In high school physics, we learned that for every action, there was an equal and opposite reaction. Though this law of physics is manifested in the physical universe, it is not true in the spiritual realm.

In Galatians 6:7-8, God solemnly warns every human being that the results of our decisions, actions, attitudes, words, etc., will not be equal in results, but multiplied and exaggerated. If we do right, we reap much undeserved benefit and blessing. If we do wrong, we reap a harvest of judgment so exaggerated, it destroys us. To put it another way, there are temporal and even eternal consequences for our choices that are exponentially greater than the choices made.

It is with good reason the Lord reminds every young heart to “remember now they creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecc. 12:1). All of us are here on God’s earth to fulfill a certain God-glorifying work: “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might” (Ecc. 9:10), and we only have our relatively short life span in which to do it. Paul explains, “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Because we are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), we have an individual will. He has not made us as mindless robots to render an unthinking and mechanical obedience to Him. Nor has he made us as animals who would live according to Pavlovian instinct patterns. Joshua, at Shechem (Joshua 24:15), and Elijah on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:21), both underlined personal responsibility to choose our personal and moral course of action: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” To underline this truth of personal responsibility for our choices, God repeatedly warns us of judgment to come after this brief life has ended, both for the believer (2 Cor. 5:10), and the unbeliever (Rev. 20:11-15).

ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE LIFE OF ABSALOM

Let us trace this principle of accountability and judgment in the life of Absalom.

1) He took authority over matters for which he was not responsible (2 Samuel 13:20,22). Though his full sister Tamar had been forcibly raped by his half brother Amnon, Absalom should have let his father David handle the family crisis. He, however, plotted revenge and after a full 2 years, had Amnon violently murdered. To do this, he lied to his father, deceived him about his real intentions and committed premeditated murder. Absalom would himself later be murdered by another who took authority into his own hands (2 Sam. 18:14).

2) He chose to copy his father’s sins instead of choosing to do right. David contracted at least six marriages for political expediency (2 Sam 3:2-5). In doing so, he violated God’s law (Deut. 17:17), which forbade the kings of Israel from practicing polygamy. Absalom therefore lived in a divided home in which he had to share his father’s attention and affection with numerous step-brothers and sisters and their respective mothers. He would have been personally and painfully aware of the hurt and injury caused in the lives of others when someone decides to selfishly follow his lower nature instead of God’s law. He should have looked at his father’s sin and used it as a powerful motivation to do right (Ezekiel 18:14-17).

Instead, Absalom gave full rein to his lower nature in egregious ways David never did.

A) He identified with and sought the pagan and God-rejecting members of his family instead of those who stood for right [he spent 3 years with his pagan maternal grandparents (2 Sam 13:37-38)].

B) Instead of seeking the Lord and trusting Him for advancement, he plotted deceived and became disloyal, even to the point of turning people against his own father (2 Sam 15:1-6).

C) Absalom was willing to risk an entire nation in a bloody civil war just to satisfy the cravings of his unbridled ambition; [20,000 men would die bloody, violent deaths (2 Sam 18:7)].

D) He allowed his self-serving and self-centered ways to so control his heart, he was willing to kill his own father to achieve his desires (2 Sam 17:11-14).

A) Undiscerning and unprincipled personalities will gladly aid a rebel in his/her cause for their own self-serving reasons

1. Joab revealed opportunistic motives as he sought credit for restoring an unrepentant and prideful son to the king’s court (2 Sam 14:1)

2. Ahithopel, still smarting from David’s sin with his granddaughter Bathsheba, saw a means of securing vengeance by aiding a rebellious son (2 Sam 15:31).

3. Jonadab, who had revealed his total lack of morality and decency by counseling Amnon to rape his half sister Tamar through a wicked and subtle plot, knew of Absalom’s plans to murder Amnon and yet said nothing to David as he should have done (2 Sam 13:32).

4. Shimei saw his chance to finally give vent to his smoldering hatred for David (2 Sam 16:5-13).

B) Undiscerning and simple personalities can be easily influenced and duped by a charismatic rebel. Absalom, though a wicked rebel plotting the murder of his own father, successfully influenced otherwise decent men to follow him in an ostensibly innocent exercise of offering sacrifices at Hebron. Once there, they found themselves inextricably involved with a rebel in a murderous conspiracy. The obvious lesson is to not spend even “innocent” time with a rebel, knowing nothing good can come of it.

C) Popularity is no measure of the rightness or morality of a movement (2 Sam 15:12). Because a rebel is able to gain a large following is no indication of the integrity or virtue of his cause. In fact, history has repeatedly shown the gullibility of the masses in following unprincipled leaders, who although they are possessed of alluring charismatic leadership, are bereft of character or ethics.

1) Joab would later give even more clear revelation of his opportunistic nature by aiding and abetting yet another rebellious son of King David. Though his temporal judgment would be years in coming, it most certainly did occur (1 Kings 2:28-34).

2) Shimei would also live several more years, but eventually fell victim to his own character flaws and would be executed under King Solomon (1 Kings 2:46).

3) Ahithopel, though a traitor and disloyal, perceptively saw the cause of Absalom was doomed, and took his own life, rather than be a part of the debacle of failure (2 Sam 17:23).

4) 20,000 Israelites would discover to their eternal regret that God does not take lightly rebellion against his order, his man and his law (2 Sam 18:7).