David’s Disloyal Son

David’s Disloyal Son

Q: Which of these happened to Absalom during battle?

• a. He fell off his horse and was killed.
• b. He fell on his sword and killed himself to avoid capture.
• c. He was killed with a dagger while hanging by his long hair from a tree.

David had sons with his many wives and concubines. This was not God’s plan, and it created a lot of competition among the sons who all wanted to be king after David. Absalom, David’s third son, wasn’t loyal to David. He wanted to be king, but he didn’t want to wait until David named a successor. He wanted to be king right then.

Absalom gained followers through scheming and deceit. He moved to Hebron and declared himself king. He was so successful that David had to flee. Then Absalom declared himself king in Jerusalem also.

Absalom and David ended up going into battle against each other. Absalom didn’t fare well against his father, God’s chosen king. Absalom lost twenty thousand men, and the rest fled. He then attempted to flee on a donkey but got his hair caught in a tree. While he was hanging in the tree, Joab, one of David’s commanders, ran three daggers into Absalom’s heart. That was the end of the rebellion against David.

Even though Absalom had not been a good son to David, the king was still sad. Absalom was dead. He grieved for his son.

For You

Absalom rebelled against David, but David still loved his son and mourned his death. In the same way God loves his children even when they walk away from him. He longs to show them mercy and welcome them back. If you are doing things that are keeping you from God, turn from them and back to God.

Answer: c

During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. . . . “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.   2 Samuel 18:9, 14

(The Whole Story: 2 Samuel 15:1-14; 18:1-18, 33)