Absalom was the third son of David by Maacah. He fell into disfavor with his father when he plotted the successful assassination of his half-brother Amnon. After this event, he fled to his grandfather where he remained for three years. Through the work of Joab he was restored to favor with his father.
The Bible describes Absalom as a handsome man. “But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him” (2 Samuel 14:25). To the populace, he was the beloved and beautiful son of the king. To God, he was a murderer and a seditionist. Such reminds us that God “looketh on the heart” and not on the outward countenance (1 Samuel 16:7).
For all of his beauty, Absalom was a treacherous man. He was not satisfied with God’s arrangement. At the command of God, Samuel had anointed David to be king over Israel. However, Absalom wanted to supplant God’s way. He desired the glory that God had designated to his father David. He wanted a following even if it meant that he must rebel against both God and his father. It mattered not to him that the subjects of the kingdom would divide their allegiance between him and his father. He was ready and willing to use subtlety and deceit, if necessary, to accomplish his purposes. Thus, we read:
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that hath a controversy came to the king for judgment… Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice…And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. (2 Samuel 15:2-6)
By these actions Absalom was able to raise such a following that he finally led them as an army against his father the king.
Does anyone think for a moment that Absalom was really interested in whether the people received justice or not? His further actions gave proof of his true motives. He wanted to be king. He wanted the people to look upon him as a “somewhat” in the kingdom, and Absalom was prepared to use them to accomplish his purposes. He was able to some degree to accomplish his goal, but look at how many people were hurt by his actions. Notice the shame that he brought to the people of God. Ultimately, he was defeated in battle and was murdered.
It should be the desire of each of us as Christians to bring glory to God by the way we live our lives. In fact, Jesus commanded such of His disciples (Matthew 5:16). However, we must be careful that our motives for doing things are for the right purpose, and not for self-aggrandizement. In like manner, we must be certain that our respect for others does not cause us to esteem them and their actions above the Word of God.
As we judge men by their fruits (Matthew 7:20), it becomes quite clear that some religious leaders are “in it for what they can get out of it.” One only has to view many of the religious shows, and those who put on these “shows,” to let it serve to illustrate the truth of this point. It is all too apparent that the desire of such men and women is the accumulation of this world’s riches. It has been quite clearly shown that the desire of the leadership in what is commonly called postmodernism is power, numbers and self-glory. These leaders seem to have an insatiable desire to control other people. Such desires, and the cults that develop out of them, are sinful and must be avoided if one is to remain faithful to God.
There are those who engage in power struggles on a local area level. Through means that are sometimes devious they attempt to steal the hearts of people so that a following can be acquired. The end result of such actions will always be to the hurt of the precious body of Christ.
Even the mission fields are not immune to the heart stealing game. In fact, by its very nature it can easily become the breeding ground for this action. A missionary by his very work will naturally gain the respect of those whom he teaches and converts to Christ. This is as it should be, and presents no problem until he develops an attitude that because he is so beloved he may do as he pleases without being called into account for his actions. When he is called into such account for some sin, he will likely stay in the background and let those whose hearts he has stolen make his defense. The sad thing in such a situation is that these poor souls are not aware that they are being used in such a fashion, nor are they aware that they are defending error.
That God was not pleased with the actions of Absalom is evident from the record. Those today who steal the hearts of men by converting them to themselves rather than to the Lord are no less pleasing to God than was Absalom. Our calling as preachers, elders, teachers and saints of God is too sacred and too holy for us to use it to bring men unto ourselves, rather than to cause them to “obey from the heart” the saving Gospel. Heart stealing will always bring division to the body of Christ, and it will cause brethren to mistrust one another. If anyone has been guilty of this action, there needs to be genuine repentance. Otherwise, souls will be lost. May each of us have the desire to “walk in the light” of God rather than steal the hearts of men who will glorify us and not the God who saved them.
