Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'" – 2 Samuel 15:10

Today's Scripture Reading (November 3, 2025): 2 Samuel 15

Saul was dead. He had been killed in battle against the Philistines. And now, a new King reigned over Israel. His name was Ish-Bosheth (I know, you thought I was going to say David|), and Ish-Bosheth was the son of Saul. At the time, David had a conversation with God. David was still in hiding from Saul outside Israel, and after Saul's death, his immediate struggle was what to do next. Should he return home, or stay in hiding? He inquired of God, and God told him to go back to Judah, his own tribal people. The next question was, where? We associate David with Jerusalem, but it is important to note that, at this moment, Jerusalem belonged to the Jebusites, not to Israel. Jerusalem had been taken by Israel a couple of times, but neither of those victories had lasted.

David asked the question, and God had answered. David was to go to the Judean town of Hebron. And there, the people made David King over Judah. It began a time of divided rule in the history of Israel. Ish-Bosheth ruled over most of Israel, but David ruled over Judah from Hebron.

The story of Ish-Bosheth has a tragic ending. While the enemy had killed Saul, Ish-Bosheth was killed by two men whom he trusted. Rechab and Baanah were two of Ish-Bosheth's captains. After Ish-Bosheth surrendered to David's forces at the conclusion of a two-year civil war, these two captains assassinated Ish-Bosheth, expecting that David would reward them. But David didn't see it that way, judged the two men guilty of high treason, and had them executed. David was now King over all of Israel, and for another five years he would reign from the Judean city of Hebron.

Absalom leaves Jerusalem under false pretenses so that he can attempt to take control of Israel. And he decided that his revolution would start in the same place that David had been first crowned King over Judah, and then had first ruled as King over all of Israel. Maybe he believed that being crowned King in Hebron would lend legitimacy to his reign. He hoped that the people would just accept his rule as the natural extension of his Father's; Absalom was the oldest surviving son of David, the natural heir to the throne, and being crowned in the historical place where David had been made King, Absalom hoped, would drive that image home.

So, Absalom sent friends throughout the Kingdom with a message. In a day without universal media, this would be the closest thing possible to something going viral on our social media pages. At one point, these friends of Absalom would declare that Absalom had been made King in Hebron, and they hoped the people would accept the change in leadership as just the next step in the nation's development.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 16