Oh Absalom (3)

Man after Gods heart sir, you didn’t handle this one well. A war was brewing in your family, yet you were silent about it. Or did you think that silence means consent? Oops. 

Leaders everywhere would do well to always take appropriate actions whenever wrongs happen. The offenders must be corrected as deemed fit, though in love with recourse made to the offended. That they have the ability to forgive does not mean that the issue should be swept under the carpet and forgotten. Such winds later come back to shoot in the leg and can end up becoming ticking time bombs.

“And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? Hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house… AND ABSALOM SPAKE UNTO HIS BROTHER AMNON NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD: FOR ABSALOM HATED AMNON, BECAUSE HE HAD FORCED HIS SISTER TAMAR” (2 Sam 13: 20-22)

Prince Absalom, you kept all this in your heart and did not say a word to Amnon, whether good or bad. You kept quiet and hid what was going on in your mind from everyone around you. You even encouraged your sister to stay well in your house, but in your heart you hated Ammon for what he did to her. You shook hands at dinners and royal campaigns, signed treaties together and commissioned projects as assigned by the king, yet the savage beast of anger and wrath grew ferociously in your heart waiting for the right time to strike. This you did for two full years. 

A two-year old child cannot remain speechless. When you keep offences in your heart and refuse to let go of worngs, you give room for wrath and anger. Apostle Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 4 not to let the sun go down upon our wrath. Anger is giving the devil space to work and with just a little space, he can wreak all sorts of havoc on families, relationships and even careers we have spent a lifetime building, as we shall come to see with Absalom. We must learn to give space for provocation but never allow it to settle. Once provoked or offended, instantly learn to refuse and forgive such a person. If you need to involve yourself in activities that would help you forgive please do so for the sanity of your mind.

“And it came to pass AFTER TWO FULL YEARS, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons” (2 Sam 13:23)

My prince, the sun went down and rose again on your wrath, 365 times multiplied by two! You waited and planned for two whole years before the devil found an opportunity. Your sheep produced a lot and you landed a huge contract to supply wool to the Bozrah company, famous for making robes in those days. You invited friends and family to the occasion to celebrate with you. All the king’s sons were invited, even the King would have been your special guest of honour, but in a bid to help you cut down cost of hosting the number one man in Israel, he declined your offer and blessed you, giving permission to invite the king’s sons.

Prince Amnon was also invited and as soon as he confirmed attendance, you held a meeting with your goons and instructed them to ensure that Amnon enjoyed his time at the party, but did not leave the party alive. ‘If a hen tips my medicine pot so that all my drugs pour away, there is no harm if I smash all her eggs,’ you said. Mind you, this proverb should not ever be found on the lips of a believer. It is not who we are, okay?

“Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee? But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. Now WHEN ABSALOM HAD COMMANDED HIS SERVANTS, saying, Mark ye NOW WHEN AMNON’S HEART IS MERRY WITH WINE, and WHEN I SAY UNTO YOU, SMITE AMNON; THEN KILL HIM, fear not: have not I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant. AND THE SERVANTS OF ABSALOM DID UNTO AMNON AS ABSALOM HAD COMMANDED.” (2 Sam 13:26-29a)

So Amnon died that day after two glasses of fresh grape wine, on your commands of course. Party scattered, Eni ori yo o dile. “…then all the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled” (2 Sam 13:29b)

Funny how that it was the same cousin who gave Amnon the advice who clarified at home with King David that only Prince Amnon was dead and was quick to put two and two together to see that you were responsibility for his death in a bid to get vengeance for your sister. He said something profound “…THIS HAS BEEN DETERMINED FROM THE DAY HE (AMNON) FORCED HIS (ABSALOM) SISTER TAMAR” (2 Sam 13:32c). Though it only manifested after two years, the ball had been set in motion they very moment you refused to forgive Amnon for what he did. Two wrongs never make a right and now you have just committed murder.

Knowing the gravity of what you did, killing the heir apparent to the throne and causing chaos to the royal family and the nation at large, and above all bringing tears to the eyes of your father, David, you fled and purchased a ticket to Geshur, where your maternal grandfather reigned as king. 

“But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned his son for days. So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur; and was there THREE YEARS” (2 Samuel 13: 37-38)

One thing led to another and probably from the influence of you cousins over there, you came back with the mindset to usurp your fathers throne. it won’t be totally wrong to say that this attempt to overthrow your father’s kingdom which ended unfortunately in your demise was also motivated by what happened between you and your brother, Amnon and your refusal to forgive. Five years had already passed, but still, you let anger drive you to the point of no return. After dealing with the immediate offender, you went for your father, probably because he kept quiet or simply because you wanted a kingdom for yourself. You began to craftily seek to overthrow the kingdom, employing the very same methods Jonadab your cousin used with Amnon to violate your sister and so you “…STOLE THE HEARTS OF THE MEN OF ISRAEL” (2 Sam 15: 1-6)

You began a conspiracy against your own father, and as with any ungodly plan, you found collaborators like Ahithophel and Amasa to assist you. Unfortunately for you, after a long twist of events and bad military choices, you eventually fell in battle, and died hanging from an oak tree, hanging on to life by a tiny strand of hair. Or was it many locks the Bible recorded it as? 

“And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away… Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.” (2 Sam 18:9-15)

Prince Absalom, you could have been the next king of Israel.  You could have even gone on to achieve more in Israel and go down in Bible history as a man after Gods heart like your father. After all, you were only third in line to the throne. Solomon who eventually became king was still a long way off from the throne, so why could not you have been chosen instead? You let anger and unforgiveness get the best of you and ultimately ruined your life and name in Israel. Your three sons and daughter, whom you named Tamar after your sister, would grow up to hear of the dastardly acts their father worked all in anger and unforgiveness. (2 Sam 14: 27)

We will learn from your life. We won’t allow anger and unforgiveness rob us of all that God has planned for us. We won’t let offences hinder us from being blessed by those that God has put in our lives. We won’t give room for the devil in our lives. We will forgive even at the slightest provocation and forgive men even before they offend us. We will also spread the Master’s message of reconciliation and forgiveness to all around us both in word and in deed. So help us God. Amen.

©Leye Abiola