Absalom's Infrauduration

 

Absalom was the most handsome man in all the land. His hair was long and thick and flowing. He cut it once a year and boasted about how much it weighed. He was a prince. The son of a king.

He positioned himself in prominent places among the people. He made himself available to them. Day after day he met them, listened to their cause, their complaint, their pain. He spoke kindly to them. He hugged them, kissed them, held them so close he could smell their hair. In so doing, he won the hearts of many. Surely this handsome prince would one day be king.

He gathered to himself a following. He provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. He was prestigious and regal and said the time had come that he, was the one to sit upon the throne.

Then Absalom secretly sent spies throughout the land, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns!’ ” He invited his followers to a party. They went innocently, knowing nothing of his plans.

Absalom choreographed his own inauguration; unbeknownst to the king, or the majority of the people.

At the sound of the trumpet, like mocking birds the spies repeated what they’d been told. All throughout the land it spread, “Absalom reigns!”

David, the real king, heard the news. He could’ve sent an army to silence the insurrection. He could’ve held his ground and refused to leave the castle…but, he didn’t. Since he loved the people more than the kingship, because he wanted peace, more than position, for the sake of his kingdom, he bowed his head and walked away.

Multitudes who loved the king, went with him. He told many to go home, stay safe, keep the peace. Most refused saying, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”

The arc of the covenant of God was carried out of the city, following King David. When David saw it, he said, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. But if He says: ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”

David wept. He humbled himself, covered his head and walked barefoot up the hill. The people went with him, weeping. Together they went praying and weeping.

As they walked some others mocked, threw rocks, hurled insults and cursed the king.

David’s mighty men, warriors everyone, were on his right and on his left. They said, “Who is this dog that curses the king? Let me go and take off his head.”

David shook his head, “No, let him alone.” He swallowed hard and wiped his eyes. “Perhaps I deserve it, my own son seeks my life.” Then, he smiled a little and said, “Maybe the Lord will look on my affliction, and repay me with good for his cursing this day.”

Meanwhile, Absalom completed his coronation celebration.

Then there were two.

Two kings in the land. One by open transparent appointment and anointing of God, for all the world to see. The other by hidin’ and bidin’ time, spies, deceit and conspiracy. One had an inauguration, the other an infrauduration.   

When Absalom heard the king was gone, he entered the city, sat on the throne, made the Oval Office his home. He went straight to work issuing executive orders, one after another, undoing everything that had been done. But he couldn’t rest. Even though David had walked away in peace, it wasn’t enough…he wanted him dead.

Absalom mounted his royal donkey and pursued the threat to his throne. The donkey went under a low hanging bough. The hair Absalom loved got tangled in the tree. The donkey that carried him, rode away without him and left him alone, hanging there, to die.

Even though the prince pursued him, the king, the real king, wished him well, wanted no harm and was grieved when he heard of his demise.

Truth prevailed, the true king returned to his rightful throne and everybody lived happily ever after.

The end…

or, is it just the beginning? And the best is yet to come.

 

Adapted from 2 Samuel 15-19