2 Samuel 15: Absalom Steals the Throne

Outline

• Absalom’s plot
• David’s retreat

Introduction

There are certain times in your life that you reveal who you really are. We are often able to wear a mask, but there are times when that mask is stripped away and the real us is revealed. When we are alone with no one to act for or impress we are ourselves as we really are. When things are going well and we have everything we want, is God still our priority or was He merely a means to an end? But the most revealing times are times of difficulty. When everything is against us and we refer to our core characters and our muscle memories it is then who we are reveals itself. This is such a time in David’s life and in the midst of His trial we see the faith of David shining through.

In this chapter Absalom is going to steal the throne. This chapter is just another round in the match between good and evil where the teams are still the same, the seed of the serpent trying to wipe out the seed of the woman. In one sense David has a target on his back, God told him that the promised Saviour would sit on his throne. David’s is the bloodline where the ruler of the world would come. Satan is trying to destroy David and insert his man into the position. Absalom is a typical arch-villain, and we will be noting the predictable steps he takes to usurp power. But our focus is really upon David, he like us is a child of God, he is in God’s school of discipline, and he is a focal point for attack. David is an important focal point for us as we consider our own reactions to our trials, and we see the faithfulness of God within them.