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Absalom’s Guide to Stealing Hearts

Links for today’s readings:

Read: 2  Samuel 15 Listen: (6:06)  Read: Psalms 1-2 Listen: (2:05)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

Read: 2  Samuel 16 Listen: (4:03)  Read: Psalms 3-4 Listen: (1:57)
Read: 2  Samuel 17 Listen: (5:00)  Read: Psalms 5-6 Listen: (2:45)

Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 15.2-6

2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4 And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.” 5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

Reflection: Absalom’s Guide to Stealing Hearts

By John Tillman

Absalom stole the people’s hearts. Then he stole the kingdom. How did a vigilante, fratricidal assassin go from outcast to hero to insurrectionist?

Absalom set out to rebuild his reputation, destroy David’s reputation, and overthrow the kingdom. There are, have been, and will be, many leaders of Absalom’s type. Absalom was an anti-David. We need to detect and avoid anti-Christs.

Of course, we should avoid being duped by them, if possible. (Matthew 24.24) But we also must not become like them. Let us reflect on Absalom’s methods, so we can resist employing them ourselves and resist losing our hearts to Absalom-like leaders.

First, Absalom portrayed himself like a king. His extravagant entourage of chariot, horses, and attendants was flashy and projected power. His glamorous appearance, including an impressive head of hair that would figure in his later downfall, wowed everyone.

Second, Absalom feigned humility. Absalom didn’t introduce himself with, “I’m Prince Absalom, newly reconciled to my father, King David.” Instead, he said, “Your servant is from one of the tribes in Israel.” This was disingenuous condescension for a man with a royal chariot. Absalom also dramatically refused to allow people to bow to him. Instead, he grabbed them by the hand pulling them in for an embrace and kiss.

Third, Absalom magnified people’s frustrations and fears. Absalom undermined confidence by highlighting the shortcomings and inefficiencies of David’s rule. He implied that David was not providing justice.

Fourth, Absalom implied only he could fix it. Monarchy was relatively new in Israel. Absalom harkened back to former times when judges administered justice and implied only he was fit to fill that role.

We might rarely meet a full, four-point Absalom, but any one of these qualities is a warning sign—a red flag. The more flags, the more danger.

Reflecting on Absalom’s guide to stealing hearts, it’s tempting to point outward. Like all biblical lessons, we must remove the logs from our own eyes first. Once we can see clearly, we can turn to help others.

Let us look inward. Watch carefully for these Absalom-like indicators in yourself. Firstly, do you use them? Secondly, are you susceptible to others using them?

We can’t be people of hope and faith while simultaneously being people of suspicion who never trust anything or anyone. We have to be wise as serpents without being snake-like and innocent as doves without being gullible. (Matthew 10.16)

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Our sins are stronger than we are, but you will blot them out. — Psalm 65.3

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Beware Opportunistic Power Brokers

Many, like Abner, attempt to align themselves with God’s kingdom for the sake of their own grievances, whether personal or political.

Beware Opportunistic Power Brokers
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Joab’s Play

Links for today’s readings:

Read: 2  Samuel 14 Listen: (5:57)  Read: Revelation 22 Listen: (3:59)

Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 14.1, 19-20

1 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom…

19 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 to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. 20 Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation…

Reflection: Joab’s Play

By John Tillman

Joab is one of the most fascinating and frustrating characters in the Bible. On one page, he’s a heroic general and David’s loyal friend. On the next, he’s an out-of-control assassin. He’d risk life and reputation to carry out David’s will, even when it was murder. Then he’d risk the same to subvert David’s will, even when it was peaceful.

In this chapter, Joab acts not as a military tactician but a dramatic one. He writes a script, a compelling, emotional story. He casts an actress, a wise woman in her own right. He plans the production for maximum effect on David and the public opinion of the court.

Plays often carry great truth and wisdom. Joab, as playwright, gave his actress these wise words: “But that [banishment] is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.” Joab wrote a gospel play for David. Why? “To change the present situation,” the wise woman tells us.

Joab pricked David’s conscience to bring Absalom home. But Joab only cared about David, not Absalom. Also, Absalom was unrepentant. In this same chapter, Joab ignored Absalom until he burned down Joab’s field to get his attention. Later, when commanded by David to spare Absalom, Joab killed him. Joab’s play was to benefit David, not Absalom.

Despite Joab’s callous reasoning, dishonesty, and inconsistent character, his words hold truth. God devises ways for us, the banished, to come back to him.

But God’s plot goes beyond the shortcomings of Joab’s play. God, the King of Kings, doesn’t have to be shamed into forgiving us. God initiates and accomplishes our return. God doesn’t receive us just to make himself feel better or look better. It’s us he wants, not good PR.

Unlike Absalom, we don’t need to burn anything down to get God’s attention. He doesn’t say, like David, “Come back, but you can’t see my face.” With repentance, we are fully welcomed in. And unlike Absalom, who ended his life hung in a tree, Jesus hung in a tree for us.

Let us be actors in God’s gospel play, taking up our cross and our role. Let us play our part, speaking words that the Holy Spirit puts in our mouths. Let us have faith that if we let the gospel play out in our lives, our words and actions can “change the present situation.”

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise. — Psalm 18.2

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Bringing Back the Banished

Our king didn’t grant us partial forgiveness, keeping us from his presence. He died in our place, hung on the tree we were doomed for…

Bringing Back the Banished
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Hatred, the Underside of Lust

Links for today’s readings:

Read: 2  Samuel 13 Listen: (6:39)  Read: Revelation 21 Listen: (4:34)

Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 13:14–16

14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”
16 “No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.”
But he refused to listen to her.

Reflection: Hatred, the Underside of Lust

By Erin  Newton

“Having gratified itself, lust deepens into hatred” (Phyllis Trible, Texts of Terror).

The story of Tamar does not soften its edges. There is no ambiguity of her innocence like some might foolishly try to argue in the case of Bathsheba. The power dynamic is clearly stated: Amnon is a prince and physically more powerful.

But he is ruled by his passions. His sexual desire makes him “sick” with lust. He is obsessed—no longer operating by rationality or morals. His flesh controls his narrative. He is, in fact, powerless to his most base instincts.

Tamar, the weaker person, is the pillar of strength. Unaware of the trap, she shows compassion and empathy for her “sick” brother. When the wicked plot is unmasked, she clearly refuses. “No!” She reminds him of morality. “Don’t do this wicked thing!” She offers an honorable solution of marriage.

But Amnon does not love her. Long-term commitment isn’t his goal. It is not kindness that is making his decisions. He is filled with lust, and by his strength he reacts in violence.

Phyllis Trible notes the change that occurs after the rape: “Violence in turn discloses hatred, the underside of lust.” The reaction is not uncommon. Jo Ann Hackett (Women’s Bible Commentary) says, “There is good evidence that people who force their dominance on others (rapists and sadists, for example) are fighting what they perceive as weakness in themselves and that their victims’ defeat only reminds them of their own weakness and consequently enrages them.” His weakness drove him to violence, and in the end, he still hates himself.

Tamar again is a pillar of strength and truth. She is not ruled by her emotions. When she should be angry and ashamed, she defiantly refuses his dismissal. “No!” She reminds him of what is right. He doesn’t care.

This weak man has no intention of listening to truth, especially truth embodied in Tamar.

Nothing about this story is foreign to our present circumstances. Men and women who feel inferior can be ruled by their own self-hatred and react violently. But the act of violence never solves their weakness. It merely begets more violence.

In the direct context of sexual abuse, we should be mindful of Amnon’s response. We must recognize that venom spewed against survivors is more of a reflection of a perpetrator’s heart. We must be like Tamar—bold, outspoken, and grounded in God’s truth.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Do you not realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you and whom you received from God? You are not your own property, then; you have been bought at a price. So use your body for the glory of God. — 1 Corinthians 6.19-20

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Not a Temptress but an Abuser

Equating sexual abuse victims to “Potiphar’s wife” is reading the passage backwards. Potiphar’s wife is the abuser.

Not a Temptress but an Abuser
Read more: No DARVO

How can we live in a world dominated by Sauls and Ahabs, the disciples of DARVO? How can we know what the truth is and who is telling it?

No DARVO — Readers’ Choice

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You Are The Man

Links for today’s readings:

Read:  2  Samuel 12 Listen: (5:25)   Read:  Revelation 20 Listen: (2:49)

Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 12:7

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”

Reflection: You Are The Man

By John Tillman

You are the man!

In many fields, such as athletic, musical, or business performance, “You are the man!” is a declaration of affirmation. It means, “You are the best! You are the G.O.A.T! You are the expert! You are an idol of what we admire!”

In a court room, “You are the man,” is an accusation. It says, “You committed this crime! You harmed this person! You are guilty!” Nathan the prophet was, in all likelihood, the first person to say, “You are the man” and he meant it in the moral, legal, accusatory sense. It was the climax of a dangerous confrontation between a ruler-gone-wrong and a truth-speaking prophet. David was the man who committed an evil act. Nathan put his life on the line for the truth.

Nathan was a close associate and friend to David—a supporter and confidant. He was predisposed to believe David was a good person and that God was with him. Just a few chapters earlier, when David mentioned building a temple for the Lord, Nathan gave David a blanket affirmation without even consulting God. “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Samuel 7.1-3)

However, after hearing from God, Nathan had to return to David to walk back his statement. “Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?” (2 Samuel 7.5) That must have been a difficult message to deliver, but it isn’t until chapter twelve that we see Nathan’s finest hour. It’s easy to be like chapter seven Nathan, but few are willing to be chapter twelve Nathan.

It is important for us to remember that Nathan’s greatest prophetic moment was not speaking truth to powerful foes but to a powerful friend. Too often we reserve “You are the man” for enemies and “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it.” for allies. We place politics above prophetic responsibility.

Everyone challenges their opponents to change. Followers of Christ are called to challenge the communities and individuals we are closest to. (Matthew 10.34-38) Our purpose is not retribution or rejection, but redemption and reconciliation. When we confront others, we must let our tone reflect the ministry of reconciliation that we have been given. (2 Corinthians 5.18-19)

Saying, “You are the man,” is part of our prophetic responsibility to friends and foes. But even as it accuses, it must simultaneously invite them back into community.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

I will bear witness that the Lord is righteous; I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High. — Psalm 7.18

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Prophets Like Moses

Prophetic messages are often uncomfortable or inconvenient. Resist the urge to grumble against them as the people grumbled against Moses.

Prophets Like Moses
Read more: Prophetic Check Up

Abraham, Aaron, and Miriam leave a prophetic legacy for every man and woman in Christ. Pick up their mantle.

Prophetic Check Up
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The Sword Also Devours Its Wielders

Links for today’s readings:

Read:  2  Samuel 11 Listen: (4:25)   Read: Revelation 19 Listen: (3:47)

Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 11.24-25

24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.” 25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”

Genesis 4.7b

“…sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Reflection: The Sword Also Devours Its Wielders

By John Tillman

David comforts Joab by saying, “the sword devours one as well as another,” but this wasn’t really comfort—it was a cover-up. The sword was in David’s hand as he said it. Worse than that, the sword was in David’s soul. Before the sword’s edge spills the blood of its victims, it devours the heart of its wielders.

This passage is an excellent example of how violence in the Bible is personified as “the sword” regardless of how someone dies. (Uriah died from a hail of arrows, not a sword.) In the Bible, the sword is not a passive tool but an active, hungry predator—it devours.

Violence is a restless evil. Like the sin that “crouched” at Cain’s door, violence leaps into our souls. It’s possible to say that the sword of violence “devoured” Abel and Uriah, but first it devoured Cain and David.

Uriah was one of David’s inner circle of mighty warriors. (1 Chronicles 11.11-47) David assassinated an ally to cover up his private sin. Cain murdered his brother. There is no level of loyalty or love that can’t be breached by the sin of violence.

The sword represents the spirit of violence and is devouring our culture today. As it stalked Cain and David, it crouches at our doors and devours many victims. Some claim this moment, when assassinations and violent attacks top the news cycle, is unique. It is not. The sword has never rested and everything happening now has happened before.

Some claim that only one particular group has become servants of the sword of violence. This is an illusion. David was unintentionally prophetic when he said, “the sword devours one as well as another.” If we think we, or our allies, are immune or innocent, we are fooling ourselves and twice as vulnerable for our hubris. If Cain and David were devoured, we can be as well.

Devote yourself to intense prayer and examination of your heart for signs of the spirit of the sword. Do you celebrate violence? Do you ignore or excuse some sources of violence and rail against others? Do you defend violent or threatening rhetoric? Keep each other accountable. Warn brothers and sisters against the spirit of violence and the sword.


If the spirit of violence breaches your heart, its sword will find its way to your lips, then your hand. It desires to have us, but we must rule over it. (Genesis 4.7)

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations and his wonders among all peoples. — Psalm 96.2-3

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summer
by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: A Sword Unsheathed

Many invoke apocalyptic passages to inspire or justify violence against “God’s enemies” as they define them. This is a misuse of scripture.

A Sword Unsheathed
Read more: Of Pride and The Sword

In scripture the sword is not inanimate. The sword is hungry, with an appetite to devour individuals, races, nations, kings, and empires.

Of Pride and The Sword