Key Verse: Verse 2 – “And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.”
Key Words: what city art thou
In the South, you never hear people say, “What city art thou?” We say, “Now where are you from?”
Absalom is rebelling against his father David, and he steals the heart of the people (vs. 6) by doing three things. First, he meets them at the gate as they enter the city to go about their daily chores. Secondly, he is friendly and carries on at least a brief conversation by asking where they are from. Third, he would shake their hand and give them a kiss of greeting. (This was common in their day.)
The problem with Absalom is the same problem we face today in politics, in the work place, and yes, even in our churches. We greet people, shake hands, tell them we care about them, but it’s all talk; there is a lack of genuine sincerity.
As a congregation was singing the closing hymn, “For You I am Praying,” the speaker turned to a man on the platform and asked, “For whom are you praying?” The man was stunned and said, “Why..why I guess I’m praying for anybody. Why do you ask?” The speaker replied, “Well I just heard you say, “For you I am praying, and I thought you meant it.” “Oh no,” said the man. “I’m just singing.” It is so easy to just be singing words and not thinking about what I’m singing.
Let us begin today, this very moment, to be sincere, share our greetings, and care for others.
What to do:
✞ Remember if we are not sincere with our words and actions, then we are sincerely wrong.
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