Bad Guys of the Bible: Absalom, Bitter Until the End

by David Chadwick

Did you know that every great story has heroes and villains? Good guys and bad guys. Those who are in the story to accomplish the goals of the story line and those who are there to resist them.

Well, Absalom is definitely another one of the bad guys of the Bible. You will find his story in 2 Samuel 13-19. One of David’s sons, Absalom was described as the best-looking man in all the land (2 Samuel 14:25). He had looks, charm, and leadership abilities. His long-flowing, golden hair especially stood out. He had the full package.

For a season, David banished him from the land because of an aggressive act against his half-sister who had been abused. Eventually, David allowed him to return to the land, but would not even speak to him. Absalom was incensed by this relational abandonment.

With a deep-seeded bitterness in his heart toward his dad, Absalom set up a conspiracy to overtake his dad’s kingdom. He went to the gates daily and sucked up to the judges and leaders of the city. He planted seeds that he could do a better job than his dad if he were king.

Absalom laid out a plot for his day of rebellion, but thankfully David caught wind of it. One of the major indicators of the coming coup came when he heard that one of his main advisors named Ahithophel, who was Bathsheba’s uncle, had gone to Absalom’s side. One could speculate that he was still enraged by the abuse of his niece and blamed David for it ever happening, so he sided with Absalom to hurt David.

David fled Jerusalem and Psalm 3 was written in this context. In that time, David finally realized he had to go to war and defeat his own son. This fight became especially brutal for King David when Absalom died in the battle. David mourned his death, but finally got back up to continue his rule.

Let me start by warning you that sitting in bitterness toward someone can make people do some crazy things! We see that in the story of Absalom. Know that there are always going to be Absaloms in our world. People who operate by personal ambition. People who are jealous and scheme plots to overtake. Strong, Godly leaders must watch out for Absaloms and pray for God to reveal them. They are enemies in the camp, designed to wreak havoc on God’s story line. James 3:16 says that where there is self ambition and strife, there is every evil thing!

Beware and watch out!