I’ve noticed what happens when an unrighteous conspiracy is formed. Absalom, one of King David’s sons, is an example of those who form and foment such conspiracies. He wanted to replace his father and become the king. As a result of his dishonor, he began to conspire against David to unseat his father.

Abasalom took his time to sow seeds of doubt about David’s leadership. He would stand at the city gate when people had a case to be judged. He would hear their cases, asking them where they were from. He did this to gain a supportive audience.

Creating doubt is the first seed of rebellion to be sown. “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. I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!” (II Samuel 15:3-4). Absalom wasn’t offering justice. He was planting seeds of division.

“Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel” (vs. 6). Absalom wasn’t judging rightly. He was trying to gain support for his planned rebellion against his father. He told the people what they wanted to hear, not the truth about their cases. Absalom would do this for the next four years.

One day, when Absalom thought the time was right to initiate his rebellion, he asked David for permission to leave the city and go to Hebron to fulfill a vow. David granted him permission, “All right,” the king told him. “Go and fulfill your vow.”

So, Absalom went to Hebron to fulfill his vows. The real purpose of his trip was to gain more support and form an army against David. “But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron” (vs. 10). As many joined forces with Absalom, “the conspiracy gained momentum” (vs. 12). A multitude of voices do not make a lie, the truth.

Absalom’s conspiracy reached its zenith during a battle with David’s troops. As Absalom rode into battle on a donkey, his hair was caught by tree branches, but the donkey kept moving. Absalom was left hanging by the tree branches. In that dangling place of vulnerability, he was killed, and his rebellion came to an end.

Those who create unrighteous conspiracies will always be left hanging in the end because they used deception, not truth, to form their rebellious alliance.

When we are asked to believe something to be true, it’s up to us to determine its validity. If not, we will become a pawn in a game of change and be left hanging when the truth is finally revealed.