saying, “If I were king, I would be just and solve your problems.” Absalom continues to campaign, planting the seeds of rebellion into people’s hearts. The betrayer is hard at work.
Absalom “stole” means taking what belongs to another without consent or done in secret. It often involved deception. This same word is used in Exodus 20:15.
Betrayers are thieves. Absalom’s actions were a put on, a show. He was gushing over the people to get something from them, not to do something for them. He was a phony. All Absalom wants is power. If he cared for these people, he would not put them in a position of risking their lives just to put him into power. David was not wicked, evil, or oppressive. He would not put their homes in jeopardy by starting a civil war.
Absalom was a smooth talker. His plan worked. He was a thief of hearts. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords (Psalm 55:21). Absalom exalted himself instead of letting God exalt him.[3]
- We Can Control Our Response (15: 13-31)
A messenger tells David that the hearts now belong to Absalom and David realizes he must quickly leave Jerusalem or else be killed along with those left in the city. So David evacuates with his entire house, but leaves ten concubines behind. Leaving them behind was a symbol of David’s rule in Jerusalem. David is not relinquishing the throne but moving out temporarily due to this threat. David notes that all of these people who attached to David from Philistia were also going to go with him. David attempts to send them back to stay in Jerusalem. But notice verse 21. “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” (2 Samuel 15:21 ESV) This is what it looks like to follow the king. Where our king goes, we will go, whether for life or for death. You might remember that Thomas said something similar in John 11:16 and Peter showed he would do this in the garden, pulling out his sword when the mob came to arrest Jesus.
In fact, this picture becomes clearer in verse 23. The people are wailing for the king while he crosses the brook Kidron to the Mount of Olives (15:30). This is exactly what Jesus does as recorded in John 18:1. After telling his disciples about his betrayal, they leave and cross the Kidron Valley to the garden where Jesus would pray and be arrested. One more parallel picture to Jesus in this immediate scene. To see the parallel, we must wonder why David is not fighting for Jerusalem. Why not go to battle against Absalom and defend his kingship? We see why in verses 24-30.
Zadok and the Levites also come out of the city with the ark of the covenant. They set the ark down and begin offering sacrifices to the Lord. But look at what David says in verses 25-26. David instructs the ark to be taken back into the city. David does not attempt to manipulate God through the ark but will trust in God’s will. David says, “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,’ then I am ready; let him do to me what seems good to him.” David places himself at the mercy of the Lord. He is unwilling to maintain his hold on his kingship. He will not fight for the throne. He is going to trust in the Lord. He is going to depend on God for vindication. If God wants me to be king, then he will bring me back and will be in God’s presence. But if the Lord does not take pleasure in me any more, then let the Lord do to me as he sees fit. What humility! What submission! What devotion to the Lord! He puts himself in the hands of God.
This is what we need in life. We need to hit bottom hard to wake up and trust in the Lord. David is watching everything slip through his fingers. He is losing everything that God has given him. But that is what it takes for us to wake up. There has to be humility when we hit the bottom. There has to be looking to God when we hit the bottom. This is what David is doing. David is not looking at trying to get God to do what he wants. He says to leave the ark in Jerusalem. David is ready to go wherever God is going to take him. He is not directing God. He is waiting for God to direct him. This is what it looks like to wait for the Lord and trust in the Lord. When Jesus traces this same path for his righteousness, not for his sins, he does the same thing as David. He entrusts himself to the Lord. He does not hold on to Jerusalem or the throne but submits to God’s will. As disciples, we must do the same. Hitting rock bottom hard teaches us to entrust our lives to God.
The knife goes further into David’s back when he learns that his close companion, his trusted advisor, Ahithophel is among the conspirators (15:31). Some of the deepest pain in life comes from the times when those you trust and those who are close to you betray you. Jesus had the same thing happen to him. One of his close companions, the apostle Judas, came with the crowd to arrest Jesus. But look at what David does again. David trusts the Lord. He turns to God in prayer (15:31). David asks for God’s hand to be involved in the future circumstances as they unfold.
The cascade of problems have not stopped for David. In chapter 16 As David and his men travel into the wilderness, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family named Shimei comes out and starts cursing David. He shouts to David, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!” As he shouts these curses at David, he is throwing rocks at David and his men (16:5-7). But look at what he tells David in verse 8. The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in Saul’s household. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer! One of David’s fighting men, Abishai, asks David why they should be listening to this dead dog. Let me go over and cut off his head. Makes sense, right? How dare you curse the king? How dare you throw stones at the Lord’s anointed? Further, please note that what Shimei is saying is not true. David has not wiped out Saul’s household. David has not been a man of blood to the house of Israel. David has been reserved and has not seized the kingdom for himself. David brought justice to Saul and Jonathan when they were killed by the Philistines. Shimei is just wrong, making up lies, as he curses David.
But notice what David does in verses 11-12. First, David holds his peace and allows the slander to happen. He does not go over and kill this man. He allows the slander and mocking to happen. Not only this, David says that he deserves this. The Lord has told him to do this. David knows his sins and realizes that he must accept the consequences for his sins. He accepts the consequences of his sins. Notice in verse 12 that David’s hope is that his righteous restraint will be seen by the Lord and the Lord will repay him good for the evil that is being done against him now. David says he will do good in the face of this evil with the hope that God will do good to him later for maintain his righteousness. David does not retaliate but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. This also foreshadows what Jesus will do toward those who mock and slander him (1 Peter 2:23). The rest of the way Shimei follows them, throwing rocks and dirt at them as they go. What a picture of humility and faith again!
We cannot avoid the consequences of our sins nor should we blame God when we suffer betrayal from another sinner. What Shimei is saying and doing is not right and not fair. Should Shimei be throwing rocks at David? Should Shimei be lying about David’s life? No, but David accepts this as the consequences for his sins. True repentance accepts the consequences of our sins, even if we think they are unfair in our minds.
Consider all that Jesus endured for us as the consequences of our sins, not his own sins. We can stand firm through suffering and endure the pains of life, just or unjust, because we can see what Jesus has done for us. He suffered for us. He endured more than we endure. Our suffering is for our learning, so that we will hit bottom and truly trust in the Lord rather than ourselves. When you let God down, learn from the failure. See that the failure came from trusting in ourselves and not God. Let the pain of our sins be the reminder that we want to keep away from sins. Sinning does not provide the joy that it promises, only pain. Finally, see our suffering for our sins as from God’s hand. Do not resist what God has put in place in your life. It is there for spiritual growth and learning. Accept your new circumstances and trust God to take your through this dark valley.
- We Can Trust that God is in Control
As we get into Chapter 18, we see that David is about to get on another emotional roller coaster. He is will enjoy a great victory, but suffer excruciating sorrow too. The turning point concerning his trial with Absalom is about to begin in one of the saddest chapters of the Bible. David’s army has been supplied, renewed, refreshed, and is about to do battle with their own people. It will be brother against brother in some cases. Explicit instructions have been given to the men to be gentle with Absalom. Yet, in the end we will see the final ruin of this rebel.[4]
The Bible records many betrayals and rebellions. Many were against God’s chosen leaders. They were doomed for failure and the rebel’s life usually came to a violent end.[5] Will we trust God or will we take matters in our own hands and rebel and betray?
Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos
Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church
Sources:
[1] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 2 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 193.
[2] Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 487.
[3] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 2 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 194–195.
[4] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 2 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 248.
[5] Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 493.
When you Let God Down, Brent Kercheville,
Upwards Church 