The end of 2 Samuel 14 depicted a heartwarming reconciliation between David and his son Absalom after the long sequence of tragic occurrences within their family. Unfortunately, this was not the end of the unhappy series: in 2 Samuel 15, Absalom plotted against his father and sought to snatch the throne for himself.
Deceitfulness towards others
Absalom’s plan began with garnering the support of the people of Israel. He did so by manipulating them into falsely thinking that they were governed by a ruler who could not care less about his subjects, and persuading them that he himself would be a far better ruler; a true liberator from injustice should they pledge allegiance to him (v3-4). However, the lack of any future mention regarding the people’s lawsuits suggests that Absalom was simply taking advantage of their adversities to create his own band of supporters.
Absalom also took advantage of David, knowing well enough that a request to go to Hebron to “pay the vow which I made to the LORD” (v7) would definitely be approved by the God-fearing man that his father was. Of course, Absalom’s religiosity was but a mere front for his real intent of declaring himself king in Hebron (v10).
In both cases, Absalom’s behaviour was performative: he did not truly care about the lawsuits of the common people or worshipping God, but rather about securing his own position in power. He deceived those who trusted him and turned them into mere stepping stones to get him to his ultimate goal: the throne.
Deception towards self: pride
Though he appeared subservient to the needs of the people and his father, Absalom was, in reality, filled with pride. Note how he elevated his own reputation by making himself look both visually and even spiritually impressive before others (v1, v7-8). Also note how he never once thought about God’s impression of him and his actions. God’s opinion didn’t matter, at least not more than his own.
There are times when we ourselves know that a particular action (eg. tardiness in work, unwillingness to help someone) is displeasing to God – do we actively disregard His truth and will for the sake of our own satisfaction and comfort?
The Bible tells us to beware of pride: “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Gal 6:3) We must be careful not to think ourselves higher than others, especially the LORD Himself; lest we set ourselves into the terrifying spiral of self-deception (Prov 14:12). Let us do this instead: regard and respect what God thinks, let go of our own prideful thoughts and let God guide us towards the path of the living.
Reflection questions
Have we ever worried about how others view us? What about how God views us?
How can we ensure that our care and concern for others is not performative, but genuine?
Have we ever tried to please God, even when the circumstances were uncomfortable for us? How were the difficulties faced overcome?
What can we do to ensure that we actively acknowledge/think of God in all our actions and speech?
