2 Samuel 15
by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin

Just as Nathan had predicted, David’s house is now full of turmoil as an enemy has arisen from his own palace. Through flattery and treachery Absalom stole the hearts of Israel. Then at the opportune moment, he betrayed his father David sending messengers throughout the kingdom proclaiming his new reign, and he had the gall to do it all under the pretense of worshipping the Lord. While the two hundred men who were there on that particular day witnessing the celebration were oblivious to Absalom’s motives, David’s counselor, Ahithophel, was easily persuaded to betray his sovereign and to pledge loyalty to Absalom instead. The fact that he was a Gilonite from Judah made his betrayal all the more evil, for he was betraying his brother as well as his king. With his backing, Absalom was able to gain even more credibility and his support greatly increased.

When David hears that Absalom has been proclaimed king in Hebron, he immediately takes flight. Why? Mainly for two reasons: first, he is not ready for battle and by taking up arms now, many in the city of Jerusalem will perish unnecessarily. Second, he realizes that this is an act of God, a means of discipline for his sin committed against Uriah and his wife Bathsheba, which would grieve him all the more if innocent people were put to death because of his rebellion.

Although he was willing to flee all by himself, he took his servants with him knowing that they would be put to death because of him, but he left his concubines wrongly believing that they would be left unharmed. Additionally his bodyguard, the Cherethites and Pelethites went with him and also Ittai along with his 500 Philistine brothers; they had just arrived in the city of Jerusalem but immediately were willing to suffer along with David in order to protect him. That in itself was a sign of God’s continual favor that the natural enemies of Israel were willing to protect the king of Israel at this moment of weakness. Finally, Abiathar and Zadok also sought to leave with David, bringing the Ark of the Covenant with them, but David would not allow them. Because he rightly saw this event as an act of God, he immediately humbled himself recognizing that it was God’s hand which was against him. How then could he take the symbol of God’s presence and blessing with him? Unlike other kings who would use the Ark of the Covenant as some sort of lucky charm, David rightly understood that if God stood against him, the ark itself would be of no use to him. Instead, David sent them back to Jerusalem to be his eyes and ears until the Lord saw fit to allow David to return to the city.

In the meantime, David was not seeking to preserve his kingdom so much as he was seeking to preserve his fellowship with the Lord. While ascending up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping over his sin, walking barefoot and with his head covered, both of which were signs of repentance. And when he was told that Ahithophel had joined Absalom’s conspiracy, David immediately prayed to the Lord, saying “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” (I’m still so slow to learn that good counsel is powerless in and of itself. No matter how tactful one might be, and no matter how deep the wisdom one might possess, that counsel can still fall on deaf ears. Whether in regards to ethics, politics or religion, smart people can still be subject to foolish ideas.) Notice in v.32 how quickly the Lord answered this desperate prayer by David. For before he reached the summit of the Mount of Olives, the Lord had already given David the means to frustrate Ahithophel’s counsel. In 1 Chronicles 27.33 it is stated that while Ahithophel was David’s counselor, Hushai the Archite was David’s friend, and what a difference there was between the two men. Hushai and old man was willing to leave Jerusalem and suffer along with King David, but David told him to stay behind and swear loyalty to Absalom so that he also could be his eyes and ears and defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

Later on, the apostle Paul quotes from Isaiah in 1 Corinthians 1:19 saying “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Sometimes in the dark days when it seems that evil is running rampant, a prayer such as David’s is not only allowable but fitting given the circumstances. For in every generation there are those who take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” But the Lord just laughs as he is seated on his throne holding them in derision, for they do not know the great wisdom and power of the Lord, nor do they know that even their attempts at wisdom are being thwarted by God when it matters most. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!