Absalom hangs in a tree: The root cause of destruction
2 Sam 18:1-18
A Christian leader I know about grew up in a faithful Christian family and became a gifted interpreter of the Bible, which was a great blessing for many. As the years went by, however, things began to change. He met an attractive woman and left his wife for her. His views also shifted over time towards a more permissive, liberal perspective. Whether his new lifestyle came first and his views changed to accommodate it later, or he was already moving away from a conservative Christian faith when the temptation for adultery came, only he knows. Suffice to say, his considerable gifts are now frequently used to deconstruct the Christian faith and undermine the authority of Scripture. When I hear of or see Christians like that, I always wonder how such change happens. I suspect that the shift is gradual and, at first, imperceptible to outsiders, perhaps even to the person changing. Yet, when there are forks in the road of life and someone keeps choosing the ungodly path, the result is inevitable.
The path to an ignoble end
As we read of Absalom’s end, we can retrace his steps that led to such an ignoble end. He was a talented and charming prince, sincerely attached to his sister with a desire for justice, yet also a wilful and spoilt young man used to getting his own way. The road he chose for himself led through deception, murder, rebellion and rape: an abuse of power through and through. As the final clash with David draws near, no doubt the prince would have had no compunction to kill his own father either. Knowing that the battle is really about the confrontation between Absalom and David, the latter’s servants insist that the king stay behind so that his life may be protected (2 Sam 18:3). The briefness of the battle description (2 Sam 18:6-8) also underlines how the focus is on the figureheads rather than the actual fighting. Yet even here we get an implicit sense of God’s providential will when the forest ‘devours’ more people than those slain in battle (2 Sam 18:8). It is as if the Lord used the terrain as much as David’s men to bring about Absalom’s defeat.
Providence and God’s verdict
Absalom’s demise arises through a series of chance events, but we understand that these happenings are brought about by God. Thus, the prince happens to ride through a dense area of the forest where his head (hair?) happens to get caught in a branch (2 Sam 18:9). Further, it so happens that one of Joab’s men sees him and tells Joab (2 Sam 18:10). Either of the other commanders would have likely followed the king’s instructions to spare Absalom’s life (2 Sam 18:5), but Joab has always made his own laws. To be fair, David’s desire to spare his son would have created an unsettling situation with a potential usurper constantly scheming in the background and the country divided over its leadership. Nevertheless, the portrayal of Joab as unscrupulous (2 Sam 18:11-13) is far from flattering. Even if God’s will is achieved through his actions, they are not thereby approved.[1] Still, God’s judgement is implicit in the way Absalom hangs in a tree, symbolic of his cursed status (Deut 21:22-23), and in the loss of Absalom’s sons (2 Sam 14:27; 18:18) so that he has no descendants to carry on his name. Given his disgraceful end and burial (2 Sam 18:17), his own attempt to establish his honour through a memorial (v.18) is pitiful.
How we treat God’s will
Absalom’s story teaches us that it is possible to be highly gifted and have a good start in life only to squander it all through choices that go against God’s will. Once again, Scripture paints a vivid and dramatic picture, while our everyday lives may look much more mundane in comparison. Yet the lesson is the same. As Jesus Christ’s disciples, we cannot choose whatever path appeals to us to achieve what is right. The means are as important as the ends. Absalom’s greatest temptation was to resolve dilemmas by taking matters into his own hands rather than resting in God’s will. Long before he rebelled against David, he has made himself king in his heart, against God and His anointed king. May we acknowledge the Lord Jesus, our King and humbly trust His ways.
[1] In other words, people are responsible for the human evil they commit, even if God uses such in His purposes.
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