Absalom's Place

I had occasion the last few days to have an old offense resurface. I have relived the myriad of emotions once again. In my devotion this week this lesson came back. So I share another part of my journey. Blessings…rks


Absalom…

The most promising son of a king…

Offended by his brother….

Amnon had forced Tamar to lay with him…..

Little sister raped by big brother….

Absalom harbored this in his heart until he spilled his brother’s blood….

Causing himself to lose audience with the king…

But the people loved Absalom for his size and beautiful hair…..

Absalom began to stand I the gate of the city and hijack or intercept those seeking judgment from the king…….

Usurping the king’s judgment…

He placed himself in a position to offer great wisdom to the masses…

And eventually stealing the hearts of the people….

Absalom declared himself king and David left the city……

Absalom strutted with truth and offense….

He felt justified in his wrong actions…

I am right…

I was done wrong….

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: Proverb 3:3

When some strut with truth they forget mercy......

Absalom made decisions that he eventually paid for with his life......

That started something in him that I find stirring....

Once he drew his brother’s blood……

He began to feel he deserved his father's throne......

And eventually even his father's wives.....

Hence the insurrection...

When reckoning day came….

David said deal gently...... 2 Sam 18:5

Reckoning always comes….

David had truth on his side...

But he also had mercy........

Absalom in the meantime had built a statue to himself....

Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place. 2 Sam 18:18

I have no sons he reasoned…

He called it Absalom’s Place….

He erected a personal monument to commemorate personal folly…..

And even with David asking for mercy for the boy......

The law of the harvest was in motion.....

Vengeance is mine saith the Lord….

Dad's mercy could not stop Joab’s men from pursuing and killing.....

Absalom paid dearly.....

David's hands remained blood free......

But long after Absalom's death....

The statue and memory of his demise continued.....

And when folks passed by....

They would forever remember the folly of Absalom....

That began when he drew his brother’s blood...

That began when he worked against his brother…..

Absalom's Place was a monumental memory of what could have been so much different.....

But pride....

Self Justification...

Self flaunting…

And rebellions built a monument.....

Instead of a heritage....

And every person who was to view the monument would remember his foolishness….

David’s hands were clean…..

And his heart was broken that his boy would reap the rewards of his own folly….

I trust I never build a monument to commemorate my personal flaunting of self justification and pride…

Blessings….

rks