Absaloms Rebellion Story - Bible

David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Amnon, another son of David, fell in love with her. He tricked her and hurt her badly. Absalom was very angry. He waited two years. Then he invited all the king's sons to a feast. He told his men to kill Amnon. Absalom fled to Geshur. He stayed there for three years.

King David longed to go to Absalom. He was comforted after Amnon's death. Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom. So Joab sent for a wise woman from Tekoa. He told her to pretend to be in great sadness. He told her what to say to the king.

The woman went to the king. She said, 'Your servant is a widow. My husband is dead. I had two sons. They got into a fight in the field. No one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. Now the whole clan has risen up against me. They say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down. We will put him to death for the life of his brother.' They would destroy the heir as well. They would put out the only burning coal I have left. My husband would be left without name or descendant on the face of the earth.'

The king said to her, 'Go home. I will issue an order in your behalf.'

But the woman said, 'Let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction. Let him prevent them from destroying my son.'

The king said, 'As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair of your son's head will fall to the ground.'

Then the woman said, 'Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.'

'Speak,' he replied.

She said, 'Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When you say this, you convict yourself. The king has not brought back his own banished son. We will all die. We are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be recovered. But God does not take away life. Instead, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain estranged from him.'

The king asked, 'Isn't the hand of Joab with you in all this?'

The woman answered, 'As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me. He put all these words in the mouth of your servant. Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God. He knows everything that happens in the land.'

The king said to Joab, 'Very well, I will do this. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.'

Joab fell on his face to the ground to honor the king. He blessed the king. Joab said, 'Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king. The king has granted his servant's request.'

Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, 'He must go to his own house. He must not see my face.' So Absalom went to his own house. He did not see the face of the king.

Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king's face. He sent for Joab to send him to the king. But Joab refused to come to him. He sent a second time, but Joab refused to come. Then he said to his servants, 'Look, Joab's field is next to mine. He has barley there. Go and set it on fire.' So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

Then Joab came to Absalom's house. He asked, 'Why did your servants set my field on fire?'

Absalom said, 'Look, I sent word to you and said, 'Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask, 'Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.'' Now then, I want to see the king's face. If I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.'

So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king called for Absalom. He came to him. He bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

After some time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses. He also had fifty men to run ahead of him. He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Anyone who had a complaint to bring before the king for a decision would come to Absalom. He would call out to them, 'What town are you from?' They would answer, 'Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.'

Then Absalom would say, 'Look, your claims are valid and proper. But no representative of the king will listen to you.' Absalom would add, 'If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me. I would see that they get justice.'

Also, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand. He would take hold of them and kiss them. Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way, Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, 'Let me go to Hebron. Let me fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. While I was living in Geshur in Aram, your servant made this vow. I said, 'If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.''

The king said to him, 'Go in peace.' So Absalom went to Hebron.

He sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel. They said, 'As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'' Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests. They went quite innocently. They knew nothing about the matter.

While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. The conspiracy gained strength. Absalom's following kept on increasing.

A messenger came and told David, 'The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.'

Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, 'Come! We must flee! None of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately. If he moves quickly, he might catch up with us. He would bring ruin on us. He would put the city to the sword.'

The king left on foot with all his people following him. They stopped at the edge of the city. All his officials marched past him. All the Kerethites and Pelethites marched past him. All the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.

The king said to Ittai the Gittite, 'Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner. You are an exile from your homeland. You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us? I will be going wherever I may. Go back. Take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.'

But Ittai replied to the king, 'As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, my lord the king knows that wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.'

David said to Ittai, 'Go ahead, march on.' So Ittai the Gittite marched on. All his men and the families that were with him marched on.

The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley. All the people moved on toward the wilderness.

David continued up the Mount of Olives. He was weeping as he went. His head was covered. He was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too. They were weeping as they went up.

Now David had been told, 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.' So David prayed, 'Lord, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness.'

When David arrived at the top of the mountain where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him. His robe was torn. Dust was on his head. David said to him, 'If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, King. I was your father's servant in the past. But now I will be your servant,' then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel's advice. Won't the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king's palace. Their sons Zadok and Abiathar are there with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.'

So David's friend Hushai arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.

Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem. Ahithophel was with him. Then Hushai the Arkite, David's confidant, went to Absalom. He said to him, 'Long live the king! Long live the king!'

Absalom asked Hushai, 'Is this the love you show your friend? Why didn't you go with your friend?'

Hushai said to Absalom, 'No. The one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel, I will be his. I will remain with him. Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.'

Absalom said to Ahithophel, 'Give us your advice. What should we do?'

Ahithophel answered, 'Sleep with your father's concubines. Let him leave them to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father. The hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.' So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. He slept with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

In those days, the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice.

Ahithophel said to Absalom, 'I would choose twelve thousand men. I would set out tonight in pursuit of David. I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would throw him into a panic. Then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king. I would bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you are seeking will bring everyone back. Then the whole people will be unharmed.'

This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

But Absalom said, 'Summon Hushai the Arkite also. Let us hear what he has to say.'

When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, 'Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.'

Hushai said to Absalom, 'The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time. You know your father and his men. They are fighters. They are as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced fighter. He will not spend the night with the troops. Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place. If he should attack your troops first, whoever hears about it will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.' Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear. All Israel knows that your father is a fighter. Those who are with him are brave.

So I advise you, let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, gather to you. They should be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. You yourself should go into battle. Then we will attack David wherever he can be found. We will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. If he withdraws into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city. We will drag it down into the river. Not even a pebble will be left.'

Absalom and all the men of Israel said, 'The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.' For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel. The Lord wanted to bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, 'Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such. But I have advised them to do so and so. Now send a message immediately. Tell David, 'Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness. Cross over without fail. Otherwise the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.''

Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them. They were to go and tell King David. They could not risk being seen entering the city. But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left quickly. They went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard. They climbed down into it. His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well. She scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.

When Absalom's men came to the woman at the house, they asked, 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?'

The woman answered, 'They crossed over the brook.' The men searched but found no one. So they returned to Jerusalem.

After the men had gone, the two climbed out of the well. They went and told King David. They said to him, 'Get up and cross the river at once.' So David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey. He set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father's tomb.

David mustered the men who were with him. He appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. David sent out his troops. He put a third of them under the command of Joab. He put a third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother. He put a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, 'I myself will surely march out with you.'

But the men said, 'You must not go out. If we are forced to flee, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.'

The king answered, 'I will do whatever seems best to you.' So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and thousands.

The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He said, 'Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.' And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

David's army marched out to fight Israel. The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. There Israel's troops were routed by David's men. The casualties that day were great. Twenty thousand men were killed. The battle spread out over the whole countryside. The forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule. The mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair while the mule he was riding kept on going.

When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, 'I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.'

Joab said to the man who had told him this, 'What! You saw him? Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt.'

But the man replied, 'Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king's son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.' If I had put my life in jeopardy and nothing was hidden from the king, you would have kept your distance from me.'

Joab said, 'I'm not going to wait like this for you.' So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. Ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

Then Joab sounded the trumpet. The troops stopped pursuing Israel. They turned back from chasing them. They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.

During his lifetime, Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley. He said, 'I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.' He named the pillar after himself. It is called Absalom's Monument to this day.

Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab, 'Let me run and take the news to the king. Tell him that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from his enemies.'

Joab said to him, 'You are not the one to take the news today. You may take it another time. But you must not do so today. The king's son is dead.'

Then Joab told a Cushite, 'Go, tell the king what you have seen.' The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.

Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, 'Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.'

But Joab replied, 'My son, why do you want to go? You don't have any news that will bring you a reward.'

He said, 'Come what may, I want to run.'

So Joab said, 'Run!' Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

David was sitting between the inner and outer gates. The watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. The watchman called out to the king and reported it.

The king said, 'If he is alone, he must have good news.' The runner came closer and closer.

Then the watchman saw another man running. He called down to the gatekeeper, 'Look, another man running alone!'

The king said, 'He must be bringing good news, too.'

The watchman said, 'The first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.'

'He's a good man,' the king said. 'He comes with good news.'

Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, 'All is well!' He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. He said, 'Praise be to the Lord your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.'

The king asked, 'Is the young man Absalom safe?'

Ahimaaz answered, 'I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king's servant and me, your servant. But I don't know what it was.'

The king said, 'Stand aside and wait here.' So he stepped aside and stood there.

Then the Cushite arrived. He said, 'My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from all who rose up against you.'

The king asked the Cushite, 'Is the young man Absalom safe?'

The Cushite replied, 'May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.'

The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said, 'O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!'

David loved his son Absalom very much. Even though Absalom tried to steal the kingdom and kill his father, David still loved him. When Absalom died, David wept bitterly. David showed that true love forgives and hurts when loved ones are hurt. Even when people wrong us, we should still love them. That is how God loves us. He loves us even when we sin against him.

The Absaloms Rebellion story teaches consequences of rebellion. It shows that pride and betrayal can lead to downfall. This story highlights loyalty and wisdom.