Two plans, but one is from God

                                                   

2 Samuel 17: 1-14

My background is in sales, and a good salesman is excellent at asking questions and will listen to his customer’s reply.  Let’s begin with a question; with the knowledge we have about Ahithophel’s counsel why would Absalom seek Hushai or even listen to it?  We ended chapter 16 with verse 23, “Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom?” 

First, Ahithophel told Absalom to sleep with all of David’s concubines in the sight of all of Israel.  Now let’s continue the account in chapter 17:1-5, “Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.” And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.”

The reason it sounded good to Absalom and all the elders was that it was rock solid, great advice.  David is not able to move fast, he has a lot of family and other children, and I’m sure older people with him and his men. Ahithophel is correct, they are weary and discouraged, and it would be a surprise to encounter Absalom’s army so soon.  But God has sent a man to mess up the works; you recall Hushai, the man who arrived from another direction at about the same time as Absalom enters Jerusalem, so did Hushai.  But Absalom did not do a proper investigation and assumed he had waited for him to arrive in Jerusalem.

It also seems that Ahithophel was not present when Absalom ask for the counsel of Hushai, let’s look at the story in verses 5-13, “Then Absalom said, “Call Hushai the Archite also and let us hear what he has to say.” And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “Thus has Ahithophel spoken; shall we do as he says? If not, you speak.” Then Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good.” Hushai said, “You know that your father and his men are mighty men and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people. Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are valiant men. But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude and that you go to battle in person. So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left. If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley until not even a pebble is to be found there.”

Two plans, but one is from God to bring judgment on the proud and foolish young man Absalom and the ones who were deceived into following him.  Verse fourteen gives us a clear understanding of this fact.  “And 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 defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice