2 Sam. 16-17: “David Lied To And Cursed / Hushai Foils Ahithophel’s Counsel”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1. INTRO:

1.1. In our last study, we looked at chapters 14 and 15 of the book.

1.1.1. In that study, we saw David in his darkest hours. David’s son Absalom instigated an insurrection to oust David from power so that he (Absalom ) could now reign over Israel. David knew that the Lord had promised him that from his own household one would rise up against him, and also that the sword would never depart from his house. In our story, David knew that every detail of what was happening to him was occurring because of the Lord’s chastening him because of his sin. David had brought it all upon himself.

1.1.2. In our previous two studies, we saw David doing lots of reaping of the consequences of his sin, both in his character and in the circumstances he found himself in, and we discussed in depth reaping and sowing and how to live for the Lord in the midst of reaping the past failures you have sown.

1.1.2.1. The apostle Paul wrote for us the following about reaping and sowing in Galatians 6:7-9, “⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Note that there are reapings to the flesh and reapings to the Spirit, as well as an encouragement to continue doing good.

1.1.2.2. We have discussed previously that it is important for us as Christians to realize that, “Every single action that we take is a seed that we sow. In time each of those seeds will grow up and reap a certain consequence in our life, either good or bad.”

1.1.2.3. We discussed in our previous study how that there are many different types of experiences that we go through in our lives as Christians, mountain tops, valleys, and deserts, victories as well as defeats, and joys as well as sorrows. Learning to walk by faith means accepting all of these things that occur with us from the loving hand of God, and then coming to count it all joy whenever we encounter various trials ( just as we are told to do in the book of James ).

1.1.3. So, David was now experiencing his darkest hours yet as his son Absalom had started an insurrection to take away his throne, and David was forced to flee Jerusalem.

1.1.4. Yet, we also noted that King David did not try to resist what was happening to him with this insurrection since he realized that it was all coming about from the Lord’s hand of discipline in his life. Thus, David accepted every aspect of his chastening trials as coming from the loving hand of God.

1.1.5. Though David was accepting the trying events that occured in his life as coming from the hand of God, and he was repentant, what was happening to him was not occurring just because of his reaping the consequences of his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and the subsequent murder of her husband Uriah. David encountered these trials partially because he made yet another sinful choice and allowed his son Absalom to return to Israel and not have to receive the justice due him for the murder of his brother Ammon. There was no excuse for David glossing over the sin of murder in Absalom’s life. We have already seen how that one of David’s weaknesses was that he was an indulgent father.

1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at chapters 16 and 17 and see the events that occur in David’s life as he is fleeing Jerusalem with his servants and the 600 Philistines who had come with him when he moved from Philistia to Israel.

1.2.1. In our last study, we left off with the incredible and moving experience of seeing David, the rejected king, weeping as he crossed the Kidron Brook and walked up the Mount of Olives barefooted and with his head covered. We saw at that time that :

1.2.1.1. David wept because he knew that it was his own sin that had caused the chastening of the Lord upon his life.

1.2.1.2. David’s sorrow was also the type of “godly sorrow that produces repentence” which the apostle Paul wrote about (2 Cor. 7:10-11).

1.2.1.3. All of the men with David, which included his immediate family, his servants, and the 600 Philistines (remember we saw that this group served as a type of the church who followed the rejected Christ after God’s people, the Jews, had rejected Him) wept also and covered their heads as they walked. These men were sharing in the sufferings of their master, just as we Christians are called upon to share in the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor. 1:5, 1 Peter 4:13).

1.2.2. We will see that Satan tries to hinder David and his effectiveness for the Lord by coming to him as both the “deceiver” as well as “the roaring lion.” Ziba and Shimei are the instruments Satan uses to accomplish this.

1.2.2.1. David is lied to and deceived by Ziba, one of his servants whom David had assigned, along with Ziba’s 15 sons and 20 servants, to help Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth to work and cultivate the land that had originally belonged to King Saul, and which David had now given to Mephibosheth. Ziba lies when he tells king David that Mephibosheth had stayed in Jerusalem because he thought that now that Absalom had risen up against David that the kingdom would be given to him (Mephibosheth).

1.2.2.1.1. We’ll examine Ziba’s motives for lying as well as the trickery that he used in deceiving David.

1.2.2.1.2. We will also see how that David errored by believing Ziba without making his own investigation into Ziba’s allegations.

1.2.2.2. Next, we will see that there is a man named Shimei (the “roaring lion”) who begins to walk alongside of David and his men throwing rocks at them and cursing David for being a “bloody man” (“man of bloodshed”). We’ll see how that David restrains any of his men from retaliating against Shimei for this act, and David allows this man to continue doing this this because he realizes that Shimei’s cursing him and throwing rocks at them is part of the Lord’s chastening of him because of his sin.

1.2.3. We will also observe how that Hushai, one of David’s loyal servants and counselors, a man who had remained with Absalom in the palace in order to spy on Absalom for David, foils the wise counsel of Ahithophel and thus averts David and his men being slaughtered by Absalom and his band of mercenaries.

2. VS 16:1-4 - “¹ Now when David had passed a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. ² The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink.” ³ Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ” ⁴ So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!”” - Ziba lies to the king and deceives him into believing that Mephibosheth remained at the palace in Jerusalem because he thought that he would finally now receive the kingdom from David

2.1. As we have studied the events that have transpired in David’s life since he committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for the murder of her husband, we have seen him in situation after situation where he is suffering the natural consequences of his sin, reaping exactly what he had sown. The rebuke and pronouncement of judgment from Nathan the prophet has been coming true : one did arise against him from his own household, and the sword has not departed from his house. The events we will discuss in this study are just a continuation of David’s reaping because of his sins.

2.2. Ever since word came to David that Absalom had risen up against him to take the kingdom away from him, David has had one difficult experience after another. Absalom, his most beloved son had tried to oust him as king, and Ahithophel, his most trusted counselor had betrayed him and gone to advise Absalom in his coup to take over the kingdom. Now, David is taken completely off guard and deceived by this man Ziba because Ziba comes to him and shows incredible kindness to David and his men by bringing saddled donkeys for David’s household and lots of bread, summer fruit, and wine for David and his men to eat.

2.3. It is not the case in our lives that we often have more to fear when people treat us nicely than when they mistreat us? The reality is that flattery and acts of kindness are more often than not are attempts to manipulate us to do certain things.

2.4. We Christians need to realize that Satan uses a variety of tactics when he creates those snares to cause us to stumble in our faith and walk :

2.4.1. He comes as a “roaring lion” seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).

2.4.2. He comes as “an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14) supposedly bringing such great illumination to the truth, yet secretly and subtly heresy is introduced.

2.4.3. If he can’t beat us, then he joins us, and this is typically the most destructive work he performs (strife, division, heresy, etc. results).

2.4.4. He comes as “the temptor” to cause us to fall into sins of the flesh and pride.

2.4.5. We as Christians must be very prayerful and careful in the things that we do in our lives for he often comes to us as “the deceiver” to deceive us.

2.4.5.1. Here we see that he comes to David disguised as an emissary of humanitarianism who seeks to help and minister to him in his need, in the person of Ziba.

2.5. In 2 Cor. 2:11, the apostle Paul wrote concerning our adversary, the Devil, that he (and those with Paul), “were not ignorant of his schemes.” If we Christians understand better the ways in which the Satan and the demons seek to deceive and stumble us, then we will better be prepared for those attacks that come our way.

2.5.1. We Christians should always expect that Satan will come to us in a way that we least expect!

2.6. Ziba had a wrong motive for doing a good deed. Are there not many good deeds done from wrong motives? A good deed done from a wrong motive is still wrong and is never pleasing to the Lord.

2.7. Ziba had long been jealous and envious of Mephibosheth for having received as an inheritance all of the land belonging to King Saul, after the king’s death. Thus, when Absalom began this insurrection Ziba saw this as his opportunity to take Mephibosheth’s inheritance of land away from him, and to enjoy it himself. To do this he used to vehicles :

2.7.1. He made himself look good by doing a good deed for David and his men.

2.7.2. He made Mephibosheth look bad by lying about him saying that Mephibosheth rejoiced at David’s fall as king and saw the event as his opportunity to finally gain the throne that, as a grandson of King Saul, rightfully ( that is, in his mind ) belonged to him.

2.7.2.1. We will see later on in this book that this accusation by Ziba did not resemble Mephibosheth’s heart or desires.

2.8. Besides learning to beware of people’s kindnesses shown to us, there is another lesson to learn from David in these verses. David believed the story he had been told by Ziba about Mephibosheth without first investigating their truth himself. By doing this, David committed a great folly and at least temporarily impacted negatively the life of one of David’s most loyal subjects, Mephibosheth.

2.8.1. We Christians must learn some lessons from how David mishandled this accusation of Ziba against Mephibosheth :

2.8.1.1. In the first place, don’t listen to someone criticizing or speaking of someone in a bad light. Stop the person doing this by simply saying, “Have you talked to so-an-so about this yet?” If they reply, “No,” then tell them not to continue telling their story to you until they talk with him/her.

2.8.1.2. Remember that we are never to take one person’s word for anything. The Old Testament tells us that we are never to accept an accusation by the mouth of one witness, only by two or more. Then, even in that case the accusation needed to be brought before a group to investigate and determine the truth in the matter.

2.8.1.3. We as God’s people should be ones who “believe all things” and “hopes all things” about people (1 Cor. 13:7). Many people always tend to expect and believe the worst about people, but we must never do this.

2.8.1.4. One “rule of thumb” that we ought to follow as Christians is, “Don’t say anything behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t be willing to say to his/her face.”

2.9. Notice lastly that David acts impulsively in immediately granting that Ziba should receive all of King Saul’s inheritance. David will eventually reverse this decision after he realizes his error. As a consequence of his sin with Bathsheba David still seems to have little discernment concerning the true motives of the people around him.

2.10. Also, David did not inquire of the Lord here, for with Zadok the high priest back in Jerusalem David had no one who could use the Urim and Thummin to inquire of the Lord.

3. VS 16:5-14 - “⁵ When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. ⁶ He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. ⁷ Thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! ⁸ “The Lord has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!” ⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head.” ¹⁰ But the king said, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ” ¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him. ¹² “Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.” ¹³ So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. ¹⁴ The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there.” - A man named Shimei begins to walk alongside of David and curses him and throws stones at him as he walks, however David will not allow this man to be harmed for this

3.1. Shimei, we see here in verse 5, was a descendant of King Saul. As such, he had loyalty for King Saul. This man did not realize that David was the man that the Lord had chosen to reign over Israel. Rather, Shimei believed that King Saul was still supposed to be the king ruling over Israel and that David was just a murderer who had killed Saul.

3.1.1. In reality, David hadn’t killed Saul. Plus, it was King Saul who had continually been hunting David to kill him. Saul was replaced by David as king from the very hand of the Lord who had anointed David to be king.

3.2. David sensed right from the beginning that the cursing and rocking throwing by Shimei was coming from the hand of the Lord as discipline because of David’s sin, for he says of Shimei, “Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him.” Thus, David accepted this treatment and refused to stop Shimei nor allow any of his men to go and to retaliate against the man.

3.2.1. Perhaps David remembered that it was as far as Bahurim that the husband of Michal, David’s first wife given to him by King Saul and then later given as a wife to this other man, went as he was weeping, when his wife was being taken back to King David, her first husband, just after David was made king over Israel. See 2 Sam. 3:16.

3.2.2. David realized that there was more than a grain of truth in what Shimei was saying for David was in fact a “bloody man,” however the blood on David’s hands was not that of King Saul, but rather that of Uriah the Hittite.

3.3. Notice when David says, “¹² “Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day,”” how that he (David) just submitted himself to the Lord’s hand in chastening him on this day. He desired to be at God’s mercy rather than to take matters into his own hands and have this man Shimei killed.

3.4. David’s men react much like James and John who wanted to call down fire from heaven against those who wouldn’t receive Jesus. Much as David does here with these men, Jesus, David’s anti-type, rebuked James and John telling them that they did not know what kind of spirit they were of.

4. VS 16:15-20 - “¹⁵ Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶ Now it came about when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” ¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” ¹⁸ Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whom the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹ “Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”” - Absalom and his followers enter Jerusalem and Hushai comes to Absalom and feigns submission to him as king

4.1. We discover in these chapters that Hushai was a counselor in his own right.

4.2. We saw in our previous study that Ahithophel was very wise and had been David’s best counselor, and, that Ahithophel had joined up with Absalom because he had bitterness towards David that was generated because of the fact that he was Bathsheba’s grandfather and had seen the devastation that had come to Bathsheba ( and her family ) as a result of David’s committing adultery with Bathsheba and then arranging for the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite.

4.3. We saw in our previous study that David had sent Hushai back to Jerusalem in order to be a spy of Absalom and to overturn the counsel of Ahithophel. Sending him to Absalom was to implement deception and indicated that David really wasn’t trusting the Lord for his protection as he should have been at this point in time.

4.4. Hushai becomes a valuable asset to David however and the Lord uses Hushai to thwart Ahithophel’s counsel and thus save David’s life.

5. VS 16:20-22 - “ ²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” ²¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.” - Ahithophel counsels Absalom to take David’s concubines and go into them in public view

5.1. In our previous study, we saw that David had left 10 of his concubines in his palace to keep house. Now, we see what happened to them.

5.2. In David’s day, if a king conquered a kingdom he would take the previous king’s concubines as his harem as a show that he was now in power.

6. VS 16:23 - “²³ The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.” - Ahithophel’s was considered as a prophet of the Lord and his counsel as the counsel of the Lord

6.1. We will see in our study that had Absalom in his insurrection followed all of Ahithophel’s advice he would have been successful in overtaking David’s kingdom and securing it before all Israel. Ahithophel was a man who was supremely wise and cunning by nature.

6.2. Israel always followed Ahithophel’s counsel.

7. VS 17:1-4 - “¹ Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. ² “I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone, ³ and I will bring back all the people to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace.” ⁴ So the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.” - Ahithophel counsels Absalom to allow him to immediately take a force of 12,000 men and pursue David making a surprise attack, and then kill David

7.1. This plan by Ahithophel was brilliant and had it been followed it would have been successful, that is, provided that the Lord had not thwarted it.

7.2. After having to flee Jerusalem because his son Absalom had fomented an insurrection, David was grieved and weary to the point that he probably would not have even been able at this point to put up any sort of fight against Ahithophel and his army.

7.3. Note that Ahithophel suggests in his counsel that Absalom remain in Jerusalem, Ahithophel will lead this attack. We will see that Hushai ends up talking Absalom into going into battle and leading his forces against David, however that as a result of this Absalom ends up being killed in the battle that ensues.

7.4. Absalom and all of the elders of Israel ( note that all of the elders of Israel had backed this insurrection against David by his son, Absalom ) immediately concur with Ahithophel that his counsel is very sound and wise.

8. VS 17:5-14 - “⁵ Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say.” ⁶ When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “Ahithophel has spoken thus. Shall we carry out his plan? If not, you speak.” ⁷ So Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good.” ⁸ Moreover, Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are fierce, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is an expert in warfare, and will not spend the night with the people. ⁹ “Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the caves or in another place; and it will be when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ ¹⁰ “And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are valiant men. ¹¹ “But I counsel that all Israel be surely gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle. ¹² “So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. ¹³ “If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a small stone is found there.” ¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom.” - Hushai counters Ahithophel’s counsel saying that instead Absalom ought to wait and accrue a huge force of fighting men and then come and attack David and win because of superior numbers of fighting men

8.1. This man Hushai is one brave man. Ahithophel’s advice was always followed in Israel as he was considered a prophet of God, and here Ahithophel has given counsel to Absalom that Absalom and all of the elders of Israel have concurred with, yet Hushai at the peril of his own life is willing to counter Ahithophel’s counsel with his own and thus thwart the plan that would surely have resulted in David’s downfall and death.

8.2. Not only is Hushai brave, he is good! He proves to be a master of persuasion. Note the tact that he takes in thwarting Ahithophel’s counsel :

8.2.1. Hushai resorts to having Absalom and the elders of Israel consider “conventional wisdom.” Superior numbers of fighting men surely win most contests for everyone knows that there is safety in numbers.

8.2.2. Hushai plays upon the mens’ fears.

8.2.2.1. He reminds them of what a mighty and cunning warrior that David is and tells them that David surely would not be hiding with his men but rather in a cave somewhere remote.

8.2.2.2. He tells them also that the mighty fighting men with David are also mighty warriors and because of Davdi’s having to flee from Absalom they would fight as fiercely as a mama bear robbed of her cubs.

8.2.2.3. He also tells Absalom that if this plot fails and David’s men have a victory over Absalom’s men then the followers of Absalom will quickly lose heart as they will remember that David has always been known as being a great and successful warrior.

8.2.3. Hushai uses “we” in all of his advice which then causes suspicion about Ahithophel’s motives, for Ahithophel used “I” in all of his advice. Plus, Ahithophel wanted to lead the army to attack David whereas Hushai suggested that Absalom be in command and all of Israel be rallied together under his leadership.

8.2.4. Hushai indicates that his plan is really foolproof for he says, ‘If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a small stone is found there.’

8.3. Absalom and all of the elders of Israel are swayed by Hushai’s counsel and concur that the Lord has used Hushai this time to overrule the counsel of Ahithophel and thereby give them victory over David and his forces.

9. VS 17:15-22 - “ ¹⁵ Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have counseled. ¹⁶ “Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.’ ” ¹⁷ Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant would go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. ¹⁸ But a lad did see them and told Absalom; so the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. ¹⁹ And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known. ²⁰ Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. ²¹ It came about after they had departed that they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, “Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.” ²² Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.” - Hushai gets word to David of what Absalom is planning to do and tells David to take his men and cross over the Jordan River into the wilderness and not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness

9.1. We saw in our previous study that David had sent Zadok, the high priest, and also Abiathar back to Jerusalem with the Ark of God. David intended that these men serve as his spies to Absalom.

9.2. Here is the spy network. It consisted of the high priest, another priest, a maid, and two men who were couriers. Zadok had arranged for Jonathan and Ahimaaz to be couriers who would get word back to David of intelligence gathered concerning Absalom, and that a certain maid would communicate the information she received from Zadok to these two men.

9.3. We see here though that Jonathan and Ahimaaz, who were suspected as spies, were spotted at En-rogel and then they had to go and to hide in a man’s well at Bahurim. However, the Lord protected these men and thus they were able to report the word back to David.

9.4. David immediately acted upon Hushai’s word received from these two men and had all of his men immediately go and cross over the Jordan River into the wilderness where they could now hide.

9.5. We Christians need to see here that although the Lord was chastening David, and He also chastens our lives as His children for He is a loving father to us, that even in the midst of the chastening of David that the Lord was protecting him and keeping him from being killed and totally devastated. In fact, David will even be brought back to Israel as king in a couple of chapters. All discipline has a time limit and there is always light at the end of the tunnel for us as Christians.

10. VS 17:23 - “²³ Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.” - Ahithophel commits suicide

10.1. We see here that Ahithophel is very deliberate in his actions. He goes to his home, set his house in order, and then strangled himself.

10.2. We can speculate as to what Ahithophel’s motives were for committing suicide :

10.2.1. Ahithophel had a huge amount of pride and couldn’t imagine himself playing second fiddle to Hushai, or anyone else. If he could not be the pre-eminent counselor over the land then he had no reason to live.

10.2.2. Ahithophel realized that Absalom’s not following his advice would be his downfall for Absalom’s insurrection would we squashed and then he (Ahithophel) would have to answer to King David for the capital crime of treason.

10.2.3. Ahithophel realized perhaps that the Lord was against him and had worked behind the scenes to thwart his counsel to David.

11. VS 17:24-26 - “²⁴ Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. ²⁵ Absalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. ²⁶ And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.” - David went to Mahanaim, Absalom crossed the Jordan and camped in Gilead

11.1. Since Joab remained faithful to David, Absalom appointed Amasa to be over his army.

12. VS 17:27-29 - “²⁷ Now when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, ²⁸ brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched seeds, ²⁹ honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”” - Three men came to David and his men and brought them various supplies and equipment to provide for their physical needs and also make their stay more enjoyable

12.1. Each of these three men, Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai were men whom David had shown kindness to in the past, and now they reward David for his kindness.

12.2. Arthur Pink has written the following about these three men, “Shobi was the brother of him, concerning whom David had said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash (10:2) so, with the measure he had meted out to this Gentile, it is meted to him again. Ah, has not God promised that he who watereth others, shall himself be watered! “Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar” was the man who had given shelter to Mephibosheth (9:5): the king had relieved him of this trust by giving Mephibosheth a place at his own table (9:11), and now Machir shows his gratitude by providing for David’s table. Concerning “Barzillai” we read that he was “a very aged man, even four score years old” (19:22), yet he was not too aged to minister now unto David’s needs.”

13. CONCLUSIONS:

13.1. As we consider this study, let’s be reminded of some applications to make to our own life. Remember first of all that the Devil comes to us both as the “deceiver” as well as the “roaring lion” :

13.1.1. Remember to learn from David’s error regarding how he immediately accepted Ziba’s lying words about Mephibosheth : don’t listen to gossip, don’t say anything about someone that you wouldn’t be willing to say to his/her face. never take any one person’s word on something without doing your own investigation.

13.1.2. Just as David accepted Shimei’s cursing and rock throwing as from the Lord, be willing to accept the discipline that the Lord brings into your life. It all comes from His loving hand in order to do a great work in our life.

13.2. Take courage, for we will see in our next study that there is hope in the midst of all of our chastenings from the Lord, for they all only last for awhile. The Lord will deal with Absalom and David will again be able to take up the throne over Israel.

13.2.1. In Jeremiah chapter 29 we read the encouragement to captive Israel and we as God’s people need to take this advice to heart for ourselves when we are under the Lord’s chastening for our lives. The Lord still has a plan for our lives, a future and a hope. He does not plan calamity for us..

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