11-4-13. 2 Samuel 16:15-23. THE ADVICE OF AHITHOPHEL

– my devotional

Key Verse: 16:23                                                                                        Kevin E. Jesmer

“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.”

     Dear Lord, heavenly Father, thank you for showing us the truth that brings hope and meaning to our lives, even as we age, this life giving hope grows and enlivens our hearts. Lord, there are so many seniors that are alone and despaired. They need the friendship of the members of the body of Christ. They need the hope of heaven. They need to have the truth of God enliven their hearts, even as their bodies are losing strength. Grow the hope of heaven in their hearts. Grant them strength. Send many friends their way. May they find their joy and hope in you. I pray in Jesus’ name. Please come to me now as I listen to your word. Grow and mature me in my faith through this passage. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1; Hushai the Arkite (15-19).

Verses 15-19, “15 Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18 And Hushai said to Absalom, “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. 19 And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.”

In this passage I can see God at work. While David and his men were fleeing, Absalom and those with him came to Jerusalem. One of those who had allied himself with Absalom was Ahithophel. Both David and Absalom had the highest regard for Ahithophel’s advice (23). When David learned that Ahithophel had deserted him, he prayed that God would turn his advice into foolishness (15:31). He also sent Hushai to spy on everything.

There are times that we think that all is lost and that there is no hope in a certain situation. Some common situations are related to our jobs, or our kids, or our health and the most popular category is to our marriages. One couple felt that they were going to loose their job and have to make some major decisions in 48 hours. There whole world was shaken. But God came through. He provided a better job, with a little longer commute, but also two days a week at home. There is a person who is about to divorce after many years of marriage. They are giving up. They need to know that God will intervene in definitive and powerful ways. They just need to hang in there and see the power of God at work.

How long do we hang in there? David hung in there even when he was driven from his home by his own son and even when he was cast out and his country was on the brink of civil war. He held onto faith and God was working on the cutting edge of “just giving up”. I am amazed that       God works powerfully just at the moment we are about to give up hope. I think that he is trying to teach us a lesson, by coming through in a pinch. It is more dramatic and we learn and exciting new lesson of faith. We should just expect a miracle and keep expecting it all the way to the end without giving up hope. God will come through in his perfect time and way.

Part 2: “Lie with your father’s concubines” (20-23).

Verses 20-23, “Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What shall we do?” 21 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has 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 you will 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. 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.”

Absalom followed the advice Ahithophel gave and slept with his father’s concubines. This not only fulfilled Nathan’s prophecy (12:11), it demonstrated graphically before all Israel the depth of Absalom’s rebellion against the Lord and his anointed. Ahithophel’s advice was excellent compared with others, but it was not the word of the Lord. It was good political advice that could be used to keep the rebellion moving and complete. But it was not the word of God. It was the advice of man that wanted to win a war. Absalom had rejected God completely, so he had no choice but to depend on the advice of a man.

I think that good godly advice would be to repent of his sins and ask for God’s forgiveness and direction. Then he could come to David and ask for his forgiveness and ask King David what he could do to make things right before God. All the barriers and the animosity would come down in a minute. They would be set on the road to reconciliation. There is power in the Gospel to reconcile even mortal enemies. They can go from being enemies to a bro-mance. There is power to break down the walls that are stopping husbands and wives from loving each other and to move their marriages from “Now to Wow!”  We must not follow worldly wisdom. We must follow God’s wisdom.

Human wisdom, without being rooted in Gospel faith can lead us astray. It is given without God in mind and without the kingdom of God in mind. They start out with a humanistic presumption. We must be very careful about how we accept human instruction.

I thank God for the godly counsel of mature Christians. There have been several wise counselors that God sent to me. Several of them helped me to make the difficult transition from fixed legalism to following the ”Missio Dei” in my life. I could have gone very astray. But God helped me by sending wise counselors to show me the way. God would have sent such counselors to Absalom if his heart was open. But it was not. May God raise up countless wise counselors to help people in their time of crisis and need so they come to God and be reconciled to those who are their enemies.

Prayer: Lord, help me to listen godly wisdom from mature Christians that you send my way.”

One Word: Listen to God’s word