The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR NOVEMBER 1.

Subject: Absalom Rebels Against
David, 2 Sam. 15-Golden Text,
Elk. 20:12-Commit Verses 8, 6
/. Read 2 Sam. Chs. IS, 16.
TNE.-1026-1O22 B. c. PLACE.
Jerusalem.
EXPOSITION.-I. Absalom's In.
triguing, 10. An appropriate Golden
Text for this lesson would be Gal.
CT. David was simply reaping what
he had own Though God had fully
forgiven David's sin, David did not
on that account escape the natural
consequences of his sin. God had told
him at the time that tie sword should
never depart from his house, and that
He would raise up evil for him out of
his own house e Sam. 1~2:9-12).
Seven years had elapsed since David's
sin. David's daughter had been dis
honored, one son had been murdered,
and another was the murderer. Alb
salon had only been embittered by
his Punishment from the kings pres
ence, and his restoration to favor had
not helped matters in the least. He
was one of those incorrigibles that is
helped by neither severity nor by
kindness, a thoroughly s~elf-centered
man. Brilliant but without charac.
ter, a far more dangerous and. des-
picable man than the ordinary des-
perado. Absalom's first step in an
nouncing himself as a candidate to
the throne was by riding in a state
that David himself did not affect (cf.
1 K. 1888 and 1:5). 1t was expressly
forbidden by God (De. 1915; / Sara.
SID. Many would be pleased by
Absalom's departure from the SIM
plicity of his father. Absalom dis
played diligence in seeking to steal
his fathers throne. So did Christ's
enemies in their plots against Him
Matt. 27:1). There is no n more
diligent than the devil. The Hebrew
Of ". 2 indicates that Absalom was
in the habit Of rising early" 1T
would be well If Christians were as
diligent in seeking the throne that
God offers to them. Absalom sought
the favor Of the disconnected, the
usual practice of politicians. Indeed,
all the methods Of Absalom are much
in vogue to-day. He utterly misrep-
resented the facts about his fathers
administration (cf. CHI. 8:15). He
was guilty Of three sins, Of % Not
honoring his father Eek. 20:12). (2)
pie (Acts 1855; Tx. 22:28). 60
Bearing false witness Eek. 20:16).
These r all common sins to-day.
Absalom deity suggested that If only
he were in power everything would
be all right. In earlier days David
had been a mar of. genial spirit, but
In later days he seems to have drawn
into his shell. Perhaps the memory
of his sin and it's consequences was
responsible for this. Absalom< prac-
ticed his art on "all that came to the
king for Judgment" He succeeded
for the time, he "stole the hearts Of
the men of Israel" But it was David
himself who had undermined the
power of law and loyalty in the king
dom. He had opened the way for
the people to transfer their objections
to another by himself stealing the
heart Of another mans wife. Any
man that commits the sin that David
did is sure to lose mems esteem.
III. AbsaIom's Conspiracy, 7-12.
1t may be that the forty years of v. 7.
refers to the years Of David's reign,
but it is more likely that 1t should
read -four" (see R. v. Marg.) and re-
fers to the years of Absalom's in
triguing. If Absalom had made such
a VOW as he pretended Tvs. 7, 81 he
had been at least six years Indifferent
to it. Quite strange that he should
wake up to it so suddenly. Many men
wake up to their religious obligations
when they have some end to gain by
doing 80. David seems to have lost
his grip, or he would have suspected
something in the light of what was
going on. Nothing SO soo robs a
man of his grasp of practical affairs
as the entrance of sin into his life. 1t
Is not likely that Absalom had ever
made such a VOW. If he had he had
not kept it, and he was not keeping it
now. Absalom next hired some
shouSers and trumpeters. This, too,
is a favorite method of modern poll
ticians. The mass of men are quite
easily carried by a hurrah. Even
Biblical critics sometimes adopt the
same methods. He chose Hebron as
the centre Of operations because Of its
sacred memories (ch. FL, II; 3:2,
3; 5:5). .Absalom tried to make it
appear that all the best men were on
his side, by taking with him 200 who
had no knowledge Of what was going
on. 1t is always wise when n gets
invitations from such men as Absalom
to look into them before accepting
them. Many a foolish one is caught
In this way. Ahithophel was Absa-
Ions chief adviser. The woman
whom David had wronged was his
granddaughter tch. 11:3; CT. CHI.
1884. David felt no other defec-
ton so keenly as his Cps. 41:9;
55:12-14). But again he was reap
ing only what he had sowed. Absa-
lom, like many another unmitigated
scoundrel, observed carefully outward
religious rites ". /; CT. NJ. 23:1, II,
80, / X. 21:9, 12). 1.-The conspiracy
was strong" Absalom's followers were
continually increasing. The people
were saying of David, There Is no
help for him in God" FPS. 81, p.
But David was not forsaken Of God
even in this darkest hour FPS. 1889.
Absalom had left God out in all his
calculations; so utter failure came OF
all his matchless cunning and SEEM
ing promise. Absalom himself was
to blame for his own ruin. But was
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