2 Samuel 15:1-6
Verse 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
After a while, though he was finally able to see his father, Absalom came to a mind where he decided he wanted to be more than a prince. He started building himself an army of sorts. He started purchasing chariots and horses and finding men to run ahead of them. He didn’t do this just for the sake of ownership or to show his wealth, he was beginning to covet what wasn’t his. He wanted to be powerful.
The prince didn’t stop with the building of a fleet, he understood that if you want to rule, you have to make people like you. After all he had likely heard about the chants which were given regarding his dad killing more than King Saul. If he wanted to prove he was powerful, he needed to get people to like him and then they would back what he wanted to do.
In a move that is quite like politicians in our own day and age, he went out to a place he could greet and listen to the people before they had an opportunity to get to the king for his advice. He understood if he was going to get people to like him, he had to try to care for them before the king had a chance. He would also drop hints to the people so they would plead his case to be a judge. If they were to go before the king and tell him they thought their claim was insignificant for someone in his position but there wasn’t a person of lower judgment they could go to, maybe, just maybe the king would let him be a judge. That would help him get his foot in the door for bigger things in the kingdom.
Not only did he tell them he wished he could help them himself, he would flatter them by making them feel special to him. He would take them by the hand and kiss it. Just like a modern day politician kissing a baby, he would give them the special attention hoping when the day came he could count on them to back him. Making people feel like they personally mattered to him would be a sure gain in his popularity.
It worked! The people couldn’t help but like this handsome prince. He was a person who made himself accessible to the people and they liked it. It wouldn’t take long to build up a sizable following.
Making It Personal
How hard do you work at getting people to like you? Do you try to steal attention for yourself? How could trying to get attention for yourself diminish your witness about Christ?
Making It Personal Kids
Do you like to get a lot of attention? What are some ways you try to get attention? Are there ways you could get attention for Jesus instead of for yourself?
Closing Prayer
Father, we are sorry for the times we have been so busy getting attention for ourselves and miss out on getting to point others to You. Help us learn to direct other’s attention to You instead of ourselves. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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