2 Sam. 16-17: “David Lied To And Cursed / Hushai Foils
Ahithophel’s Counsel”
By
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
7.4.
Absalom and all of the elders of
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
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
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
8.2.4. Hushai indicates that his
plan is really foolproof for he says, ‘If he withdraws into a city, then all
8.3.
Absalom and all of the elders of
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
9.1.
We saw in our previous study that David had sent Zadok, the high
priest, and also Abiathar back to
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
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
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
13.2.1.
In Jeremiah chapter 29 we read the encouragement to captive