2 Samuel 16 & 17 Ahithophel’s Advice
Absalom has taken David’s palace. He asks David’s advisors for help. Ahithophel’s advice is sound. Part of it is ignored, and that is God’s grace to David.
Ahithophel was David’s wisest advisor. His advice was as good as hearing from the Lord himself. As David was leaving, he heard that Ahithophel had joined Absalom. He prayed that the Lord would confound Ahithophel’s advice. God doesn’t confound it, but gets Absalom to disregard it, later on. Ahithophel’s initial advice is ‘taken as gospel’. And that part was actually the finale of David’s punishment for his sin with Bathsheba.
When Ahithophel’s advice is pushed aside later on, Ahithophel kills himself. I wonder if it was God’s way of removing his wise counsel from Absalom’s reach. It served David well. Let’s rejoin our story and see where the Spirit takes us.
♥ ♦ ♥
Hushai is hurrying to Jerusalem after leaving David. They met as David was going up the Mt. of Olives on his way to safety. David needs him in Absalom’s presence. Hushai is rehearsing his speech to Absalom on the way to the palace.
“I am ever your loyal servant.” “Accept my loyalty.” “I will serve whom the Lord and the people have chosen.” “Yes, that feels better” thinks Hushai. When he arrives at the door of the palace he straightens his robes and then announces himself to the guard. “I have come to serve the king.”
The guard looks him over then announces his presence to Absalom. “Hushai awaits an audience with you, my king.”
“Send him in.” Absalom knows that Hushai is a friend of his abba’s. He wonders why he is presenting himself so soon.
Hushai enters and bows low. “Long live the king! Long live the king!” (2 Samuel 16:16b).
Absalom is suspicious but is enjoying the praise being offered. He narrows his eyes and addresses Hushai. “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” (2 Samuel 16:17b). Absalom nearly spit as the word ‘friend’ leaves his lips.
Hushai can hear the venom and sarcasm in Absalom’s words. He needs to sell this so he can be part of the decision being made. “No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain.” In his heart Hushai is thinking that this actually isn’t a lie as he IS serving the man the Lord chose, David, by his being in Absalom’s presence. “And again, whom shall I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you” (2 Samuel 16:18). This last part hurts because it can’t be disguised as indicating David. It is a necessary lie though.
Absalom is satisfied with Hushai’s answer. He now has two of David’s trusted advisors in his own court. Absalom had called Ahithophel from his father’s house when he was in Hebron being crowned king. Ahithophel accompanied him to Jerusalem. And now that Absalom is in David’s palace, he really doesn’t know what to do next. He turns to HIS advisors for direction.
“Give your counsel. What shall we do?” (2 Samuel 16:20b).
Ahithophel answers him. “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he las left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with your bill be strengthened” (2 Samuel 16:21).
Absalom is very pleased with this idea. This will show great disrespect to David. This will also be payback. Absalom will rape David’s concubines for David’s refusal to deal with the rape of Tamar.
Unknown to Absalom is the fact that this is the fulfillment of David’s punishment from God for his taking Bathsheba. Nathan had told David of his punishment from the Lord. The last part of it is exactly what Absalom is preparing to do this very day. “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.” (2 Samuel 12:11-12)
Absalom speaks to his guard. “Erect a tent on the roof of the palace. I want all the people to be witness.”
The guard bows and leaves the throne room. As soon as the tent is ready, he returns to inform his king. “Your pleasure awaits my king” says the guard with a sneer.
Absalom rises from his seat and makes his way to the stairs leading to the roof. On the way he instructed his guard; “Bring the women out to me one at a time.”
David’s concubines have been confined in a room since Absalom and his men entered the palace. They are huddled together, waiting to see what will happen next. They have no weapons but their wits and no standing beyond that of concubine to king David. When the soldiers enter the room where they were being kept, the women immediately know something is about to happen.
“You, come with me” says the guard while pointing to one of the women.
She quickly stands up, but before she can move, one of her ‘sisters’ asks, “Where are you taking her?”
“Silence!” demands the guard. “You will all see soon enough” he says with a sneer on his face again.
David’s concubines are led one at a time to the stairs that ascended to the roof and then to the tent pitched for their shame. Absalom walks the roof as they are each brought to him so that all Israel can see them. Some of David’s concubines go quietly into the tent to be set upon by Absalom while others fight or cry out. All leave with their heads hung in shame and their clothing in tatters. Absalom wants them to experience the same shame Tamar had as she came to him for help after Ammon had defiled her.
This spectacle lasts all day. As each woman is taken from the tent, she is brought to a different room than her sisters who await their appointment with the king. Absalom doesn’t want the previous occupants of the tent to influence the future ones. Absalom takes great pains to inflict as much pain and degradation upon David’s concubines as possible. They suffer the injustice and injuries Absalom longs to inflict on his own father.
There is no going back from this. For Absalom or David’s concubines.
Absalom is feeling very proud of himself as he exits the tent on the rooftop for the final time. Ahithohphel waits on the eastern side of the roof, close to the stairs leading back down into the building. Ahithophel accompanies Absalom as he makes his way back to the throne room. On the way downs Ahithophel shares the next phase of the plan for assuring Absalom’s leadership in Israel.
“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” (2 Samuel 17:1b-3).
Ahithophel’s words sound very wise to Absalom but he wants to weigh this idea with another. As Absalom and Ahithophel enter the throne room Absalom issues orders to one of his guards. “Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say” (2 Samuel 17:5).
Ahithophel’s counsel had never been challenged before. He always spoke in the best interest of the king. Why was Absalom seeking counsel from another. Hushai quickly entered the throne room and bowed before Absalom. “How may I serve you, my king?”
“Ahithophel has given me counsel. I would like your advice on the matter. He has asked to take 12,000 men in pursuit of David this night. He intends to scatter the people and catch David while he is weary. He believes he can capture David and no others will be hurt. What say you to this? ‘Shall we do as he says? If not, you speak’ (2 Samuel 17: 6b).”
Hushai knows he has been placed in this position for a time such as this. He has to stall Absalom so David can safely escape. “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good. 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 how 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 a 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 of the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. So we shall come upon him is 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” (2 Samuel 17:7b-13).
Hushai is nearly breathless after his proposal. He is praying that Absalom will agree to it. It is all Hushai can think of to stall Absalom.
Absalom appears to be thinking over Hushai’s plan. He looks to the other men gathered around the room. Heads nod as he moves his gaze from one to the next to the next. Not everyone agrees. Ahithophel is NOT in agreement but this is the king’s decision to make. All he can do is offer advice and carry out the orders his king keeps. Absalom finally has his decision.
“The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel” (2 Samuel 17:4b).
Hushai sends a silent prayer heavenward while maintaining a neutral face for Absalom. He wants to shout and praise the Lord for he KNOWS that this is the work of the Lord. Ahithophel’s counsel was indeed wise and would probably have succeeded. Hushai needed to get word to David now, in case Absalom changes his mind.
Hushai bows again. “Will that be all, my king? I will go and prepare if so.”
Absalom answers with a wave of his hand. “You may go.”
Hushai has to clamp down on his desire to run to Zadok. He can’t be seen openly going to him. Absalom surely knows that Zadok is still loyal to David. Hushai goes to his home and retrieves items that will give the impression that he is going up to the tent of David to offer praise to the Lord. He takes his coin purse and his shawl. He also lays aside his sword. Hushai walks with purpose to the tent of David where Abiathar and Zadok are serving.
Once at the tent, Hushai states in a loud voice, “I come to offer praise to the Lord.” In a lower voice he adds, “And to send word to the king.”
Zadok quickly catches Hushai’s meaning and joins him in his ruse. “Join me brother in a meal before the Lord where we will give thanks to Him.”
The three men disappeared into a nearby tent. As soon as they are seated Hushai lays out all that has happened before Absalom. “I fear for the king’s safety. Ahithophel gave the king’s son sound advice but the Lord intervened and I was able to persuade him to wait until he could gather all of Israel. I fear Absalom may yet change his mind. ‘Now therefore send quickly and tell David, “Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up”’ (2 Samuel 17:16).”
“Thank you brother for bringing this word to me. I will see to it that the king receives this information right away” says Zadok.
Hushai peeks his head out of the tent to be sure he isn’t being observed before exiting. Then he makes his way back to his house.
Zadok leaves the tent next. He returns to the entrance of the tent of David where the Ark of the Lord rests. Abiathar will take the next step in warning David while Zadok keeps the people’s eyes diverted.
Abiathar is the last to exit the tent and he calls to a special servant girl to come clear away the remains of the meal. As she is clearing the meal Abiathar quietly relayed Hushai’s words for David to her ears. “You will find Jonathan and Ahimaaz waiting at Enrogel. They will carry word to the king. Go quickly, for they must reach him before night fall. But be careful not to be observed.”
She barely nods and keeps working. Anyone observing would not be able to tell anything had passed between the two. As soon as she has gathered all the platters, she exits the tent and takes them to the kitchen for cleaning. Instead of washing them though she leaves them on the counter and steals away to Enrogel.
Her destination is just outside the city. She keeps to the back streets as much as possible and keeps checking over her shoulder to see if she is being observed. She doesn’t believe she is being followed. When she arrives at the rendezvous point she looks one last time to see if she is being observed before going to where Jonathan and Ahimaaz wait.
The two men are waiting in a home near the edge of town. They have consented to be runners carrying information to David from Jerusalem. This will be their first mission.
The servant girl makes her way to the house and into the kitchen. She quickly passes on the information to the two runners. She will spend the night at this home to decrease the possibility of her being observed.
Jonathan and Ahimaaz take great pains to disguise themselves including wearing cloaks with hoods. The information they are bringing is so urgent that they can’t wait until dark to leave. They have to leave right away. They slip out the back and along the back alley into a nearby olive grove. As they travele they heard shouts coming from behind them.
“You, stop there!”
They had been observed and someone has raised an alarm. Jonathan and Ahimaaz flee as quickly as possible and find whatever cover they can. They make it to Bahurim without being apprehended and have managed to put a little distance between them and their pursuers. “I know a man in the street over there. He can hide us” says Jonathan pointing off to the left.
Out of breath and in fear for their lives the two runners arrived at the house of Ahaz, a sympathetic friend of the king. Ahaz had seen them approaching and he met them in the courtyard. “We need a place to hide quickly!”
“Follow me!” commanded Ahaz. He leads them to the well for his house. “Quick! Climb down the ladder!”
Jonathan and Ahimaaz do as they are told. Ahaz’s wife Anna arrived right after Ahimaaz makes it into the well. She has a cloth covering that is used when grinding and sifting grain. She spreads it over the opening of the well and scatters grain on it, making it appear as if this is where she has been working recently. She and Ahaz then quickly go back into their house.
Absalom’s servants work their way through the town from house to house. They know the two men came this way and suspect that someone has helped them escape. When they knock on Ahaz’s door, his wife opened it.
“Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” (2 Samuel 17:20b) demanded the servant.
She does not pretend that she doesn’t know these two young men or even that she hasn’t seen them. Instead, with a steady, voice she answered Absalom’s men. “They have gone over the brook of water” (2 Samuel 17:20c).
She is so convincing that Absalom’s servants immediately leave and cross the Kidron brook to continue their search farther on for the two men. They look for about an hour before giving up and returning to Jerusalem.
Anna watched from her window, hidden behind a curtain, while the men searched. She sees them abandon their search. When they were well away from Anna’s home she returns to the well and uncovers it.
“Thank you my lady!” said Ahimaaz
“And you also kind sir” offered Jonathan.
“Take this with you. You may need it on the way.” Anna presses a towel containing bread and cheese into Ahimaaz’s hands.
Ahimaaz and Jonathan reach David at the Jordan where he and those who travel with him have been refreshing themselves. They go straight to David to inform him of everything they have learned. “’Arise, and go quickly over the water’ (2 Samuel 17:21b) for Ahithophel has counseled Absalom to seek you this night while you are weary. Hushai has counseled him to wait until all Israel can be gathered. Absalom agreed to Hushai’s counsel but it is unknown if he will change his mind and proceed with the more urgent advise of Ahithophel.”
David calls for his captains immediately. “Gather the people. We cross tonight. There must be no one left on the banks by morning.”
Crossing at night will be more dangerous but it can’t be avoided. The people’s lives are at stake. Joab and Ittai string a rope across the river so the people can hold onto it for safety in the dark. All night long men ferry the women and children across the river, then cross over themselves. David’s company is more than a thousand in number and the safe crossing is narrow enough that only a few can ford it at a time.
While David is moving his people to safety, his previous advisor is concluding his life. Ahithophel had been an advisor to the king for many years. His counsel had always been taken as if it came from the Lord Himself. He is distraught by the fact that this time it was different. The reason for his distress is that he knows there are going to be MANY more deaths now. His plan had called for ONE man to be taken. Hushai’s counsel means there will be war between David and Absalom. And Israel will pay for that war in blood. Ahithophel also expects David will win in such a conflict. Ahithophel had stood with Absalom instead of David and he believed that, when the dust settles, he will pay dearly for that decision.
After Absalom decides to follow Hushai’s counsel, Ahithophel mounted his donkey and went off to his own city. He served in Jerusalem but that was not his home. As soon as he arrived home, he writes a letter to his family. In it he apologizes for his actions and he leaves blessing for his sons. He knows his assets will keep his family comfortable for some time, but the shame of his actions will probably tarnish their lives for generations to come. Once he concludes his letter, he retrieves a rope from the stable and walks to a nearby tree. He throws the rope over a branch and ties a loop on one end. The other he ties securely around the tree. He climbed on his donkey’s back and positions it under the branch. He put his head into the loop and spurs his donkey sharply, causing it to break into a run. Ahithophel is pulled from the donkey’s back and hanged. His family will find him this way the next day.
When the first rays of morning break over David and his followers, they are on the eastern banks of the Jordan. They are tired and hungry but they are not yet safe. David knows Absalom will soon be following, so he leads the people to Mahanaim. This is the city where Saul’s son Ishbosheth reined while David ruled in Hebron.
David and those with him are met by an amazing gift. They are met by three men who care greatly for David. “Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, brought beds, basins and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, ‘The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness’” (2 Samuel 17:27b-29). David and his people could not have been more grateful.
The people thank their hosts, wash, eat and then sleep. A feeling of safety settles on the women and children now that their bellies are full. But David and his men know it is only a matter of time. Battle is imminent.
Absalom is already closer than David knows. After learning that Jonathan and Ahimaaz have eluded his men, he readied himself and his men to follow David. When morning comes, they are on the western bank of the Jordan preparing to cross over. Their destination is the land of Gilead. Amasa, Joab’s cousin, will lead Absalom’s army into battle against David. Absalom will fight side by side with him.
(to be continued)
I wonder how much different things would have been, if David dealt with his children’s behaviors when they were younger. “Should’a, would’a, could’a.” But Absalom’s actions were part of God’s judgment against David. Did God stir this in Absalom’s heart, for that very purpose?
It is almost time for David to stand his ground against Absalom. And that will bring with it more ‘if only’ situations.
Father God, it’s a good thing that You see the whole picture. Changing one piece of it can have enormous impact. You worked out all the details LONG before the events even arose in the minds of men.
I know, from my own life experiences, that You have my life mapped out too. I’m praying that Your map leads to ‘greener pastures’ right now. We are headed to an important doctor’s appointment today. Please give them Your wisdom in dealing with my husband’s issues. Thank You Lord for loving him even more than I can imagine! Give him relief and peace.
