Second Samuel 15:4

The Bible says in Second Samuel 15:4-12, “Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice![5] And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.[6] And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.[7] And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.[8] For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.[9] And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.[10] But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.[11] And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.[12] And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counseller, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.” Absalom was hungry for power. Absalom was ambitious. Absalom was not seeking the Lord’s will, but he was seeking his own strong will. And so Absalom used his gifts and abilities to win the favor of many of the people. Absalom created a conspiracy to overthrow his father. Absalom wanted to be king, and Absalom did not care who he destroyed to get power. We see the same types of sins playing out before us over and over in the countries of the world. One day the antichrist will gain power through the same type of conspiracy. The irony for Absalom is that he probably would have become king after David, but Absalom is now ruining the chance that he otherwise would have had. Sin has its consequences. God decides.

The Bible says in Second Samuel 15:13-21, “And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.[14] And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.[15] And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.[16] And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.[17] And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.[18] And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.[19] Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.[20] Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.[21] And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.” Verse fourteen shows us that David knew his son, Absalom, very well. David knew that Absalom was quite capable of killing them all. David knew that Absalom was vain, violent, and very ambitious. But also, even though David’s son turned against him, David still had those who served the Lord and who stayed faithful to the king. That is the way that Christianity often works also. Your Christian family is your real family. Those are the ones that you will be with forever in heaven. Your children may not come to know the Lord or may not follow the Lord as spiritual people living by faith. They just might turn against you. Jesus said in Matthew 10:21, “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.”

The Bible says in Second Samuel 15:22-26, “And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.[23] And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.[24] And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.[25] And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:[26] But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.” Once again, we see that David puts the Lord first no matter what happens to him, and David keeps trusting in the Lord no matter how things turn out. David has to flee for his life and leave Jerusalem because of the insurrection led by his son. It does not get much worse than that in life. Verse twenty-six is a great verse. David said, “But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.” David knew that God is all-powerful. David knew that God is involved in all things. David knew that God is in charge and God decides what will happen in every situation. And David was surrendered to God’s will. Whatever God chose to do and to let happen, David was going to accept whether it meant suffering for David or not.

The Bible says in Second Samuel 15:27-31, “The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.[28] See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.[29] Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.[30] And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.[31] And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” When the wicked attack God’s people, they are forgetting one very important thing: God’s people have God as a resource. God gives wisdom to His people, but the wicked are foolish. Their plans will not work. David had wisdom to start formulating a plan. David sent Zadok the priest and his two sons back to Jerusalem so that they could find out what Absalom was doing in Jerusalem, and then they could send word to David. Notice what David did with this great sorrow and burden that was given to him: David took it to the Lord. David bowed before the Lord God Almighty. David prayed a very important prayer in verse thirty-one, “O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” We will see later that David’s prayer was answered.

The Bible says in Second Samuel 15:32-37, “And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:[33] Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:[34] But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.[35] And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.[36] Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.[37] So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.” David has his priorities right. He is in a dangerous and desperate situation, and there are a lot of things that he could be doing, but he is going to worship God. David does not have to go anywhere anyway: God is quite capable of bringing help to David, and that is exactly what God does. There are no coincidences for the Christian. God is at work. God sends “Hushai the Archite,” and David sends him to Jerusalem in order to keep an eye on Absalom and to tell Zadok and Abiathar, who will send information to David through their sons. When God wants to work things out, they work out just fine. Trust in the Lord, and put Him first, and then sit back and watch what He does in your life.

The Bible says in Second Samuel 16:1-9, “And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.[2] And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.[3] And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.[4] Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.[5] And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.[6] And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.[7] And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:[8] The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.[9] Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.” Evidently, Ziba was very wise. If someone was going to have a quarrel with David, Ziba was going to be on David’s side. Make friends of the people of God and help them, and you will be helping yourself because God loves His people. David found out that back in Jerusalem that Mephibosheth, who was in the lineage of King Saul, was hoping to become king now that David was on the run. Some people try to take advantage of other people’s misfortune.

Other people will try to step on you when you are down. That is what Shimei was doing. He saw David’s misfortune, and in effect Shimei said that David deserved what was happening to him. Shimei cursed David. David was a man of God, but Shimei said that David was a “man of Belial.” It is interesting to notice David’s reaction. Abishai wanted to go decapitate Shimei for speaking that way to King David, but David’s reaction is recorded in Second Samuel 16:10-12, “And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?[11] And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.[12] It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.” David had a lot of faith in the power of God, in the presence of God, and in the involvement of God in all things. God lets people do what they do and say what they say, and then God uses what they do and say for God’s purpose. That is what Romans 8:28 is all about. David knew something else about God: God takes the side of the innocent, and God is against the evil. If someone does you wrong, you are in a good place because now the Lord is on your side. That is what having Jesus as Savior is all about.

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