2 Samuel 15:1-6
1 Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road to the gate; and when any man who had a lawsuit was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
3 Then Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but you have no one to listen to you on the part of the king.”
4 Moreover, Absalom would say, “Oh that someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has a lawsuit or claim could come to me, and I would give him justice!”
5 And whenever a man approached to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.
6 Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
Absalom’s Ambition
Absalom’s four strategies
Having received pardon from David, Absalom was freed from his confinement and allowed to move about freely. However, not having truly reconciled with his father, he immediately began preparing to seize the throne. Halfhearted reconciliation and halfhearted repentance bring no benefit. Let us now look at the four strategies Absalom employed to usurp the throne. (1) He sought to impress upon the people that he was the rightful heir to the throne. To that end, he prepared chariots, horses, and fifty men to run before him. This was behavior almost as if he were already king. And this prideful posture would eventually lead to his own downfall. (2) He would rise early and meet all those coming to the king to seek justice, intercepting them on the way. He would then criticize David’s reign by claiming that as long as David remained on the throne, fair judgment was impossible. Of course, this statement was a lie. (3) He claimed that if he were appointed as a “judge,” he would give fair judgments to everyone. This is an unrealistic promise. (4) When someone came to greet him, he would embrace them and kiss them, using flattery and physical closeness to create a sense of personal connection.
Ambitious Absalom
The ambitious Absalom used these four strategies to “steal the hearts of the people.” In other words, the loyalty that the people once showed toward David was turned toward himself. There are countless people in this world who act like Absalom. However, the Christian life has nothing to do with selfish ambition. Even the disciples of Jesus struggled with ambition. To them, the Lord Jesus spoke these words: “It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matt. 20:26-27). Are you seeking recognition in this world, or are you seeking to be approved in the Kingdom of God? Let’s take time to reflect on how you ought to live as a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please make me a servant to others. Help me to walk as Your disciple. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.