David never figured out how to deal with the rebellion effectively; it was as though his anointing and authority had left him.

No one saw this more clearly than his son, Absalom. When Amnon raped his sister Tamar and David did nothing about it, Absalom became irate (13:22). HIs fury grew the longer the king delayed justice. Further, Absalom tried and failed to get an audience with his father. It was as though David had abandoned his role as spiritual leader over his family.

Finally, Absalom could take it no longer. He got everyone’s attention by committing two crimes. First, he avenged his sister Tamar by murdering Amnon; for this crime his father David banished him (13:37,38). After he was permitted to return, Absalom got angery with general Joab and set his field on fire (14:30).

Despite his action, Absalom couldn’t get the fatherly attention he wanted so desperately. Past the boiling point, he used his passion to sabotage his father’s leadership. He played politics and convinced people to bring their lawsuits to him. He lobbied for support of his leadership. Finally he raised an army to rebel against the king.

In the end, Absalom died as a maverick leader whose passion went awry. As you study his story in 2 Samuel 13-18, look for those lessons about passion gone bad:

1. Passion without perspective brings death (13:22-29).
2. Passion will find expression, in either healthy or unhealthy ways (14:28-30).
3. People follow passion over orthodoxy, even when it’s unwise (15:1-12).
4. Leaders who follow passion defeat leaders who follow protocol (15:13,14).
5. Self-centered passion alway skews the judgment of a leader (16:22).
6. Unchanneled and unbridled passion damages everyone near it (17,18)
7. When passion outweighs wisdom, leaders sabotage themselves (18:9).

The Good News

Absalom represents a leaders who can’t bridle his passion. When a leader embraces passion before he learns submission, trouble always follows.

Does this mean we should condemn passion? Absolutely not! Passion is one of the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Consider the benefits of passion:

1. Passion is the first step to achievement.
2. Passion increases your will-power.
3. Passion changes you.
4. Passion makes the impossible possible.

Passion helps develop your leadership. Passion must, however, pour from the heart of a leader who is wise, accountable, submissive, and unselfish.

2 Samuel 13:22-18:9 details the tragic fallout from Amnon’s rape of his half-sister Tamar, focusing on Absalom’s calculated revenge (murdering Amnon), his exile, and ultimately his rebellion against King David, culminating in David’s painful flight from Jerusalem and a pivotal battle where Absalom’s rebellion ends with his own death, causing David immense grief. The passage moves from family tragedy to civil war, revealing the deep sin and consequences within David’s house.

Insights of John Maxwell to grow leadership skills and hone your passion.