“Two hundred men from Jerusalem, invited by Absalom, went in good faith with him, without suspecting his intentions…“ 2 Samuel 15:11

Absalom orchestrated his coup by involving people who were unaware of his true intentions. Sometimes, the sheep are surrounded by ill-intentioned people, and they must remain vigilant to avoid being caught in a trap.

Once the coup has taken place, the pastor must be careful not to lump everyone together and not to confuse the wolf with the lamb. Just because I happen to be in a bank during a robbery does not mean I am the culprit. Likewise, just because my clothes smell of smoke does not mean I started the fire. Sometimes, circumstances and appearances can be misleading, and it is important not to jump to conclusions too quickly.

At first, most military leaders had no idea what Hitler was plotting. They did not know about Mein Kampf, the book he had written in prison.

Hitler was a wolf. He first planned a coup and then attempted to carry it out but failed. This led to his imprisonment, where he wrote his Satan-inspired book.

Some aspects of Hitler’s path resemble those of Joseph in Egypt. God was the one who brought Joseph out of prison and made him second in command over Egypt, but it was the devil who propelled Hitler into his reign. Some people believed Joseph to be a rapist, but he was not. Yes, we must be careful not to confuse the wolf with the lamb.

Called Elsewhere?

Indeed, sometimes what appears to be division is not actually division, and those who leave are not rebels. They simply have a different calling. Just because a member has a different vision of ministry does not necessarily mean he is a rebel or a wolf. He may simply not be called to walk alongside us. He may just be called elsewhere.

If his heart is pure, if his intentions are good, and if he has not truly criticized or slandered us, we should not see his differing viewpoints as acts of betrayal. I have met Christians who were unhappy in certain congregations because they did not recognize their own spiritual DNA there, and the pastor did not recognize theirs either. Then, one day, they found the church that suited them and thrived there.

Peter and Paul had different callings, yet they respected each other’s missions. Paul and Barnabas had disagreements, and they had to separate for a time.

“Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the good news of the Lord’s word with many others. After some days, Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we have proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them, but Paul thought it best not to take someone who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas and departed, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.“ Acts 15:35-40

If Paul wants to leave and no agreement can be reached, then let him leave in peace! And if Barnabas wants to do things differently, let him do so. We must guard our hearts in situations of misunderstanding and refrain from hastily judging people’s intentions.

Only God truly knows what is in a man’s heart. Paul is a brother, and so is Barnabas. Their disagreement does not make one of them a rebel or a traitor. Let us walk in love.

The Coup

Like Hitler, Absalom also orchestrated his coup while in a kind of exile, having to flee far from his father, far from Jerusalem, far from the church. During his three years in Geshur, away from his father, he drafted his book of vengeance.

That was, in fact, his central message: establishing justice, seeking revenge, and eradicating his enemies. By the time he returned to Jerusalem, thanks to Joab, everything was already in place.

“While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing. Then a messenger came to David and reported, ‘The hearts of the Israelites are with Absalom.‘” 2 Samuel 15:12-13

I am always shocked to see rebels turn into wolves, to hear that a rebel has caused division, leading other Christians into his downfall, and setting himself up as their new pastor. I always wonder how such people can believe their work will be blessed. Unfortunately, it will never be blessed because this work is their own and not God’s.

God cannot place His hand of favor and blessing on a “church” built on division. While Absalom was outwardly offering sacrifices to God, he was in fact finalizing his betrayal.

Many Christians preach and pray in rebellion. They offer sacrifices with one hand while holding a loaded gun aimed at the pastor with the other.

“They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.“ John 16:2

The wolf is sometimes convinced he is doing the right thing. Disobedient and having silenced his conscience, he is sometimes overcome by spirits of deception that make him believe he is doing good. In his madness, Hitler was convinced it was right to exterminate the Jews and all those who did not fit his idea of “good.” Judas, for his part, had convinced himself that Jesus was a liar!

Hitler, the prisoner who had attempted a coup against the government, became Chancellor barely ten years later, manipulating his connections and taking advantage of a political crisis. Wolves often emerge during crises—sometimes ones they themselves have caused. More and more people followed Hitler.

A year later, in the midst of escalating tensions, he became the new head of state just as some rebels steal the position of the legitimate pastor, exploiting a crisis within the church…

This text is an excerpt from the book Walk in Love 2 written by Jérémy Sourdril.

We invite you to read the next article: “COMMUNICATION ERRORS.”

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. THE WOLF AND THE LAMB.