https://esv.literalword.com/?q=2+Samuel+15
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 29 August 2025:
2 Samuel 15:1 — After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
Absalom, already distanced from David’s presence, begins to set himself up as a rival king. The display of a chariot, horses, and an entourage was not merely for transportation but for self-glorification, projecting power and authority. This is the seed of rebellion: exalting self above the place God has appointed. Where David trusted God to exalt him in due time (1 Samuel 24:12–15), Absalom grasped for prominence through spectacle. The New Testament warns us against such pride, reminding us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Absalom’s treason began not with swords but with self-glorification. He clothed himself in splendor and paraded his supposed importance, a subtle yet deadly rebellion against God’s appointed king. This posture of self-exaltation is the essence of sin: an attempt to take glory that belongs to God alone. Scripture gives sobering warnings about such arrogance. When Moses, in frustration, struck the rock and said, “Shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10–12), he spoke as though the power were his and Aaron’s rather than God’s. For this act of sharing God’s glory, he was barred from entering the Promised Land. All sin carries this same impulse — it seeks to dethrone God and enthrone self, to make the creature the center rather than the Creator. This is why sin is not merely breaking a rule but cosmic treason against the majesty of heaven.
Christ’s ambassadors must never fall into Absalom’s error. To represent Christ is to live for and proclaim God’s glory alone. John the Baptist captured this spirit when he declared, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Our calling is not to magnify ourselves but to fade into the background so that Christ shines through us. Paul exhorts believers: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). Even Jesus, in His high priestly prayer, prayed that His followers would reflect the glory He shared with the Father: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22). We are glorified only as image bearers reflecting His radiance, never by manufacturing our own. Like the moon reflecting the sun, we shine only because of His light.
Thus, the lesson is unmistakable: when we seek our own exaltation, we align ourselves with Absalom’s rebellion; when we humble ourselves and live to display Christ, we align ourselves with the eternal kingdom. The true ambassador of Christ bears fruit by deflecting praise to God, declaring with every word and deed, “To God alone be the glory.”
2 Samuel 15:2-4 — And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.”
Absalom’s rebellion began with flattery and subtle manipulation. He positioned himself where people sought justice and preyed upon dissatisfaction. By suggesting that David’s administration was inattentive, he planted seeds of doubt against God’s anointed. Absalom’s words, though sounding compassionate, were calculated to win loyalty to himself. This is the danger of worldly tactics: using charm, promises, and complaints to erode trust in rightful authority. The serpent in Eden likewise questioned God’s justice and goodness (Genesis 3:1–5). Jesus warned that false shepherds come not to give life but to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
How do you see this sort of behavior playing out in politics today? In relationships around you? In how you talk about your boss or other co-workers? In how you handle conflict?
2 Samuel 15:5-6 — And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
Here the manipulation bears fruit. Absalom masked ambition with affection, presenting himself as approachable while undermining his father’s reign. His actions demonstrate how hearts can be “stolen” through flattery and deceit. Paul warns against those who “by smooth talk and flattery deceive the hearts of the naive” (Romans 16:18). Unlike Christ, who won hearts by sacrificial love and truth, Absalom won them by false intimacy. His outward kisses concealed rebellion, anticipating Judas’s kiss of betrayal (Luke 22:47–48).
Repeated relevant comments from yesterday in case you missed them the first time – “As His children, we must also resist the temptation to manipulate [through force (even just verbal), flattery, self-centered promises, deception, instigation, etc.] and instead reveal His truth in love, inspiring others toward obedience born not of fear but of love. For perfect love casts out fear, and it is God’s love that transforms us, just as it is His love working through us that draws others to Him.
Many will read this and say, ‘I am not a manipulator,’ but manipulation often takes subtler forms than we realize, and it can creep into our habits without us noticing. Pretending to be something we are not, hiding our true feelings on a matter in order to avoid discomfort, feigning enthusiasm to gain acceptance, or using flattery to win favor are all ways we can distort truth for our own advantage. Even in everyday contexts, like sales, manipulation can appear when someone highlights only the positive attributes of a product while deliberately ignoring the negative ones to sway another’s decision. These may seem harmless or even ‘normal,’ but they are forms of deception that do not reflect God’s character. As children of the light, we are called to be transparent and honest, trusting God with the outcomes rather than subtly bending truth to gain what we want. The challenge for every believer is to carefully examine their words, motives, and actions, asking whether they spring from love and truth or from a desire to control and gain. Subtle deception is still deception, and God calls us to put it away and walk in the light.
Verses: 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; John 8:44; Ephesians 4:25; Isaiah 29:13; John 14:15; Ephesians 5:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6; Romans 3:7-8; Genesis 27; Acts 5:1-11; 2 Samuel 15:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 John 4:18–19.”
2 Samuel 15:7-9 — And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.’” The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.
Absalom cloaked his treachery in religious language, using the guise of a vow to conceal his plot. This demonstrates the danger of hypocrisy, using devotion to God as a cover for self-advancement. Jesus rebuked such hypocrisy in the Pharisees, who honored God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him (Matthew 15:8). Absalom’s request for “peace” was the prelude to war. By contrast, Christ, the true Son of David, offers peace through His own sacrifice, not by deception but by truth.
Christian, watch yourself! It can be very easy to fall in the trap of using God’s word to call people out for there sin, not really to win their hearts, but rather to make them more acceptable to you, perhaps more safe or comfortable to be around, or to glorify yourself self in self-righteousness. Lifting up the sins of others can be a tempting way of drawing attention away from your own sin, particularly when someone else’s sins are making you uncomfortable in some way. Jesus warned us to be very careful to avoid trying to take specks from other people’s eyes while we have planks in our own eyes.
2 Samuel 15:10–12 — But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
The rebellion now takes form. Absalom carefully orchestrates a conspiracy, leveraging secrecy, deception, and even religious sacrifice as cover. The two hundred unsuspecting men illustrate how the innocent can be caught up in another’s sin when deceit is at work. Ahithophel’s defection deepened the betrayal, showing how even trusted counselors can be swayed. This echoes the warning of 2 Timothy 3:13: “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” In contrast, the kingdom of Christ grows not through manipulation but by the Spirit’s power and truth (Acts 6:7).
Be very careful not to partner with the world and be tricked into joining in on the rebellion.
2 Samuel 15:13-14 — And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
The tragic fruit of Absalom’s deception now appears: the kingdom divided, the people’s loyalty stolen, and David forced into exile from his own city. David didn’t want to fight at a severe disadvantage and on the enemy’s terms, and his concern is also for the safety of Jerusalem, not wanting the city destroyed in a civil war. Absalom’s pride was ready to sacrifice others for his own gain; David’s humility was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others while he sought the Lord’s will in the situation. Also, David might have had a genuine sense of God’s judgment, preferring a humble, submissive response rather than merely reacting and taking matters into his own hands.
David’s response reflected a deep awareness of God’s hand in his trials. Instead of rushing into a counterattack, he chooses humility and submission, allowing God to determine the outcome. We will see this same spirit later when Shimei cursed him and hurled stones at him, and Abishai wanted to strike the man down. David stops him, saying, “If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” (2 Samuel 16:10). This is a posture of faith, a willingness to let God’s providence unfold, even if it means receiving insult or pain. David understood that every trial – whether unjust or deserved – was an opportunity to discern what God was doing in him.
For us as Christians, the lesson is clear. When we face betrayal, slander, or opposition, our instinct is often to react defensively or to fight back in pride. But David’s example calls us to pause and ask: What is God doing here? What is He revealing in me? Sometimes what looks like an enemy’s attack may be God’s refining fire, humbling us, purifying us, and teaching us to trust Him more deeply. Instead of being consumed with self-preservation, we are called to patience, to waiting on the Lord, and to seeking His will in our response.
And just as David avoided a fight that would have devastated Jerusalem, we too must be careful not to drag others into unnecessary conflict through our reactions. In churches, families, and workplaces, prideful retaliation (even is subtle forms such as talking about others behind their backs) can wound many around us. Christ calls us to be peacemakers, not fire-starters. The Apostle Paul echoes this when he says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). To follow Christ is to trust that God will vindicate His servants in His time, and to embrace the way of humility, remembering that our King Himself was betrayed, rejected, and crucified—and He endured it all entrusting Himself to the Father (1 Peter 2:23).
2 Samuel 15:15-18 — And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house. And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.
Though abandoned by many, David is not alone. A faithful remnant remains, including loyal Gentiles from Gath, a reminder that God preserves a people for Himself even in times of betrayal. Just as Christ, rejected by Israel, was followed by a faithful remnant and Gentile disciples, so David’s exile foreshadows the rejected Messiah surrounded by those who truly loved Him.
You might have examples in your own life where crisis or hardships exposed the integrity of your relationships as well as your level of real commitment to something or someone. This may be one reasons God allowed that crisis to happen. God prunes for growth.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 29 August 2025: Absalom’s rebellion reminds us of the danger of manipulation, flattery, and self-promotion, but David’s flight reveals the wisdom of humility and surrender. The king who once stumbled in sin now shows renewed faith, entrusting himself to God’s providence: “Let Him do to me what seems good to Him.” Sometimes God needs to tear down what has supported our pridefulness to draw us back to Him. Today, ask yourself — are you grasping for control by worldly means, or are you entrusting your life fully to God? Choose one situation where you are tempted to scheme or manipulate, and instead surrender it in prayer, trusting God to bring about His good purpose in His time.
Pray: “Lord, guard my heart from the spirit of Absalom, from pride, manipulation, and self-exaltation. Teach me to walk humbly before You, like David who entrusted himself to Your will in his darkest hour. Help me to trust in Your sovereignty with active faith, planning wisely and acting obediently while resting in Your providence. Keep me from bitterness and despair, and strengthen me to reveal Christ’s humility, truth, and love in all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 