Plotting Against the Lord

Reflections on 1 Kings 1:5-10

Israel still had a hankering for a king like the nations, one who would conquer the nations and provide them with pomp and pageantry. David's sons Absalom and Adonijah wanted to be such a king.

AMBITION. Like Absalom, Adonijah was handsome and ambitious. Being the oldest living son, he promoted himself by sending chariots, horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him. Then he secured the support of David's army commander, Joab, and one of the priests, Abiathar, who had been a companion of David from the time Saul killed the priests in Nob (1 Samuel 22:20). Finally, he invited many of the royal family and leading men to a sacrifice at En Rogel, a well not far southeast of Jerusalem, where he proclaimed himself king.

DEFIANCE. Adonijah knew that his father planned to make Solomon king after him, but he defied his father's wishes. He did not invite Solomon or any of David's inner circle including Zadok the priest, Benaiah the commander of David's personal bodyguard, and Nathan the prophet. No doubt Adonijah did not want them to know what he planned before it was done. Once he had been proclaimed king, he apparently felt quite sure that the doting and aging king neither would nor could remove him from the throne.

What Adonijah did not realize is that he wasn't plotting against his father but against the Lord. Because God had chosen Solomon to be the next king, no plan would successfully displace him.

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
-- Proverbs 21:30

COUP D'ÉTAT

Reflections on 2 Samuel 15:7-12
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Four years after Absalom returned from exile when he had gained sympathizers throughout Israel, he began to carry out his plan for a coup d'état. He went to his father and asked permission to fulfill a vow by worshiping God in Hebron. David suspected nothing and sent Absalom away with his blessing, "Go in peace."

PLACE. Hebron was an ideal city from which to launch the coup. It was far enough away from Jerusalem (20 miles) that Absalom could carry out his plan without immediate detection, but close enough that he could launch a surprise attack on David's capital. Furthermore, Hebron was the leading city in Judah, perhaps the most influential tribe in Israel. It had been David's former capital, and may, therefore, have resented its loss of influence when David moved the capital to Jerusalem. With Hebron on his side, Absalom removed David's oldest base of support.

PEOPLE. Absalom invited 200 citizens of Jerusalem to Hebron. Although they were unaware of Absalom's plot, they played an important role. Even if none of them could be won over, their presence would give the appearance of popular support and guarantee that their families in Jerusalem would be reluctant to resist Absalom when he attacked the city. In addition, Absalom called Ahithophel, who had been one of David's trusted advisors, from Giloh, his hometown near Hebron. Because Ahithophel was called from his hometown instead of Jerusalem, he may have already left his position as David's advisor (see Smith, 2000, p. 454). Ahithophel may have joined the coup because he was Bathsheba's grandfather (2 Samuel 11:3; 23:34) or because he wanted to restore Judah's influence in the kingdom (Smith, 2000, p. 454 footnote). His presence gave Absalom's regime legitimacy.

PLAN. The sacrifice that Absalom planned in Hebron was really a coronation feast. Absalom sent messengers throughout Israel so that trumpets might be sounded throughout the land coinciding with the coronation feast. When the trumpets sounded, the messengers would announce Absalom's ascension to the throne of Israel.

Absalom was declared king at a sacrifice just as his father David was anointed at a feast, but their careers bore little resemblance thereafter. The Spirit rushed powerfully on David (1 Samuel 16:13), but Absalom's "conspiracy gained strength." David waited patiently for the throne and refused to raise his hand against King Saul. Absalom seized the throne as soon as possible, raised an army against King David, and publicly insulted David's concubines in Jerusalem. David's reign thrived on righteousness, but Absalom thrived on disorder and wickedness because he was motivated by selfish ambition. As James 3:16 notes, "Where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

Consummate Politician

Reflections on 2 Samuel 15:1-6
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In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.
-- Charles de Gaulle

Absalom was a keen observer of how David's government operated. He saw an opportunity to exploit the system to undermine his father and advance his own royal ambitions, which he exhibited by riding in a chariot and sending fifty men to run ahead of him just as Samuel had warned that kings would do (1 Samuel 8:11).

FINDING GRIEVANCES. Absalom observed that people unhappy with decisions of their city elders brought their complaints to the king. Absalom decided to greet these people before they got to the king. Greeting the people in this way would make them feel that they were important.

PRETENDING SYMPATHY. Not only did Absalom make the people feel important, but he also assured them that their complaint was important and just. Nevertheless, he warned the people that the king didn't even have any representatives to hear their complaint. Indeed, the people may have had a difficult time getting a hearing if they had not been sent by their city elders because the case was too difficult for them (Deuteronomy 17:8-10). If for any reason a hearing was denied or delayed (to collect evidence or gather witnesses, for instance), then these people would think favorably of Absalom who not only met them but also would have already ruled in their favor.

STEALING HEARTS. Absalom identified himself with the people. He did not allow the people to bow down to him. Instead, he reached out to them, gave them a hearty hug and kissed them. His informality and intimacy contrasted with the formal greeting given royalty. In this way he "stole" the hearts of the people. In other words, he took their hearts with stealth or secrecy (TWOT, #364). By refusing to allow the people to bow down to him, Absalom could always "prove" that he had no aspirations to the throne (see Bergen, 2001, p. 397).