2 Samuel 18:18  During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

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I wonder what Absalom’s relationship with Solomon was like? Proverbs 27:2 sounds like it may have been written in memory of Absalom. Check it out:

Absalom raised a monument to himself. Joab and his men raised a monument of stone over his dead body.

It appears Absalom set up his monument early in his life. He says, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name,” but 2 Samuel 14:27 says, “Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom.” Either he set up the monument early in his life or he didn’t feel like his sons measured up to his personal majesty.

His narcissism was his undoing. Read 2 Samuel 17:1-14 and see the problem. Ahithophel offered sound strategy. Hushai offered contrary advice playing to Absalom’s vanity. Absalom determined he would follow his own star. 

Absalom’s story ends in a tale of two monuments. There is the monument he set up to himself, and there is the monument others set up over his dead body. 

Absalom allowed his unearned characteristics to take him places he did not have the character to occupy. He followed his desire for greatness to his own demise. 

Here is wisdom: Don’t be Absalom.

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I will think about myself less. 

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Our Father, thank you for the life lessons of Absalom. There is nothing good about me that did not originate with you. I may be better than ten thousand others in something, but ten thousand others are better than me in ten thousand other things. Deliver me from the desire to be celebrated. Empower me to celebrate others instead. As Count von Zinzendorf said, I want to “Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.” It’s all about you, your mercy, and your grace. Like John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “More Jesus; less me.” Amen.