“And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing,” 2 Samuel 15:11.
There is likely a link between the sad events of 2 Samuel 15 and the experiences over which David mourns in another of my Bible readings this morning, Psalm 69. It is widely believed that Psalm 69 refers to the grief and suffering caused to David by Absalom’s rebellion.
Here is Dr John Gill’s comments on the verse which I wish to draw your attention to.
‘Ver. 11. And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, [that were] called, &c.] Invited by him to go with him and partake of his peace offerings, as the payment of his vow in Hebron; part of which was made a feast of for his friends, whomsoever he should think fit to invite, as he did to the number of two hundred, and for the entertainment of whom a large provision ought to be made; the Jews {h} have a tradition, that he had leave of his father only to invite two to go with him, and that he asked two more unknown to the first, and so on, two after two, until they amounted to two hundred: and they went in their simplicity; to partake of the feast of the peace offerings, to which they were invited; being quite harmless and upright in their intentions, having no thought of disloyalty and rebellion in their breasts: and they knew not anything; of an intended conspiracy; howbeit, doubtless many of them were drawn into it when got thither; and as these may be supposed to be some of the principal men of Jerusalem, it was a great weakening of David’s interest, and laid a considerable foundation for Absalom to begin upon.’
Observations
I quote Dr Gill as a means of showing support for my own observations on this verse, read this morning (Saturday 19th) as the first chapter of my daily Bible reading.
I must acknowledge that I find daily in God’s Word that which strengthens me in the midst of the present controversy I have with some foolish men within our denomination with regards their forsaking of the “old Paths” into which the Lord led our founding fathers in 1951.
In this chapter we have related to us the events that indicate that Israel was on the verge of a very sad and bitter catastrophe, born out of David’s failure to rightly deal with the sin of a son he loved.
Absalom’s sin was a direct consequence of David’s gross transgression. He had wonderfully repented of his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her godly husband, Uriah. Psalm 51 records his deep repentance and the pardon he received from his merciful God.
But forgiveness does not remove the consequences of our wrongdoing. Seeds are sown that will bring a sad harvest in our life. The sin of Peter, when he denied the Lord was pardoned but its memory lived on until his death to vex and torture him!
David was told of the harvest his sin would bring by the Lord.
The sword
“And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun,” 2 Samuel 12:7-12.
The beginning of that affliction is seen in chapter 15, the events of which took place some 9 years after David’s sin according to Ussher’s Chronology.
I wish to examine the actions of these men, who in their “simplicity” and ignorance are caught up in Absalom’s wicked rebellion.
The word “simplicity” means ‘integrity’. They were acting in innocence and ignorance but sadly, they were engaged in something very wrong.
I believe that these words have an application to the circumstances that have arisen within the Free Presbyterian Church.
There are many, especially amongst young Free Presbyterians , who just have no idea of the blessing the Lord poured upon our churches back in the 1960s.
It has been said of the printed sermons of George Whitefield that they fall far short of what it was to hear him actually preach!
The same may be said of the reports of the days of blessing that began some 60 years ago and continued for some 15 years. Those reports no matter how faithfully they state events of that time, cannot convey what was experienced by those who sat in those meetings when the Holy Ghost came down!
Anyone under 60 years of age can really have little understanding of the character of the witness of the Free Presbyterian Church and the presence of God that was in our protests.
We can read of God’s moving in Egypt prior to leading His people out but how little we can really understand of what it was like to be there and witness those days.
I believe amongst the younger Free Presbyterians there are those who are very easily persuaded that things were not as reported in the ’60s and attempts to experience such again are unnecessary!
I was once told that ‘we cannot turn the clock back’. That is very true, but the Lord can!
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come,” Joel 2:21-31.
Here is a promise that we WILL see such times of wonderful blessings again and many who doubted the reports of the wonderful events in the glorious period beginning in the mid-1960s, will see for themselves and exclaim, “Behold, the half was not told me”! (1 Kings 10:7)
Please consider:—
I. THESE DECEIVED MEN ACTED THINKING THAT THEY WERE ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE OF GOD.
Verses 7-9 record the deception of David by Absalom about what it was he was going to do in Hebron. Absalom said it was to worship the Lord but it was to initiate rebellion!
1. Sadly, such was the degree to which they admired Absalom, they failed to recognise what he was really up to! Absalom was a devilish character, who by his engaging charm and craft had stolen “the hearts of the men of Israel,” verse 6.
There is one thing that the devil is not short of and with which he can endue those foolish enough to do his bidding, and that is ‘charm’!
As Paul tells us: “But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light,” 2 Corinthians 11:12-14.
The Lord tells us that the men mentioned in our text were innocent and ignorant and parallel situations have arisen many times in the history of God’s word.
I would suggest that we have another such recurrence of this folly taking place amongst us today. All too many have been caught up with that, the true nature of which, they have taken no time to investigate!
Indeed, there are those, just like Absalom, anxious to keep it hidden from them!
Strange
This not so strange or unusual. It happened even in apostolic days as the quote from 2 Corinthians tells us. But there were other cases of such deception.
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed,” Galatians 1:6-9. Later in that same epistle, Paul wrote:
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” 3:1.
Christians bewitched! Yes, it can mostly certainly happen.
2. The proclamation that Absalom was making, and which they would have heard, should have told them the true nature of that which Absalom was engaged in! “But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron,” verse 10.
Sadly, it is often the case that we can look at the obvious ‘in the face’ and not see it for what it is.
The devil’s agent in the midst of the apostles passed unrecognised amongst them for three years!
I tend to think that there are those caught up today with that which is not what they are deceived into thinking it is!
Attacks
What is being termed ‘attacks on fellow minsters’, is rather a proper and scriptural exposing of some men stepping off “the old paths, where is the good way,” Jeremiah 6:16, and leading others to do the same!
Furthermore, there has been a failure, because of a ‘charm offensive’, to act as the office they hold requires. There has been a failure to rebuke these departures from the path that God called the Free Presbyterian Church into existence to follow!
I truly believe there is widespread gullibility abroad amongst our elders and ministers, in that they have failed to recognise just what is going on!
3. Again, one of Absalom’s chief supporters was of such a character, that suspicions should have been aroused. “And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom,” 2 Samuel 15:12.
It has often been missed that Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba! Note these two verses.
“And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 2 Samuel 11:3.
“Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,” 2 Samuel 23:34.
Shamed
The sin of David against Bathsheba would have brought shame upon the family of Ahithophel and it must have caused resentment to set in and a looking for an opportunity to take revenge against David.
It is seen in other passages of Scripture that Ahithophel had been a former close companion and confidante of David. He is called “David’s counsellor” in verse 12.
But he was soon termed in very different words.
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me,” Psalm 41:9.
“For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance,” Psalm 55:12-13.
In turn, these words of David in these Psalms are used of Christ’s betrayal by Judas. The Saviour Himself quoted David’s words and indicated that they prophetically referred to His betrayal.
“I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me,” John 13:18.
Smouldering
Resentment, smouldering bitterness at some perceived slight, a desire to be viewed as someone of importance — these things have often given rise to folly. That was the case with Absalom.
I just wonder at the true motivation behind the stirring up of animosity toward the stand and witness of the Free Presbyterian Church in the past, that is very evident amongst us today. There are those who clearly show indications of a desire to break free from the curtailing of whom they should have fellowship with or what ‘hymns’ are to be sung!
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Monday 21st September 2026
Part 2 to follow shortly.