Bad Guys #1: Absalom

I went to a youth ministry conference and one of the things shared by one of the speakers had to do with making your stuff accessible to everyone. Of course, the speaker who shared this charges for everything he shares. But he said that after you teach, make it available through an article or a blog entry etc.

So, in that vein, I will do that. I will be posting the thoughts that spurred on the various teachings or sermons that I share with my students. And since I know that they are hardly world-changing thoughts, I won't be charging. How could I put a price on it? I got it free too.

I started a series on Wednesdays about guys from scripture with questionable reputation. I heard someone preach on Absalom recently and I really started thinking. So that is where I started in the series.

Basically, all of our rebellion can come from a place that is at the least empathetic and at the most understandable. However, when those seeds of frustration or anger over some injustice go unchecked it can grow and fester into something horrible and evil in us.

Absalom had a legitimate grief. Amnon had raped and ruined his sister, Tamar. She was King David's daughter and even though he was upset, Amnon was never punished by the King's hand. This grew and festered in Absalom. Absalom was the one who had to deal with this broken life each day as Tamar had moved into his house. She was good for nothing and was disgraced from the rape and then being released by Amnon. Two years went by without seeing any sort of justice, any retribution. Amnon never even had so much as a wrist slap. And every day here was Tamar, crying, broken, wasted. Her beauty had faded, being replaced by shame and pain. And it was in Absalom's face every day for two years.

Finally that rebellious root that can be used for good can easily festered into full blown sinful rebellion. Sometimes rebellion can lead to revolution and reformation. Luther's rebellious view of scripture totally changed the way people worship. MLK2's rebellion lead to positive social change. Early American rebellion lead to revolution which affords us incredible freedom. Not all rebellion is wrong. In fact, there is not one person who cannot empathize with how Absalom had to feel about his sister. But there is where it ends.

Of course Absalom's life takes a turn and he kills Amnon, flees for his safety, returns home and ultimately runs David out of the King's palace for a spell. This son of David would divide the kingdom and turn people away from the king. And his rebellion left him alone, unsupported, arrogant and leaving behind no real influence.

But there is good news just under the surface of this story ranging from 2 Samuel 13-18. In 14:14 we see that "...God does not take away life. Instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him." Even in the middle of Absalom's rebellion and sin God's wish was that Absalom be close to him and to his father, David. And to prove that is how God truly feels, He provided Jesus for us today.

Absalom was the son of David who divided people and turned them away from the king.
Jesus is the Son of David who unites people and turns them to the King.

Which son of David are you following today? The one who allows rebellion to divide and hurt or the one who changes rebellion into reformation and changes motives, hearts and lives.