Absalom got ten chariots and horses and fifty men to go with him, then he stood at the gate of the city, so he could talk to the people coming in, behind David's back. When anyone had a problem and needed the King to settle it, Absalom told them that the King was too busy to handle their problems, and he didn't have anyone to handle their problems for him, and that he wished the people would make him a judge then he could do them justice.
He was on the campaign trail, so to speak, and everyone supported him for it.
After a while, he went and told David, "I promised God that if he brought me back to Jerusalem, I would serve him. Now I need to go to Hebron to honor that promise."
So David gave him permission to leave.
But Absalem went to take over Hebron, and he set men up who supported him to spread the word that he was King in Hebron when they heard the trumpet sound to signal he had made it there. Two hundred men went with him, but they had no idea what was going on.
He won the hearts of a lot of people that day, and a messenger was sent to David to tell him what was going on. David decided to run away, but he left ten of his live-in girlfriends there when he did.
Many men, over 600 of them, were loyal to David and went with him. Even his servant Ittai the Gittite, who David tried to talk into staying.
Zaddock brought the Ark of the Covenant with him, but David sent him back and told him, "If God finds favor with me, I will be back. The Ark needs to stay put."
So they went up Mt. Olivet weeping, and praying. When David found out that Ahithophel, the Gilonite who was David's Counsellor had allied himself with Absalom, he prayed that God would turn his counsel to foolishness.
When Hushai the Archite showed up to show his loyalty, David sent him back to be a spy for him against Ahithophel. You can use your sons to send messages.
And so it was.
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The lesson I got out of this is that it is good to prepare for the worst and to have people around you that are loyal to you when bad things happen. I am sure most of the people who supported Absalom had no idea who Absalom really was inside, and only believed what they heard.
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