Okay, you can turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 15. 2 Samuel chapter 15. It's a long chapter, but it does all hold together, so we'll try and cover it all this evening. 2 Samuel 15, beginning in verse 1. After this, it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses and 50 men to run before him. Now, Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate.
So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, what city are you from? And he would say, your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel. Then Absalom would say to him, look, your case is good and right, but there is no deputy of the king to hear you. Moreover, Absalom would say, oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me, then I would give him justice.
And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. In this manner, Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. Now it came to pass after 40 years that Absalom said to the king, that reading should be four, and the margin in many of the ancient versions indicate that it's four.
Now it came to pass after four years that Absalom said to the king, please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Gesher in Syria, saying, if the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron.
Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron. And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem. And they went along innocently and did not know anything. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel, the Gileadite, David's counselor from his city, from Gilo, while he offered sacrifices.
And the conspiracy grew strong for the people with Absalom continually increased in number. Now a messenger came to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom. So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.
And the king's servants said to the king, We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands. Then the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. And the king went out with all the people after him and stopped at the outskirts.
Then all his servants passed before him, and all the Carathites, all the Pelathites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king. Then the king said to the Gittite, why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. In fact, you came only yesterday.
Should I make you wander up and down with us today? Since I go, I know not where. Return and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.
But Ittai answered the king and said, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be. So David said to Ittai, Go and cross over. Then Ittai, the Gittite, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him, crossed over. And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over.
The king himself also crossed over the brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness. There was Zadok also, and all the Levites 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 finished crossing over from the city. Then the king said to Zadok, Carry the ark of God back into the city.
If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. But if He says thus, I have no delight in you, here I am. Let Him do to me as seems good to Him. The king also said to Zadok the priest, are you not a seer?
Return to the city in peace and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. See, I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me. Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem and they remained there. So
David's Lament and Prayer (vv. 30–31)
David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives and wept as he went up. And he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. Then someone told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.
And David said, O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain where he worshipped God, there was Hushai the archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. David said to him, if you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king, as I was your father's servant previously, so I will now also be your servant.
Then you may defeat the council of Ahithophel for me. And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, with you there? Therefore, it will be that whatever you hear from the king's house, you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. Indeed, they have with them their two sons, Ahimaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son.
And by them you shall send me everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend, went into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem. Amen.
Introduction and Context
Well, the larger context is the last section of David's reign, or David's kingship. Specifically, we're in the section in chapters 9 to 20, which deal with the consequence of David's sin. In chapter 11, he commits adultery with Bathsheba, and he covers that adultery by committing murder of her husband Uriah. At chapter 12, Nathan the prophet comes to deal with David, and one of the things that the Lord God says through Nathan is found in chapter 12 at verse 10.
God says, Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house. because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be your wife. Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from 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 son. So God would forgive David for having committed those sins. In fact, it says later on, the Lord also has put away your sin, verse 13.
But nevertheless, there were consequences as a result of David's sin. And I think we could all testify, sin casts a long shadow over the lives of God's people. And the three things specifically that Yahweh says is that the sword will not depart, adversity will rise up against David from his own house, and that David's wives would be publicly violated and humiliated before all Israel. So we get to chapter 13 and we see that begin to be fleshed out.
Amnon, the brother of Tamar, engages in incestual rape. He rapes Tamar, and then David does nothing about it. David's angry, he's upset, he doesn't like the fact that this occurred, but David is inactive with reference to this particular crime. So what Absalom does, their other brother, is wait for two long years.
He bides his time, he harbors this anger and this vengeance, and ultimately he kills Amnon. At that point, Absalom, a lot of names to try and keep in our heads tonight, Absalom flees, he goes to Geshur, and then in chapter 14, Joab cooks up a particular scheme in order to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem, which Absalom does. According to chapter 14, he returns, but David doesn't want to see him. David neglects to see him for two years.
And then after that, Absalom, or we're introduced to Absalom at the end of chapter 14. You can review that because we are still sort of connected to this particular context. We notice Absalom is described in terms of his appearance. He's a stunningly handsome man.
He's a gorgeous man. He's got long flowing hair. He's a beautiful specimen of a human being. He's got the wonderful family.
It's as if the author is saying, behold your future king, and that will carry through chapter 15. And then we see that he still has an anger problem. He burns down Joab's field in order to get a hearing with Joab. And then he and David meet in chapter 14 at verse 33.
And as we saw last week, there's a bit of uneasiness in their meeting. If you notice in verse 33 of chapter 14, so Joab went to the king and told him, and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face, to the ground before the king, then the king kissed Absalom. So there's two things here that give us that uneasy feeling. In the first place, Absalom bows himself on his face to the ground before the king.
But if we know anything about the rest of the narrative, we'll know that he then becomes a usurper. He engages in a conspiracy to try and steal the crown away from David. So that is a disingenuous bow that Absalom renders to his father. But even from David's side, it says, then the king kissed Absalom.
Not David, not his father, but the king. It was probably just a formal kiss that was done by the monarch to the subject. So that uneasiness that we feel in verse 33 is confirmed for us in chapter 15 when we see the rebellion of Absalom, who jockeys to try and steal, and successfully does steal the throne and the crown away from David, his father.
Sermon Overview: Two Main Points
So there are two broad points tonight in terms of chapter 15. First, the rebellion of Absalom, and secondly, the departure of David. So verses 1 to 12 lists or records for us the rebellion of Absalom, and it indicates first his strategy.
Absalom's Strategy (vv. 1–6)
Notice in verses 1 to 6. I mean, I think, again, we noticed this a bit last week when it described Absalom in terms of his appearance and his hair and of his family. akin to the political climate today. You see the man who's got the appearance. You see the man who's showcased by his beautiful family.
And he's the one that's running for the high office. He's a piece of merchandise. He's showcasing his abilities. And the same thing happens here in verses 1 to 6 in terms of his strategy.
Absalom's Royal Image and Demagoguery
Note first his royal image. Verse 1, after this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses and 50 men to run before him. So we see his appearance, we see his hair, we see his family, now we see his royal image. This is the language of royalty.
First Kings 1.5, when Adonijah is trying to get to the throne, Adonijah does the very same thing. He multiplies horses, he multiplies runners, he multiplies chariots to go before him. What is the suggestion when persons in Israel see this sort of pomp and circumstance? They'll believe the king is coming.
So you see what Absalom is doing. He not only has the appearance, the hair and the family, but he also has the image, he has the labeling, he has the goods in place to serve as the king. One man, Robert Alter, says all the vehicular pomp and circumstance, as other biblical references to chariots, horses and runners in conjunction with kings suggest, is a claim to royal status. The gestures of usurpation are undertaken in Jerusalem under David's nose.
Yet the king, who has been described by the Techoite woman as knowing everything in the land, does nothing. It really is grieving to see what happens here on the part of Absalom to be sure but as well on the part of David as this king or rather this throne is taken from him. Now note as well his demagoguery. If you watch the news today you've probably heard that word.
They're a demagogue and the word demagogue means a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument. Well, that's Absalom. He's a demagogue and that's a whole host of other political figures as well that are in the climate today. I understand that, but we're dealing with Absalom.
I think Absalom is prototypical of many that run for political office today. I'd like to recommend all of them to do a nice reading of 2 Samuel 14 and 15 and see if they can find themselves in these passages. But note the demagoguery employed by Absalom. Notice his presence at the gate to hear legal controversies, 2A.
Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. Now the gate of the city was where the business was conducted. The gate of the city was where the political leaders hung out. And so Absalom strategizes, he goes to the gate, he's there, he's an early riser in order to function as this demagogue.
Notice his schmoozing of the people that he deals with. Notice in 2B. So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, what city are you from? And he would say, your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.
I think this is Absalom trying to connect with every man in Israel. It would be akin to the prime minister saying, oh, you're from Chilliwack. I had a third cousin who once passed through Chilliwack. It's really near and dear to my heart.
He doesn't really care one whit about Chilliwack, but he's schmoozing with the constituency. He wants to win them into his way of thinking. He wants to govern over them, and that is precisely what Absalom is doing here. Notice his promise of giving the people what they wanted, a promise he certainly could not make. 3A. that Absalom would say to him, look, your case is good and right.
Oh, he doesn't know that. He hasn't heard the other side. He hasn't called for witnesses. He hasn't heard all the parties involved.
He's telling the people what they want to hear. Make no mistake about it. Absalom is diabolical, but he's not dumb. Absalom is wicked, but he's not foolish.
Absalom is laying the groundwork for the conspiracy that will follow. and he is doing it in a brilliant manner. I mean, diabolical brilliance, but brilliance nonetheless. He promises the people that they will indeed get what they want. As well, he criticizes the present regime.
Notice in verse 3b. Well, 3 again. Then Absalom would say to him, look, your case is good and right, but There is no deputy of the king to hear you. You would certainly have victory in this particular verdict, but there's no deputy.
The king's too busy. The king's too negligent. The king doesn't care about the people, which in some sense seems patently false, because in chapter 14, David hears the case of the woman from Tekoa. David hears that particular case and renders judgment regarding her particular situation.
So Absalom is lying, and one of the ways that he does that is to undercut and criticize the present regime to create in the people dissension and disapproval of David. This is, again, brilliant, though diabolical. Note then, he desires to be a judge. You would have won the case for sure, but the king has no deputy to hear it.
Oh, that I would be a judge. Doesn't this sound familiar? Doesn't this sound like the campaigns of today, promising to do everything for everybody without knowing all of the moving parts involved, and saying, well, if you'd only elect me, well then, everything would be absolutely fantastic again. We would indeed bring heaven down and glory would fill the soul.
That's just not the case, but that is what he's doing. Moreover, Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me, then I would give him justice. John Gill says, By which it appears that he had no office under the king, partly either because of his crime and so not thought fit, and partly because he appeared to be an ambitious, aspiring man, and so it was thought not safe to put him into any office. He's the actual last guy that you want to put into this kind of a position.
It's the people that jockey for it, that have this craven desire for it, that most likely are not the best candidates. David, this reluctant or this shepherd boy that went out to deliver cheeses to his brothers on the battlefield, he is then called into service as the king of Israel. Remember, that's a theme throughout 1 and 2 Samuel. God does not look the way that man looks.
We look at the appearance, we look at the hair, we look at the family, we look at his political schmoozing. That's not what impresses God. God looks on the heart, according to 1 Samuel chapter 16. And then notice, his appearance as one of them, verse 5.
And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. You get the idea of the, you know, again, the political figure visiting the farm and, you know, putting a piece of straw in his mouth and, you know, doing the cow thing there and just identifying with the constituency because he's your guy. You see the brilliance involved? It ought not to surprise us when we get later on in the chapter and he is engaged in a full-blown conspiracy to engage in dethroning the very king of Israel himself.
Absalom is a wretch, but he's a very smart wretch in this instance. And then notice his success in stealing the hearts of the people, verse 6. In this manner, Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
And I don't think he won them in the sense that they all agreed. It was by deception. It was through schmoozing. It was through working the crowd.
It was through lying. It was through undercutting the present regime, his own father who had faithfully exercised justice and judgment in Israel. He gained their hearts, or he stole their hearts by subterfuge, and that lays the foundation for what follows. Van Hoy says, not only did Absalom challenge the royal military tradition with which his father David was linked, but he also sought to undermine the confidence of the people in David's competence as the chief legal officer in the land.
He did this by working the crowds at the city gate of Jerusalem, schmoozing with everyone who came across his path. So that's his strategy, verses 1 to 6.
Absalom's Intention (vv. 7–12)
Notice his intention, still under the heading of the rebellion of Absalom. His intention in verses 7 to 12. Note his vow in verses 7 to 8. He needs to get David on board with what he is doing, at least going to Hebron.
And Hebron is a very key place for Absalom to launch this revolt. But notice in verse 7. It comes to pass after four years. I mentioned that the marginal reading here is accurate.
Now, when I say that, I don't want you to think that the Bible contains mistakes. There are many, many, many, many manuscripts involved in what's called the textual tradition of the Scriptures. And in the margins, sometimes we have readings from other versions, and that doesn't mean that what we have printed or anywhere in the scripture is wrong. There's what's called textual variance, because when there's all these manuscripts, when the scribes went to copy, sometimes 4 turned into a 40.
And that's probably what happened here, because 40 does not fit the context in terms of the numbers or in terms of the particular situation. So 4 is the better reading in this instance. So it comes to pass after four years that Absalom said to the king, please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. Now this is just increased diabolicalness.
I mean, this guy is on his way to commit conspiracy. This guy is on his way to usurp the very throne in Israel, and he has the gall to be talking about vows that he made to the Lord? He needs to get David to approve him to go to Hebron. That's the point.
Verse 8, For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. Absalom's use of an act of religious worship to camouflage the skillful manipulation of his father speaks volumes about his devious and irreverent character. It's Vanoy again. I think he's absolutely right.
To engage in evil is bad. But to do so in the name of God is absolute atrocity, and that's what he's doing here. He is telling David, I made a vow to Yahweh, and since he brought me back, I need to go and I need to serve the Lord. Now note the complicity of David here in verse 9.
The king said to him, go in peace, so he arose and went to Hebron. Now, again, David's not being the sharpest tack in the drawer at this particular point, but I think as parents we sort of get the feeling, don't we? What melts a parent more than a child saying, but I just want to serve God? I mean, we're willing to believe that, aren't we?
We're willing to go out on a limb for that. We're willing to cut them slack and the benefit of the doubt because there's no greater sound in the ears of a parent than to hear their son say, please let me go and fulfill the vow that I made to the Lord so that I may serve Him. You can put yourself in David's sandals at this particular point and realize that Yeah, that's probably what's driving him. He should have been more savvy, probably should have detected what was going on at the city gate, probably should have known more things at this particular time, but I can get it, I understand.
I mean, this is a man that he loves. Even after Absalom meets his demise, what does David do? Oh, Absalom, Absalom, you got to remember the fact, David loves his children. Absalom is his son, and he has a love for him.
And so this benefit of the doubt is granted, and he gives Absalom permission to go to Hebron. Now, Hebron was a great city for him to launch his political career. Remember, it was there that David began his reign over the entirety of both the northern and the southern tribes. As well, Absalom had been born there.
Now, Hebron was about the middle of Judah. Judah would be very sympathetic or very pro-David. Sympathetic to or pro-David. So if Absalom is successful in Hebron and he gets those people on board, his biggest obstacle in terms of the tribes has already been won.
In many respects, this is a brilliant move for Absalom. It was a risky move. He could have very well gone to Hebron and then say, no, you're not the king. King David is the king, but that's not how it worked because he continued to grease the wheels so that this political machine would move forward and he would secure the throne.
So Hebron is the place that he goes. Now note the conspiracy in verses 10 to 12. It says in verse 10, Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel saying, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron. Brilliant, isn't it?
Sent a bunch of people in before Absalom, and as soon as the trumpet sound, then everybody that he sent forward said, Absalom should reign. People get caught up in the furor of it all. They say, yeah, you're right, Absalom. He's the one that shows up early at the gate.
He's the one that promises good verdicts. He's the one that has criticized this present regime. Yeah, let's see Absalom on the throne. Notice in verse 11, "...and with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem.
And they went along innocently and did not know anything." So at this point, they weren't involved in the conspiracy. Now Absalom's banking on the fact that when he reveals his hand, They are going to support him and serve him in this venture. And then this was a key part of it, verse 12. Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel, the Gilanite, David's counselor, from his city, from Delo, while he offered sacrifices.
And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number. This was a good win or a good get for Absalom to get Ahithophel because he was a wise man, he was one of David's counselors, and for him to come now on the side of Absalom would be very helpful in terms of his goals. Now note what the author says there specifically at the end of verse 12, the conspiracy grew strong. He doesn't acknowledge for a moment that this is righteous conduct.
Remember, just because a biblical author records something, he's not necessarily recommending it. He recorded David's adultery with Bathsheba. That does not mean, go thou and do likewise. He recorded David's murder of Uriah.
That does not mean, go thou and do likewise. He recorded incestual rape concerning Tamar. That does not mean go thou and do likewise. He recorded Absalom's murder of Amnon as a result of that.
That does not mean go thou and do likewise. You need to understand that just because a biblical author records something, he's not recommending that action, or he's not commending that action, and here he's specifically signifying his disapproval by calling it a conspiracy. Van Hoy again says, the narrator's use of the term conspiracy indicates that he did not view Absalom's revolution as a popular uprising growing out of widespread dissatisfaction with David's rule. It wasn't the case that everybody said, yeah, David's terrible, Absalom, we really want you to lead us.
That's not it. It was a conspiracy. It was a strategy that began very early on with his horses, his chariots and his runners, with him showing up at the city gate each and every day, with him working the crowd and making promises and criticizing the present regime. That's the conspiracy that he orchestrated, and it was indeed successful at this particular point.
Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
Now before we move on, we ought to notice that this is indeed a direct fulfillment of Nathan's promise, isn't it? In 2 Samuel 12, God said, the sword will never depart from your house, and I will raise up adversity against you from your own household. Absalom. So it's the sovereignty of God, but as well, Absalom is responsible for his wickedness.
You need to keep in mind that particular situation that exists in biblical text. God is absolutely sovereign. Absalom is absolutely responsible. God is fulfilling his word, Absalom is engaged in abject wickedness.
The engagement in abject wickedness is the means by which God's word is fulfilled. That happens in the scripture. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph understood the sovereignty of God.
He said, you meant this for evil, but God overruled it for good. Peter, preaching on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.23, says that the people, the Jews, nailed Jesus to the cross. This happened according to the predetermined plan of God. But he calls theirs lawless hands.
So the sovereignty of God does not erase the responsibility of man. Hyper-Calvinism is not taught in scripture. God is absolutely sovereign. Man is always a responsible agent.
We need to recognize that. We need to see it here because ultimately Absalom will be cut off in his sin for having rebelled against the living God. You see such a thing in Isaiah 10. God uses Assyria as the means by which he chastens the northern tribes.
Then they get proud and arrogant, so God brings judgment to bear upon Assyria. That is God. He is sovereign. He is exalted.
He is most high. And this chapter, my brothers and sisters, demonstrates that sovereign God in a pretty powerful way, and we ought not to miss it.
The Departure of David (vv. 13–37)
Now let's notice the departure of David. several things here. First, the plan to depart from Jerusalem, verses 13 to 18. They report back to David, verse 13, a messenger came to David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom. As a father, I wonder how he responded.
Oh, that should be devastating. But he said he was going to Hebron to fulfill a vow to serve the Lord. He didn't say he was going to Hebron to commit conspiracy and to dethrone the reigning king of Israel. This was high treason.
This was not just an affront to David as the king, but it was an affront to David as a dad. You just don't do that, son. You don't engage in that sort of usurpation. You don't do that in Israel, because the kingdom of God is visibly represented by the nation of Israel, and to do that is to commit treason against the living and true God.
So notice David's response in verses 14 to 18. He makes a decision to flee from Jerusalem. This was kindness on David's part. David did love Jerusalem.
It was central in Israel. It was the location where the Ark of the Covenant was. Later he'll send the Ark of the Covenant back there, but notice specifically what he says at the end of verse 14. make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword." David didn't want Jerusalem to become the site of a battle against Absalom. David didn't want to see countless persons get put to death as a result of this particular situation.
So David makes the decision to flee. And Gil makes this observation, he says, it is much that a man of such courage and valor as David should be so intimidated at once as to make a flight as soon as he heard of a conspiracy forming against him. That is interesting because the David in his youth. Well, David did flee into the wilderness from Saul, but this is a bit of a different circumstance.
I think Gil is right there. It is an interesting situation to see a man of such courage and valor to flee as soon as he hears this conspiracy. Note the palace guard attends with him, verse 15. They are identified in verse 18.
The Karathites, the Palathites, and all the Gittites. We have met them previously. Palace guard, bodyguards, personal security for David, king of Israel. So they flee with him.
And then notice in verse 16. Again, you've got to recall the promise in 2 Samuel 12, 10 and 11. Remember what God said. There were three aspects in terms of consequence.
I'd love to not be taped right now so I could ask everybody if you're paying attention. One, the sword will not depart from your house. Two, adversity will come against you from your own house. And three, your wives will be violated.
They will be humiliated publicly before Israel. What does David do here? He leaves ten concubines back at his house. Guess who's going to violate them publicly?
It's going to be Absalom. David doesn't know it in this particular instance, but God's sovereignty is over all things, and David is indeed doing something here. Verse 16, the king went out with all his household after him, but the king left 10 women, concubines, to keep the house. gill notes, not to defend it, which they were unable to do, but to look after the household goods and furniture, that they were not damaged by the conspirators, though one would think they could be of little service and may wonder what he should leave them behind for. But this seems to be ordered by the overruling providence of God, to bring about what was threatened him.
And it is much he had not thought of it, and it is much he had not thought of it, but it was hid from his eyes that it might be fulfilled." You see, sovereignty works in and through providence, and so David leaves these ten concubines behind. And as Gil says, it's hid from his eyes that the word of God may be fulfilled. So verses 17 and 18 begin to indicate their movement out of the city. And then we see the plan to depart from Jerusalem.
The Encouragement of Ittai the Gittite
Notice under the departure of David, secondly, the encouragement of Ittai the Gittite. I know that's kind of an interesting name, Ittai the Gittite. It has just a flow from the tongue. Ittai the Gittite's a champ.
If you didn't get that during the reading, you should have gotten that. Why does God send us Ittites to Gittites in these kinds of situations? Because God loves us. This is a difficult time for David.
He just found out that his son Absalom has committed treason against Yahweh, king of Israel. He has found out that a subject in his kingdom, Absalom, has committed treason against his own position. He has found out that there is a multitude of persons that have willingly complied with and joined this conspiracy and are hailing Absalom, the new king of Israel. He's got great hair after all, he's got a beautiful family, he's gorgeous in appearance, and he has those chariots and those horses and these runners, and he makes promises to us, and he's going to make Israel great again.
He's a wonderful specimen of a human being. So David has found all this out. David is now departing from Jerusalem. David is probably down in the dumps, wouldn't you say?
I mean, we go through trials that are, you know, a hairbreadth compared to what David is going through in this passage. And so what does God do? He uses an Ittai the Gittite, a Philistine no less, a man from a country that is a sworn enemy against Israel, but a man who had defected to the service of David, and even more importantly, the service of Yahweh. What kind of a boon and what kind of a help to David's faith do you imagine that this would have been at this very difficult time?
He hears on the one hand that Ahithophel, a trusted counselor, is now serving Absalom. Everybody that he knows and loves has basically left him and now this This foreigner, this pagan, this heathen, this Philistine shows utter devotion to him. Notice in verse 19, the king said to Ittai the Gittai, why are you also going with us? Note the next phrase, return and remain with the king.
David, you are the king. Not this point. Absalom, David acknowledges, not because he sees him as the rightful and lawful king, not because he says, well, we owe him homage, but he is deferring to Ittai. What David is doing is consistent with the Levitical law.
You're supposed to be kind to the sojourner. You're supposed to be kind to the pilgrim. You're supposed to be kind to the stranger in Israel. And David is demonstrating that in manifold kindness.
No, don't follow me, Ittai. Go back and return to the king. Again, not acknowledging that Absalom is the rightful king, but using that language. I'll read a quote from Alter.
He says, excuse me, specifically with reference to the statement. He says, this designation, referring to him as the king, of the usurping son would be especially painful for David to pronounce, to say return or remain with the king. But he does it in order to try to persuade Ittai that he should cast his fate with the person exercising the power of king. Note what David goes on to say in verse 19, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place.
In fact, you came only yesterday. I mean, think about this, Ittai, you know, makes the decision to move his family and to bring them to Israel subject to King David and ultimately to King Yahweh. He comes on one day and the very next day there's a conspiracy to take the throne away from David. You can understand David's heart.
I mean, he says to Ittai, just go, remain with the present king, because you shouldn't go through all of this. You shouldn't be upset by all of this. You shouldn't be put out like this. You've done a noble thing in coming here, but you don't need to follow me out into the wilderness.
So you can see the heart of David. But notice the response of Ittai. Verse 20, well actually back in verse 20, in fact, you came only yesterday, should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I know not where, return and take your brethren back, mercy and truth be with you. Literally, Chesed, may God's steadfast love be with you.
Now note what Ittai says, he answers the king and said, as the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be. I have to believe that David had a smile at this particular point. Absalom, his own son, has stolen the throne from him. Ahithophel, his own counselor, has gone to join the conspiracy.
Everybody around him has left. He is departing with his faithful, the palace guard, but he's on his way into the wilderness, and this man sounds like Ruth to Naomi, doesn't he? It's the same language. I will follow to death.
I will be with you, David. You see, brethren, God does that for us. He gives us ittis in the midst of our suffering. I don't wanna psychologize and get all Joel Osteen on you, but this is an observation that you need to appreciate.
There are ittis in your life that the Lord will give you when you need an itti in your life. Ittai the Gittite was there for David, and this statement showed his allegiance to the king, and this was a boost and a boon to King David of Israel. Now notice, David then says, go ahead, you can come with us. When he hears that kind of devotion, you're not going to be happy anywhere else.
You come with us. And then verse 23, the concern of the people for David. These were the ones obviously sympathetic toward him. And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over.
The king himself also crossed over the brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness. The Lord Jesus would cross that brook as well.
The Conference with Zadok (vv. 24–29)
Now notice, the conference with Zadok the priest, verses 24 to 29. We'll move a little bit quicker in this particular section because many verses speak to one particular thing. Essentially, what David does in this particular instance is to call the priests to take the ark back to Jerusalem. Notice, verse 24, there was Zadok also and all the Levites with him.
So the Levites are there, they're bearing the Ark of the Covenant of God. Remember, the Ark of the Covenant of God was that box that God describes as his footstool, and inside that box were certain things. Now, this was not the actual presence of God, but it was a visible representation of the presence of God. And so where that box was in terms of the temple or the tabernacle of the temple, that's where Israel went to worship.
It was kept in the Holy of Holies. The high priest went in there one day on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle blood of atonement on that particular Ark of the Covenant. It symbolized Yahweh's presence with his people. And so David sees the Ark, and he tells them specifically in verse 25, he says to Zadok, carry the Ark of God back into the city.
If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and show me both it and his dwelling place. So David, concerned about the Ark of the Covenant, David, concerned about the centrality of Jerusalem as the place of worship, tells Zadok and the Levites to take the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. Now we need to remember something. I'm asking those of you who have been here through 1 Samuel to think back to 1 Samuel chapter 4.
There was an instance, I'll just give you the gist of it. There was a time when the Philistines battled against Israel and Israel lost. And Israel had this brainy idea, why don't we just take the Ark of the Covenant with us and then we'll win the battle. So they thought if they trotted the Ark of the Covenant out, then they would most certainly win the battle.
They treated the Ark of the Covenant as if it was a holy horseshoe. They treated the Ark of the Covenant as if it was a holy four-leaf clover. They treated the Ark of the Covenant as if it were a lucky charm, and that if we bring it into battle, then most certainly we will win the Philistines. You know what happens?
The Philistines win and take the Ark away from them. God will not be mocked. He is not going to let you try and manipulate him and think that if you take this box into battle, you're going to win. David's attitude here is markedly different.
He does not have that superstition. He is not treating the ark as a holy horseshoe. He does not think that its presence with him will secure his return. Notice in verses 25 and 26, he casts himself upon the sovereignty of God Most High.
He says, carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. But if He says thus, I have no delight in you, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him. You see, that's beautiful faith, isn't it?
That's trust in the sovereignty of God. That's putting our money where our mouth is. That's putting up. That's doing what we're supposed to do.
Casting ourselves into the lap of divine sovereignty is where God's people ought to be. Davis comments here. He says, David says his restoration, should there be such, does not depend on whether he has Yahweh's furniture, but on whether he has Yahweh's favor. all rests on grace. He submits to Yahweh's sovereign sway.
Yahweh will show grace or He will not delight in me. Should it be the latter, here I am. Let Him do to me as seems good to Him. No gimmicks, no superstitions, no rabbit foot religion, no conning God by pilfering the ark.
This is not weak resignation but robust submission. I think that's beautiful. It's not weak resignation, but robust submission. Take the ark back to Jerusalem.
I'm not going to treat it as if it's some lucky charm. I'm going to cast myself into the lap of divine sovereignty, and wherever this shakes out, it is His will that is to be done. That's beautiful. Matthew Henry says this, this is something you ought to put in your mind and heart.
That we may not complain of what is, let us see God's hand in all events. And that we may not be afraid of what shall be, let us see all events in God's hands. Man, that's great. We need to think that way.
We need to get that in our minds. We need to be a David. David, for all his faults, in this section, 9 to 20, nevertheless, he is a man after God's own heart, he is a man of faith. Notice the use of informants.
This is beautiful. The sovereignty of God does not mean you act like an idiot. I find this sometimes. I'm trusting in the sovereignty of God, so who's going to lay here?
No, that's not what David does. Cromwell was right, pray and keep your powder dry. Where did he get that? He got it from men like David.
David trusts in the sovereignty of God, take the ark back to Jerusalem, I'm in the hands of the living God, however it shakes out, may his will be done. But Zadok and Abiathar, your two sons are going to be out there with you. You can keep me apprised of what's going on. David's not gonna let this rebellion stand.
David is the rightful king of Israel. And when a usurper takes the throne, David will put it down. David is a man after God's own heart. David, in this instance, is a man after God's own throne.
And so he tells Zadok and Abiathar, use your sons. I will wait in the plains, verse 28, of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem and they remained there. Now, sovereignty does not diminish David's intelligence. Sovereignty is not to diminish your intelligence.
Sovereignty is the ground upon which we use our noggin. Davis says, this activity is not a bit inconsistent with the statement of verses 25 and 26. It only demonstrates that complete submission to God's sovereignty still permits you to use your head, to work actively, but without the idolatry. You do it without the feverish anxiety of having to play God.
Now, in this latter section, we see another display of this. It's again, just beautiful. Verses 30 and 31. David laments, the people lament, and David prays.
Look it. David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives. Who else does that? David's greater son, doesn't he?
And what does David, the first, do when he goes up to this Mount of Olives? He weeps. so will David's greater son. Now David weeps over the fact that he has been rejected. David's greater son is going to weep over the ones who ultimately reject him.
So there is consistency, there is typical significance, but remember, in a type, it's not an exact correspondence. The type and the anti-type don't always exactly correspond. At any rate, notice specifically. David goes up, he wept as he went up, and he had his head covered and went barefoot.
And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. Now, notice. Gil says, thinking perhaps, why is he weeping? Thinking perhaps of the wickedness and rebellion of his son, of his own hard case, to be obliged to quit his metropolis and palace and to make his flight afoot, and perhaps also of his own sins, which were the cause of his calamities.
I suspect that was part of the tears as well. But notice this prayer in verse 31. Then someone told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And now David prays or says, O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
David penned Psalm 3 on this very occasion. The subscription in Psalm 3 reads, A psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son. Now, most likely, as David prayed this, and as David penned this psalm, knowing David, he probably sang it as well. I mean, that's what the psalms were all about.
It's God's songbook. We're supposed to sing psalms. David is praying. David is singing psalms of praise to God.
And the specific emphasis here is, O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. Again, he doesn't want to see the conspiracy of Absalom succeed. He doesn't want to see the usurpation of the rightful king of Israel. Now, notice in verses 32 to 37, God's answer to prayer.
God's Answer: Hushai the Archite (vv. 32–37)
David prays, and then Hushai the Archite shows up. This is an answer to prayer. Guess who God's going to use to defeat the council of Ahithophel? It's Hushai the Archite.
So note the connection here. We pray to God, Lord God Almighty, defeat the council of Ahithophel. Then we don't go lay on the couch. We don't go lay on the backyard.
We take action, right? When we pray, we ought to then act as we pray. Owen says it this way, he who prays as he ought will endeavor to live as he prays. So Hushai the archite shows up and he wants to join along with David.
And David says to him in verse 33, if you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me. Probably because Hushai was old or because Hushai would be another mouth to feed. I mean, you're running out into the wilderness. Every mouth eats food.
So, you know, Hushai, you'd do me better service by going to Absalom and telling him that you were my former friend and counselor. The friend here probably signifies that friend of a king in terms of a counselor. So David says, Hushai, go to Absalom and commit yourself to him and then in time you will have opportunity to thwart the council of Ahithophel. So he prays defeat the council of Ahithophel and then he acts consistently with that.
You see sovereignty or rather prayer and action go hand in hand. It's not prayer and inaction, it's not prayer and then cease and desist, it's not prayer and then go lay down, it's prayer and then labor by the grace of God to carry out those things that are supposed to be carried out. That's the emphasis in this particular instance. God answers David's prayer by sending Hushai the Archite in response to this specific petition.
The action is consistent with David's prayer. He has this plan to defeat the council of Ahithophel, verses 33 and 34. Notice as well there's already an intelligent structure in place because of what he said to Zadok previously. Look at how the chapter gels together Look at how it all flows together.
He's got the two sons of the priests already, according to verses 27 and 28, to feed him information. So here, specifically in verses 35 and 36, he says, And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, with you there? Therefore, it will be that whatever you hear from the king's house, you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Indeed, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, and by them you shall send me everything you hear.
You see the wisdom of David to put down this rebellion. He uses Hushai, who was an answer to prayer by God Himself, to go and thwart the counsel of Ahithophel. We will see that that comes to pass absolutely as it has been purposed and prayed for in this particular chapter. So Hushai complies, essentially arrives in Jerusalem at the same time as Absalom and that sets the stage for later chapters.
Application
So just a couple of thoughts before we close. First, the political savvy of Absalom. We mentioned this last week. It bears repeating that we are not to be wooed and we are not to be won by men who look good.
Remember, God's not about men who look good are necessarily disqualified. David was ruddy, David was handsome. It's not God saying you've got to be horrifically ugly in order to be a good political leader. No, that's not legit and that's not right, but there's more to being a political leader than being gorgeous. having long hair, or having the beautiful family, or having this political savvy at the city gates.
Men need to be men of principle. Men need to fear God. This is precisely what Moses is told in the book of Exodus in terms of leaders that he is to choose. It is the fear of God.
It is a commitment to justice, a commitment to righteousness and to equity. Those are the sorts of men that we are to choose for political office, not the ones who promise us things that they most likely can never deliver. Again, just that brief survey of what Absalom is doing at the city gate. There's no possible way he can deliver all these promises.
And there's no possible way he can say to a man, oh, your case is sound, your case is good, and you're going to win, without having to herd the other side. What's a primary emphasis in Proverbs 18, 17? He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him. Proverbs 18 as well, it says that the first to plead his cause seems right until his neighbor comes and examines him.
That's actually 18, 17. The other one's in 18-something. I can't remember the actual verse there. But it's folly and shame to answer a matter before we hear it, and it's a folly and shame to hear one person's side of a story and not get both sides.
So the political savvy of Absalom. You can see why it worked. Sinners gravitate toward gorgeous men with long hair and beautiful families. But principled men want men like David, king of Israel, men who fear God, men who do what they're supposed to do for the glory of God.
As well, in this passage we see two encouragements to David's faith. Two encouragements to David's faith, and they both come in men. Hittite, the Gittite, and Hushite, the Archite. Right?
How does God encourage us? I mean, we come to our Bibles, He encourages us with Scripture, to be sure. He encourages us in our times of prayer. He encourages us in our corporate place of worship.
But He also encourages us along the way with brothers and sisters who come and give us that Hittite moment or that Hushite moment. Hittite, the Gittite, was a shining light in this particular chapter. Davis says, Ittai is an island of fidelity in a sea of treachery. The irony is clear.
David's own son, whom he had loaded with undeserved kindness, was conspiring against him, while this stranger who owed him nothing in comparison was risking everything in his cause. And one wonders if our writer intends to contrast Ittai, the faithful Philistine, with Ahithophel, the treacherous Israelite. And then as well, we see the encouragement in terms of Hushai the archite. David prays, oh Lord, turn the council of Ahithophel into foolishness.
And Hushai shows up. It's beautiful, isn't that what God does? We pray and God answers our prayers. Do we ever stop and think, Wow, he just answered what I was praying.
Now, he doesn't always just answer, you know, a moment later, but the answer is as real a year later, and we should be just as kind, or just as quick, rather, to thank him and to praise him and to glorify him. It's not the timing involved that necessitates praise, it's the answer that necessitates the praise. And then, as well, we see the sovereignty of God, as I've already mentioned. The events transpire according to God's word through Nathan, but Absalom is responsible for his wickedness.
The events provoke David to cast himself upon the sovereignty of God. Verses 25 and 26 are the high point in this chapter. When David says, if he says thus, I have no delight in you, here I am, let him do to me as seems good to him. That's how you know a genuine believer, isn't it?
Somebody who's content in whatever my God ordains and he understands that it's right. We cast ourselves into the hand of God, trusting that He will do what He will do for His glory and for our good. It's a Romans 8.28 mindset. Verses 25 and 26 of 2 Samuel 15 are Romans 8-28.
I mean, we as believers feed on Romans 8-28. I think we as believers need to feed more on the 2 Samuel 15-26s. We need to understand that God's people have indeed tried and proven their God, and He has shown faithful every step of the way. And the events continually promote the worship of David to God.
What's he doing when he's fleeing from Absalom, writing Psalm 3? I have to tell you, if I was chased out of my habitation and I'm fleeing in the wilderness, my interest is shelter, food, and clothing. I must confess. David's writing Psalms, David's praising God, David's praying for God's intervention, and God the Lord sends him Hushai the Archite.
And then I mentioned the typical significance of David. Again, Davis nails this. He says, admittedly, David is suffering for his sins, chapter 12, verses 10 to 12, but he is nevertheless the rightful king. But the rightful king has been rejected and plods up the Mount of Olives weeping.
The scene will be repeated. The descendant of David, the rightful king, according to 2 Samuel 7, will be seen on the Mount of Olives, Luke 19.37. And he will be weeping, Luke 19.41-44. Not so much, excuse me, over his rejection as over the doom of those who have rejected him.
Well, let us close in prayer.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for this, Your Word. We thank You for the lessons that we can learn from it. Help us, God, to walk by faith. Help us to trust in Your absolute sovereignty.
And help us, God, to be encouraged by the Ittai's and the Hushai's that You put into our lives, the friends that help us along in the answers to prayer that you give to us. God, may we have theological minds and eyes to see these things for what they are. Blessings from on high to encourage the faith of your weary pilgrims. Go with us now, we pray, and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.