May 22, 2015
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

The Pain of Betrayal

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Opening Prayer

Continue to work in and with me, Lord, because I love You and desire to serve You fully.

Read 2 Samuel 15:1-12

[1] In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. [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. [7] At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the LORD. [8] While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.'” [9] The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron. [10] Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.'” [11] Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. [12] While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“O Lord, how my adversaries have increased” (Psa. 3:1, NASB, written by David when Absalom sought his life). Friends and family betrayed David. Instead of finding love in his relationships, he found deceit.

When Nathan told David that the sword would never depart from his house, all that remained was the heart-breaking fulfillment. God took David’s children from him one at a time to fulfill this prophecy. Absalom, David’s son, tried to take the kingdom from his father in ruthless and cunning ways, all of which involved discrediting David’s kingship, even taking his concubine in a grotesque display of contempt.

Family members can hurt us worse than people we don’t know. Absalom displayed his contempt for his father as he wrested the kingdom from David’s hands one pretentious act at a time. Because kings traveled in entourages, Absalom rode in a chariot with fifty forerunners, signaling to the masses that he was replacing his father as king. Also, like a virtuous king, Absalom sat at the city gate, where people gathered, and judged the cases of the widow, the orphan, and the poor–society’s weakest, most vulnerable, and least-protected members. If that wasn’t enough, he feigned humility by kissing those who bowed before him.

David had been here before: Saul had repeatedly tried to kill David to keep David from taking his rightful place on Israel’s throne. Now Absalom sought David’s life so that he could seize the kingdom from his father. How disheartening this must have been for David! His own family should have been closest to him and most committed to him. But they betrayed him. We learn from this account that sin is costly. It often claims its price in those we love. This is the worst form of suffering, for others–maybe family members–suffer with us for our sin. We know betrayal. Spouses leave. Children rebel and disown us. Employers favor others. Pastors disappoint. But we have all of God’s resources to move beyond betrayal.

Apply

Although it may be difficult to think about, give all of your betrayal hurts to God and ask him for strength.

Closing prayer

Father, help me to move beyond betrayal and draw upon Your strength even when betrayal shuts me down and wounds my heart.

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