5/15 2 Samuel 15:4

⁴ Then Absalom would say, "Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice."

One of David's sons, Absalom, had his half-brother murdered in revenge for raping his sister. Then Absalom fled to another country. After a bit of trickery on General Joab's part, the king allowed Absalom to return to Israel. Eventually the relationship with his father was restored. But Absalom had something else in mind.

Absalom used his good looks and flattery to win the hearts of the people. In return for the mercy shown him, he plotted insurrection. Every time someone would come with a complaint, Absalom would sympathize with them and tell them how he wished he were judge so that he could help them. He slowly won over the heart of many of the people.

Absalom was an ungrateful con man. He cared only about himself. Everything he did was to advance his own cause, while pretending to really care about others. This kind of personality is still among us, and we must be discerning. This was the very thing that Nathan the prophet predicted would be the consequence of David's indiscretion. While it was Absalom's freewill to be so treacherous, it was his father's sin that set things in motion. Had David foreseen all the consequences of fulfilling his lusts, he surely would have run the other way. When sin knocks at the door, we rarely stop to consider the long-term consequences and pain that will result from a moment of pleasure.

Consider: Be discerning, both of words of flattery, and of temptation when it knocks at your door.