The Bible Study Podcast, episode 535.

Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of the kings of Israel and Judah with 2 Samuel 15.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

Remember last week I was saying that David had this kind of halfway measures towards Absalom,

neither quite forgiving him nor quite punishing him, and so he left him in between.

I don't know if that's why the story happens that we read about this week, but it does make you wonder as we read about Absalom's conspiracy.

In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with 50 men to run ahead of him.

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.

Then Absalom would say to him, look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you. And Absalom would add, if only I were appointed judge in the land, then everyone who has a complaint or case would come to me and I would see that they receive justice. Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would

reach out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 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. 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. While your servant was living at

Gesher in Aram, I made this vow. If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord

in Hebron. The king said to him, go in peace, so he went to Hebron. Then Absalom sent

secret messages throughout the tribes of Israel to say, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets,

then say, Absalom is king in Hebron. Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied

Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently,

knowing nothing about the matter. While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for

Ahithafel, the Gilaite, David's counselor, to come from Gillo, his hometown. And so the conspiracy

...