Day 150 – Absalom’s Treason

Day 150! Another mini milestone. The next milestone will be the half way point, and that’s only a month away. Really well done to all who are reading steadily each day.

• We’re continuing to read about the life of Absalom, one of David’s sons. Remind yourself about what we read yesterday if you need to. 2 Samuel 15 is a complex passage littered with unfamiliar names that – for the purposes of this One Story course – you do not need to remember, but use my notes below to help you get the gist.
• The first twelve verses show Absalom working hard to win people of the city and the surrounding area onto his side. Absalom wanted the people to like him more than his father David. How does he go about doing this? What do you think his reasons were for gaining the popularity of the people?
• Four years later, with the people firmly on his side, Absalom’s scheme begins to be put in place. What did he do that made his father the king decide to flee? Can you remember why his relationship with his father David has broken down to this state? Imagine you’re a parent (or think about your parents’ relationship with you). How would you feel if your child rebelled against you?
• When was the last time you rebelled against your parents? Did you think at any point about their side of the situation? How did you (and they) feel afterwards?
• Do you think David was wise to leave (as seen in 2 Samuel 15:13-17), rather than to stay and fight (or perhaps investigate Absalom’s behaviour further)?
• What was the reaction of the various people who met David as he left the city, including in the passage from 2 Samuel 17? Were they kind, and hospitable, and loyal?
• Psalm 3 was written at this point in David’s life. What does it reveal about David’s attitude during this difficult moment? If you were in David’s place, what would you be thinking?
• Pick your favourite verse from Psalm 3. Think about how you can use that verse to help build the same trust in God that David did.
• As a side note, did you spot the name of Zadok the Priest in 2 Samuel 15? It might have sounded familiar to you. If it didn’t, have a listen to the song in the video below, as you may well know it quite well… especially from 1 minute 50 seconds onwards. The lyrics of the song talk about a biblical event that is still to come.

About five years ago this week, I went on holiday to the British Virgin Islands. It was amazing; a really wonderful experience. But now I’m not there. I’m at home, I’ve had a long week working from home, and my boss has been on my back a bit to fix things quicker than I could manage! As I slogged through one rather stressful task after another, my mind has, from time to time this week, wandered back to the white sand beaches and tropical sunshine I was enjoying all those days ago, and at times I’ve felt rather grumpy. I wished I was back relaxing at that beach bar in Barbados, walking lazily through lapping waves breaking on a perfect beach instead of coding! And to top it all off, I haven’t got Keswick to look forward to this year either.

The feeling I have now is part of life’s ups and downs. That week in the Caribbean was a high as I saw the beauty of God’s creation with friends and a delicious strawberry daiquiri in my hand. To be honest, this week has been a bit of a low in comparison. Nothing particularly bad – many people have it worse during this Covid19 time – but not much cop compared to those holiday memories.

David’s having a low moment at the moment too, as his son chased him out of the city, and potentially away from the throne forever. Will Absalom’s rebellious plan work?

How can we react as Christians when we have life’s low moments? Well, we act like David in his psalm, and we continue to praise God, thank Him for sending Jesus, and trust Him. Have you ever seen that film, Facing The Giants? There’s a catchphrase that the central character, a football coach, says to his struggling team: “We praise Him when we’re winning and we praise Him when we’re losing”.

How are you at doing that?