Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot. (2 Samuel 14:25 NLT)

Absalom was a handsome man, and humanly speaking appeared to be without a flaw.  People can portray on the outside what they are not on the inside.  The Absalom spirit promotes a false narrative.

The False Narrative (2 Samuel 15:1-6 NLT)

Absalom hired fifty footmen to appear impressive.  When people came to the city gate for judgment from the King, he told them that they had a strong case, and if he were the judge, they would get justice. He did not let them bow to him but embraced them.  Absalom led them to believe that he was just like them, and he was on their side.  Though he never outwardly stated it but plainly implied that the King did not care for them as Absalom did.  The problem was that his intent was not to help the people but usurp the kingdom from his father, David. He did all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

If you create a false narrative, you can manipulate any group of people, and that is just what Absalom was able to do.  If you tell people a lie long enough, they will start to believe it and begin to act accordingly. The only solution for the Absalom spirit is for the untruth to be eliminated.  This is why Absalom had to die.  If he had lived, the false narrative would have been perpetuated.  Joab, who killed Absalom, disobeyed an order of an overly indulgent father (2 Samuel 18:5), but in doing so did great service to the King and all Israel.

We can fight the Absalom spirit by countering a lie with the truth.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]