The Polls Are In

Read 2 Samuel 15:1–20:26

1. Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.
2. He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe.
3. Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it.
4. I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!”
5. When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them.
6. Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel. 2 Samuel 15:1-6

Public opinion polls give solid proof that public opinion changes faster than a traffic light. They tell minute by minute what people are thinking—which is good, because people change their minds just as fast.

Absalom knows that aspect of human nature all too well. In this story of national rebellion against David, Absalom is the chief perpetrator, appealing directly to the crowds. His rebellion is popular, showing that the crowd will follow just about anybody. Learn from the fickle nature of the crowds.

Other lessons in this passage include evaluating leaders (making sure they’re not schemers); ignoring unjustified criticism; avoiding flattery; thinking before acting; and using diplomacy and tact.

For a short time, most of Israel was supporting the rebel ruler, Absalom. Soon, however, the people wanted David back as their king (2 Samuel 19:8-10).

Crowds are often fickle, changing their minds with the wind. That’s just one of the reasons we need to live by a higher moral code than the pleasure of the majority. One day the people will want this, the next day they will want that. What the crowd wants, and what people pressure us to do, will rarely conform to what God wants.

Although there is much pressure to conform to the world, rather than trying to be popular and acceptable to the crowd, guide your life by the moral principles given in God’s Word. God never changes, and he knows and wants what is best for you.