Absalom was one of the handsome princes who lived at the palace in Jerusalem. But he was not like his father, David. When he grew to manhood he thought often about the time to come when his father should die and there should need to be a new king in Israel. Absalom wished to become the new king. Perhaps he did not know that God had already chosen his younger brother, Solomon, to be the third ruler of the kingdom.
As time passed by Absalom grew tired of waiting for his father to die. Finally he planned to steal the kingdom away while his father was yet alive. First he began by acting very friendly toward all the people who came to visit Jerusalem from other parts of the kingdom. He won their hearts by kindly doing services for them. Because he was young and very handsome they became attracted to him. Then when he treated them very kindly they thought he would make a great king indeed.
While this was happening David was busy attending to his duties as a king. He did not know that Absalom was stealing the hearts of many of his people. So when Absalom came to him early one morning and asked permission to go that day to Hebron to worship God there, David said, “Go, my son.” He was glad to hear that Absalom wished to worship God.
But Absalom’s plan was not to worship God at all. He used that for an excuse to go away from Jerusalem without causing his father to grow uneasy. He had already planned to meet with the people of Israel at Hebron and to become their king at that place. Then he would return with them to Jerusalem and sit upon his father’s throne. Perhaps Absalom planned to take his father by surprize when he should return to Jerusalem to claim the throne. But a messenger hurried to tell the King what was taking place at Hebron, and David understood at once what would happen if his son should return and find him there. So he quickly called his faithful servants and told them of Absa-lom’s wicked doings. “Let us flee from the city at once,” he told them,; ‘for if Absalom and his followers find us they will try to take our lives.” This was a sad hour for David. Now his own son, whom he loved from babyhood, had. risen up against him, ready to take his life. Poor David! again he remembered the words of God’s prophet, who said that troubles would come in his own household because he had sinned so against God. And David felt very humble. He covered his head and removed the sandals from off his feet. Then he walked away from his beautiful palace, away from the city of Jerusalem, weeping as he went. And his faithful servants followed, with their heads covered too. They wept with David when they thought about the unkindness of Absalom.
Now the priest Abiathar, who fled to David when Saul had commanded all the priests of God to be killed, Was living in Jerusalem. He and another priest named Zadok, with their two sons, took the ark of God and prepared to follow David, too. But David told them that they could help him more if they would remain in( the city and send him word about the doings of Absalom. So they returned with the ark to the tabernacle.
Another of David’s friends, a very wise man named Hushai, who often helped the King, hurried to join the fleeing company. He tore his coat and put dust upon his head to show the people how sorry he felt for David. But when he met David, the King said, “Hushai, I want, you to go to Jerusalem instead of following me. There you can learn about Absalom)’s plans and tell the priests. And the priests will send their sons to tell me What I must do.” So Hushai left David and went into Jerusalem, while the King and his followers journeyed on toward the wilderness near the Jordan River.
When Absalom and his friends came to the palace at Jerusalem they saw at once that David and his faithful servants had run/ away. They were surprized to find that Hushai had not gone with them, and they asked why he remained behind. But Hushai pretended that he wished to please Absalom as he had pleased David in other days. And because Hushai was a very wise man, Absalom was glad to keep him in his court.
At once Absalom and his friends began to plan how they should capture David and win all of David’s servants to become the servants of the new King. They decided that it would be wise to send an army out that very night to search for David and kill him,
But Hushai said, “Your plan is not good. David is a mighty soldier, and his servants, too, know how to tight bravely. They will defeat your few men. First you must gather a large army together, and then go out after the old King.” Hushai spoke thus because he wished to give David more time to get far away to a safe hiding-place. And Absalom thought Hushai’s advice was best to follow, so he sent messengers to call the soldiers of Israel together; and while the army was gathering, Hushai sent word to David by the sons of the priests, telling him to flee across the Jordan River at once.
When the sons of the priests started to go to David with Hushai’s message, a young man saw them, and he hurried to tell Absalom. Then Absalom sent soldiers to catch the messengers; but they hid in a well until the soldiers had gone back again to the city. Then they ran on to tell David the words of Hushai, and David took his servants and went to the city of Mahanaim, on the other side of the Jordan River.