Absalom (part 10)

After Absalom entered Jerusalem, he sought the counsel of Ahithophel, saying “Give us your advice.  What should we do?” (2 Samuel 16:20b)  Ahithophel provides a two part answer.  The first part of his answer is “Have sex with your father’s concubines whom he left to care for the palace” (16:21a).  Absalom, quite pleased with this suggestion, seizes on the idea and follows through on it.  We read that “they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom had sex with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel” (16:22).  Why does Ahithophel suggest this?  Why does Absalom do it?  It is suggested and undertaken because of what it was that the prophet Nathan had said to David, after David’s taking of Uriah’s wife and life.  Through Nathan, God had said to David, “you have despised Me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!” (12:10b) 

Though it does not provide a direct correlation, it would not be too far-fetched to suggest that this despising of God by David bears very little difference from Israel’s forsaking of God and worshiping of idols, by which they despised Him.  If this is correct, then it is only right that David experience what God promises to His people for idolatry, which is cursing (exile).  So Nathan continues, saying “This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you from inside your household!’” (12:11a)  Certainly the Absalom situation, which has been created and fueled by the Tamar and Amnon situation and the resulting fall-out, could be described as disaster from inside the household.  Furthermore, God says, “Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion.  He will have sexual relations with your wives in broad daylight!” (12:11b)  Why?  Because “Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight” (12:12).  This is obviously fulfilled.

In the Deuteronomic curses, Moses informs God’s people that one of the curses that will come upon them for their failure to obey God’s commands (of which David was certainly guilty) would be that “You will be engaged to a woman and another man will rape her” (Deuteronomy 28:30a).  This is not strictly analogous to what Nathan has told David, or to what it has been suggested that Absalom do, as neither God’s threat through Nathan nor Ahithophel’s suggestion to Absalom carries with it (at least on the surface) the connotation of violence or force, but it can probably be thought of as being connected closely enough to drive home the point to David that he has violated God’s commands.  Additionally, Ahithophel sees a close enough connection in that it will play well into Absalom’s ongoing effort to show himself as a true deliverer in the mold of Moses, thereby allowing him to continue co-opting the most powerful story of Israel’s history for his own purposes.  Furthermore, it adds to Absalom’s claim to be a just man and the one that is used by God to deliver justice to Israel.  This is especially and strikingly so if he is the means by which the prophecy related to cursing that had been delivered to David by Nathan is fulfilled.  This merely cements the notion that David is no longer fit to be king, while also pointing to the fact that the story of Bathsheba and David, and the oppression and injustice that the story entails, has been made known in Israel.  If it has not, then there is no real point in Absalom engaging in sexual relations with his father’s concubines, unless it is also being used to indicate that just as David has forsaken these wives of his, that he has also forsaken his care of the people of Israel as well. 

The second part of Ahithophel’s response to the request to provide advice to Absalom is to say that “All Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father.  Then your followers will be motivated to support you” (16:21b).  Yes, Ahithophel suggests that this will be viewed by the people as Absalom being willing to be cursed by his very own father, if it indeed means justice for Israel.  Absalom will be seen to be willing to bear that pain and shame on behalf of the people.  In a society based upon honor and shame, this is a calculated move (though also prophetically fulfilling) to win further sympathy from the people.  Does this aid Absalom in his desire to be seen as Moses?  Absolutely!  Moses was willing to forsake his father’s (Pharoah’s) house, so as to identify himself with the people suffering under the oppression of the king.  Thinking beyond that, however, this might also be an attempt to entice David to retaliate against Absalom, who, up to this point, has not lifted up his hand (nor asked anybody else to lift up their hand) against his father.  David has left willfully.   He has abandoned his throne and fled from Jerusalem, and Absalom has peacefully entered to take that throne.  If David now turns and raises sword and spear against Absalom and his supporters, then David is to be likened to Pharaoh, who allowed Israel to depart from Egypt and from his oppression peacefully, but then had a change of heart, and set out to recover the Israelites (and his power) violently.