2 Samuel 15:7-13: a reflection

7At the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. 8For your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the LORD shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’” 9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron!’” 11Two hundred men went with Absalom out of Jerusalem, who were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they didn’t know anything. 12Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. 13A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.”

When Absalom sets out to seize his father David's throne, he cloaks his rebellion in a garment of piety. Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron, he asks David; and David, deceived, sends him with a blessing. But the vow was a pretext; Absalom used the appearance of religious devotion to cover his conspiracy, going to Hebron not to worship but to have himself proclaimed king. His pious words masked a self-serving scheme; he used the guise of devotion to God to further his own rebellion.

Notice how Absalom used a pious pretext to cover his wrong intention. He did not announce his rebellion openly; he cloaked it in the language of devotion, a vow to the LORD, a pilgrimage to worship. The appearance of piety concealed a self-serving, treacherous scheme. He used religious devotion as a cover for his rebellion, the guise of worship to mask his grasp for the throne. The pious pretext was a disguise for wrong intent; behind the appearance of devotion lay a self-serving conspiracy.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can be tempted to use pious pretexts to cover wrong intentions. We can cloak self-serving aims in the language of devotion, using the appearance of piety, of doing something religious or good, to cover what is really a self-serving or wrong intention, as Absalom cloaked his rebellion in a vow. Do not use pious pretexts to cover wrong intentions, cloaking self-serving aims in the appearance of devotion; God sees behind the pretext to the real intention. Beware of using the guise of piety or good to mask a self-serving purpose, as Absalom used a vow to cover his rebellion; let your devotion be genuine, not a pretext for wrong, and do not deceive yourself or others with a pious appearance that masks a self-serving intent, for God is not deceived by the pretext, but sees the real intention behind it.

Lord, when Absalom sets out to seize his father David's throne, he cloaks his rebellion in a garment of piety. Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron, he asks David; and David, deceived, sends him with a blessing. But the vow was a pretext; Absalom used the appearance of religious devotion to cover his conspiracy. His pious words masked a self-serving scheme. Show me how Absalom used a pious pretext to cover his wrong intention. He did not announce his rebellion openly; he cloaked it in the language of devotion, a vow to the LORD. The appearance of piety concealed a treacherous scheme. He used religious devotion as a cover for his rebellion. The pious pretext was a disguise for wrong intent. Take that to my heart, for I too can be tempted to use pious pretexts to cover wrong intentions. I can cloak self-serving aims in the language of devotion, using the appearance of piety, of doing something religious or good, to cover what is really a self-serving intention, as Absalom cloaked his rebellion in a vow. Keep me from using pious pretexts to cover wrong intentions, cloaking self-serving aims in the appearance of devotion; you see behind the pretext to the real intention. Guard me against using the guise of piety to mask a self-serving purpose, Lord; let my devotion be genuine, not a pretext for wrong. Keep me from deceiving myself or others with a pious appearance that masks a self-serving intent, for you are not deceived.