THE REBELLION OF ABSALOM Absalom returned to Jerusalem, not for the sake of his longing for the forgiveness and love of his father, but to prepare the way to take away his throne, whatever the cost would be: 1- Absalom prepares the way for himself1 2- Absalom flatters the people 2-6 3- Proclaiming Absalom a king 7-12 4-The escape of David and his men 13-17 5- The escape of Ittai the Gittite 18-23 6- The ark of God remains in Jerusalem 24-29 7- The return of Hushai the Archite 30-37 1- Absalom prepares the way for himself: “Absalom provided himself with Chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him” (2 Samuel 15: 1). This behavior reveals the goal of Absalom in returning to Jerusalem; as he carried within himself the flame of vain glory. He got reconciled to his father, not for the sake of gaining his favor, nor of paying back his fatherly love with his pure love as a son, but in order to plan to take away his throne. With a spirit of arrogance, he pretended to be a great man, who used a royal chariot, and before whom, fifty men ran. God set the kingdom for David, through several years of trouble and affliction While Absalom prepared himself, through outer appearances of greatness and vain glory. He learned from the king of Geshor, his maternal grandfather, the use of a royal chariot, horses, and men running before him, something that the prophet Samuel warned the people against, when they asked him to make a king for them like the other nations, saying: “He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots an to bed his horsemen , and some will run before his chariot” (1 Samuel 8: 11). So Absalom followed the example of the kings of nations for vain greatness while his own father used to ride a mule in simplicity and humility. Yet those outer appearances, beside the good looks of Absalom, found favor in the eyes of many, and his publicity increased; as some considered him as more fitting for the throne. Absalom sought the vain glory to receive the throne, not realizing that he was by that, chasing his own spiritual and physical perdition, to lose both his eternity and his life. The saintly fathers talk to us about the importance of humility, as a way to glory and the danger of vain glory: Be humble in your own eyes, to behold the glory of God within you. Where humility takes root; there, the glory of God sets forth. If you strive to be despised by everyone, God will glorify you. If you have humility in your heart, God will reveal to you his glory in your heart. Be despised in your greatness; and not great in your lowliness Do not seek to become dignified, while you are full of wounds inside. Reject dignity, to become dignified; and do not love it, lest you become rejected. Whoever seeks dignity, it will run away from him; and who runs away from 101 dignity, will be chased by it; and everyone will proclaim his humility. Run away from vain glory, to get glorified; Fear pride to get great. St. (Mar) Isaac the Syrian1 I believe that the simple spiritual work, when practiced with humility, will get us to be with the saints, who strove to become true ministers to God. There is a true way for growth: By growing in humility, man gets to the true divine glory. Father Dorotheos2 2- Absalom flatters the people: To take away the throne from his father, Absalom did not stop at making use of his physical good looking appearance, and the appearances of greatness and luxury, but, in deception, he flattered the people. He would rise early and stand beside the way to the city gate; So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, he would pretend to care for him, ask him about his city and tribe, and would deceivingly say to him, without even examining his case: “Look, your case is good and right, but there is no deputy of the king to hear you” (2 Samuel 15: 3). So, he said to both opposing parties, to let all rebel against his father, And to motivate them to set him a king and judge in his place; he adds: “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice” (2 Samuel 15: 4). And in false humility, whenever anyone came near him to bow down to him, as the son of the king and the crowned prince, he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him as though he was his personal friend. ...; in this manner, Absalom managed to steel the hearts of the men of Israel, to make him a king in his father’s place. St. John Chrysostom says: [Look how Absalom was crafty in his deception, to steal the hearts of people, unlike the honesty of his father! But you should also look to the end of each of them: Look how Absalom, in absolute folly, was only planning to harm his father, to end up becoming blind in every thing else; While David was the contrary to that; For “He who walks with integrity walks securely” (Proverb 10: 9) 3]. 3- Absalom proclaimed a king: That took place, 40 years after David was anointed a king by the hand of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 16: 1). Some believe, that 4 years after Absalom became reconciled to his father, he prepared the way for himself to become king. He asked his father, to let him go to Hebron, and pay the vow which he vowed to the Lord while he dwelt at Geshur in Syria; saying that if the Lord brought him back to Jerusalem, then he would serve the Lord (2 Samuel 15: 8). Although that was most probably a deception, his father, who was seeking the integrity of his son, was pleased to hear that he wished to worship the Lord in Hebron, his birth place; and he readily allowed him to go. Absalom planned the whole thing with some of his counselors, according to the 1 hom. 5. 2On Humility. 3On Ephes., hom. 15. 102 following broad lines: a- To proclaim his reign in Hebron-one of the cities of Judah-where David resided for sometime, as the king over the tribe of Judah, and made it the capital of his kingdom. In Hebron-far from Jerusalem --Absalom could gather together all talents and leading personalities, to support him against his father, especially, that the men, were feeling hurt and angry on account that David moved his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem. b- Absalom sent spies (as their mission was secret) to all tribes; to let them all proclaim him a king at the same time; to give David no place to go for refuge. c- Absalom took with him 200 of the prominent personalities, whom he invited for the sacrifice, while they knew nothing about his real intentions. Their presence together with him in Hebron, would give the impression to the tribes, that the elite of Israel have forsaken David to support Absalom; and that they came with him for that purpose. That, and drawing all of them to Hebron, would close the door before any chance for them to counsel David about the rebellion of Absalom; and would give them no choice, but to accept the new king. d- Then Absalom sent for ‘Ahithophel’ the Gilonite (2 Samuel 15: 12), as he saw in him both the wish and ability to betray David; In that, he was like Judas, in his treason of his Master (Christ), and was like him as well in the manner of his death (Psalm 41: 9; John 13: 18). ‘Giloh’ was a village on the mountains of Judah; that probably is ‘Kherbet Gala’ nowadays, 15 miles north-west of Hebron1. So, Absalom humanly set his plan; and David had no choice, except either to escape or to surrender, to get killed by the hand of his own son. 4- The escape of David and his men: David realized the danger early; and probably recalled his sin, and the words of the Lord to him saying: “The sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me; ... Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house” (2 Samuel 12: 10, 11). David had compassion on the city, and feared that Absalom would probably strike it with the sword because of him; That is why he said to all his men: “Arise and let us flee, or else we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtakes us suddenly and brings disaster upon us, and strike the city by the edge of the sword” (2 Samuel 15: 14). Then the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts, where all his servants passed before him. David’s soul was embittered by the treason and rebellion of his son; Yet his heart was filled with hope in the Lord his Savior. By the spirit of prophecy, David realized that what befell him by the treason of Absalom and Ahithophel, is a symbol of the treason of Judas to his master, the Lord Christ. As David fled, He sang the third psalm: “Lord, How they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say to me, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ But You, O Lord, are a shield to me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me” (Psalm 3: 1Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p. 407. 103 1-5). St. Augustine comments on this psalm, saying: [The words: “I lay down and slept; I awoke , for the Lord sustained me,” lead us to believe that this psalm applies to the Person, passion and resurrection of the Lord Christ, more than to the events of David’s escape before the face of his rebellious son ... As it was written of the disciples of Christ: “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” (See Matthew 9: 15); we should not marvel if David’s rebellious son here, refers to the disciple who betrayed the Lord Christ. His escape before his son’s face, is historically interpreted by the fact that the Lord, once the traitor left them, drew the rest of the disciples to the mountain; and is spiritually interpreted by the fact that the Son of God, the power and wisdom of God, forsook Judas’ mind, as his heart got occupied by the devil. We should not understand from that, that Christ left his place to the devil, but as Christ forsook him, the devil reigned in him... The Truth forsook the mind of Judas, when the Truth enlightened it no more. The name ‘Absalom’ is interpreted in Latin, as ‘Patris Pax,’ meaning, (Peace of his father). It is difficult to see the (Peace of his father), neither in the history of kings in the Old Testament, when Absalom made war against his father; nor in the New Testament, when Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus. But who reads carefully, will realize that David was in peace with his son even during their war; having said when he died: “O my son Absalom-my son, my son Absalom-If only I had died in your place! “ (2 Samuel 18: 33). And in the history of the New Testament, through His amazing long-suffering, the Lord bore with Judas, as though he was a good man; Although he was aware of his thoughts, He let him join the last supper ..., and finally he received his kiss at the climax of his treason. We can easily understand how the Lord Christ showed peace toward His betrayer1.....] 5- The escape of Ittai the Gittite: When David fled before the face of Saul, he dwelt in ‘Gath,’ and organized a regiment of 600 men, and appointed Ittai the Gittite as their commander. That regiment stayed with him as he became a king in Hebron, and also in Jerusalem; They were Israelites with a few Gittites. Of the most admirable attributes of David, is not thinking of his own good, even in the bitter moments of affliction; and not seeking to force others to serve him; That is why he requested from Ittai the Gittite to put himself at the disposal of Absalom as the new king; wanting to spare him bearing what is more than he could, having been of foreign origin; So he said to him: “Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. In fact you came only yesterday, should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I go I know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you” (2 Samuel 15: 19, 20). But Ittai, the foreigner refused to leave David in the time of his affliction, but spoke to him with the spirit of love and loyalty; the way Ruth the Moabite spoke to Naomi her mother-in-law (Ruth 1: 16). God wanted to comfort the heart of David; when his own son was betraying him and trying to take away his kingdom, and even to kill him, a man of foreign origin 1On Ps. 3. 104 attached himself to him in his affliction, and shared his troubles. Absalom represented the congregation of Jews, Jesus Christ’s own, who persisted on denying him, even after He provided salvation on the cross. While Ittai represented the congregation of the Gentiles, who attached themselves to the Son of David, and accepted to sojourn together with Him; “Going forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrew 13: 13). Ittai, who is mentioned here, is not the same ‘Ittai’ mentioned in 2 Samuel 23: 29; 1 Chronicles 11: 31, who was from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin; who was one of the heroes of David. The king crossed the valley, between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives where there is no water except in the time of winter. The Lord Christ crossed that same valley on the night of his passion, to enter the garden of Gethsemane (John 18: 1). 6- The ark of God remains in Jerusalem: David wanted all his movements to be under the shadow of the Lord Himself as his Savior; So he asked ‘Zadok’ the priest and the Levites to bring the ark, until all the people had crossed; Yet once the crossing came to an end, he did not want to take it with him out of Jerusalem, but requested its return , believing that God, if it pleased Him, would allow him to return to where the ark was-- as the symbol of the divine presence. Despite his feeling of his sins and his unworthiness, David demonstrated a complete deliverance of his life in God’s hands; That is why he returned the ark with Zadok the priest, together with Ahimaaz his son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar; counting their presence in Jerusalem as a support for him beside fearing that something might happen to the ark. He realized that he was passing through a temporary period of divine chastisement ; But his heart was attached to the Lord, to His people, to the ark of God, and to the holy city of Jerusalem. He also asked the two priests to send him their two sons, while he was in the wilderness, to inform him about the news of Absalom and his men, as they entered the city. 7 - The return of ‘Hushai the Archite’: David ascended the Mount of Olives, one mile east of Jerusalem; weeping, his head covered, and barefoot; with all the people doing the same; and once he reached the top of the mountain, “He worshipped God” (2 Samuel 15: 32); He used to worship God and give Him thanks amid his afflictions. St. (Mar) Isaac the Syrian says: [The heart that always moves with thanks, is a guide that leads to God’s gifts to man1]. On that same Mount, Jesus, the Lord of Glory, stood looking at Jerusalem and weeping, because of the rejection of its people, of God’s care and fatherhood (Matthew 23: 37; Luke 13: 34). What increased David’s grief, was hearing that his best friend ‘Ahithophel,’ well known for his wisdom, betrayed him, and was among the conspirators with Absalom. That is why he cried out, saying: “O Lord, I pray, Turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15: 31). David requested from ‘Hushai the Archite’ to return, lest, being an old man who 1 hom. 48. 105 could not possibly bear the troubles, he would become a burden on him, From another aspect, being an honest and a faithful man, and through his friendship with Absalom, he could counter the counsel of Ahithophel. It seems that Hushai was absent when David fled; and when he heard he hastened to join him, but David would rather have in Jerusalem. Hushai’s love and faithfulness was like a balsam to David’s soul, embittered by the treason of Ahithophel. David expressed the bitterness of his soul, because of the treason of Ahithophel, and, at the same time, his rejoicing for Hushai’s loyalty, in psalm 41; saying: “Blessed is he, who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble ... The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; He will sustain him on his sickbed; .... Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heal against me” (Psalm 41). By “the poor,” he probably meant himself, having turned into a fugitive whom Hushai (considered), despite his own old age and the feebleness of his body; So God will support and help him the rest of his life. As to his own (familiar) friend, it was Ahithophel, on whom David granted, beside his love and friendship, a lot of material gifts; and now, he destroyed the trust, and lifted [up his heel) to harm him; to become a symbol of the traitor Judas.
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