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"A King On The Run"
• 1.24.16 •
Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro
- In the span of nine years, Absalom had gone
from fugitive to favored son. When the time was right, he cashed in all of his
political capitol earned in the gate and sought to seize his Father's throne.
- Absalom brought his treachery into the public
eye in Hebron, the city that had first been ruled by his Father David. There he
sets himself up as the "new David."
- With a few hundred noblemen gathered at a
pseudo-religious feast, Absalom brought in his trump card to reveal the
legitimacy of his campaign.
- He was being endorsed by David's counselor
Ahithophel! The second part of this epic tale turns our attention back to
Jerusalem and the King's response to his son's rebellion. Verse 13.
Text
•
II Samuel 15:13-16 : "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." : Absalom's 200 men would certainly have turned into a greater
number as he moved back toward Jerusalem.
-
When a messenger loyal to David arrived with the news of Absalom's revolt, the
King didn't skip a beat. He didn't question the news. He rose to flee quickly.
-
David knew that if Absalom caught them there, it would be a bloody affair that
would bring disaster upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Absalom's reckless way
would have guaranteed it!
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David could have put the revolt down, but drawing him away from the city
provided the safest option for all. His exit meant that Absalom would not be
able to seize power immediately.
-
Other than the 10 concubines, David's house would be empty when Absalom
arrived.
•
II Samuel 15:17-22 : "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 Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six
hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king. Then the king said to Ittai 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." : David
came to a remote place and took stock of the crowd that gathered around him.
His loyal group began with his royal bodyguards.
-
The Cherethites, Pelethites and Gittites were at least part Philistine, though
their specific origins remain unknown.
-
These men had followed David since his time in Gath, which we covered in I Samuel 27. Most Kings maintained
foreign bodyguards who were believed to be less susceptible to treachery.
-
One of the Gittites was a fellow name Ittai who had only come to Jerusalem the
previous day! - His only reason for being
in Israel was due to his exile from his own land! He would neither be a threat,
nor be threatened by Absalom. There was no reason to make him wander aimlessly.
-
David politely sought to send him away. Ittai looked him in the eye and said he
would stay with David until his death!
-
Ittai could simply have taken David's gracious cue and stepped aside without
any further trouble. His loyalty to David the man would not allow him to do so.
-
Whatever place he came to and in whatever state, David could depend upon this
soldier's sword and spear! Ittai and his men, as well as his family crossed
over the river with David.
-
Certainly when there is strife and difficulty in this life, we are grateful for
the Lord's presence and peace. If that is all we have, we are certainly
blessed.
-
But never underestimate the power and the blessing afforded by the loyalty of
people. No matter how little it "mattered" give the potentially bad
situation, it counted to David.
•
II Samuel 15:23 : "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." : As the procession went along, the people who learned of the
news mourned and joined themselves to their King.
-
The news of Absalom's reign wasn't received with as much joy as he had hoped
for. Men who crave power believe they will have great consensus, but not when
it's stolen from a great King!
- David is now moving
away from Jerusalem. For the first time in scripture, the Brook Kidron is
mentioned. The Kidron lies between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.
-
It will later be the place where the blood of the sacrifices from the temple
will collect against the soil and turn black after it's name. David steps
across with great heaviness of heart.
-
Most scholars believe him to be over 60 years old and he is moving away from
the throne and back toward the wilderness! You could only imagine what was
going through his mind.
-
Yes, Absalom was forcing the issue, but David had been told that those actions
would be a direct consequence of his sin with Bathsheba. His sin was setting
him back toward the wilderness!
-
I know that many still struggle with the concept: How can a person be forgiven
from their sin and there still be consequences? This is the Biblical truth of
the matter.
-
Sin will run it's course and when the pleasure ends, the pain of remorse
begins! Spiritually, as we'll see, David is in a good place with the Lord.
Physically, this is quite a setback.
-
The good news is that it's not permanent. In fact, as he faces away from the
throne, the Lord reassures him of His good favor.
•
II Samuel 15:24-26 : "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 High Priest Zadok brought the ark of the covenant out of
the tabernacle. Don't underestimate the timing.
-
Bad things are happening, the future moment is unclear and Zadok, whose name
means "righteous" or "just" comes out to endorse David!
Wow!
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He believed that God was on David's side and that His presence symbolized by
the ark should be with the rightful King of Israel. David doesn't seem to be as
confident or perhaps he is.
-
The ark belonged in the city and if David had God's favor as the King, then he
would return to see it in it's righful place. Listen to the King's words.
-
"If He brings me back then I will see it. If not, let Him do as seems good
to Him." David knows that he is entirely in the hands of God, for good or
for bad.
-
His words are less doubtful and more certain that the proof of God's favor will
issue in a return to his proper place!
-
He doesn't need or necessarily want the symbol of God's presence. He wants
God's presence alone! The King is resigned to trust the Lord with his next
steps.
-
Far from fatalism, David displays the maturity and contentment that accompanies
godliness! A godly man in his position knows that if he has God, he has
everything!
-
Even if the Kingdom were taken away and he lived his day out in exile, eeking
out a living as he once did under Saul's hand, he'd be fine if God was with
him!
-
Unlike Absalom, David didn't need the power of the Kingdom to validate his
position. God had made him King and God would keep him as the King if it
pleased Him to do so!
-
That's the maturity of the King in this moment! Additionally, David has a job
for Zadok to perform. Verse 27.
•
II Samuel 15:27-29 : "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." : Being a priest and a seer or
prophet near Absalom would benefit David far more than carrying the Ark would!
-
Absalom wanted Zadok and the Levites to remain. That only added legitimacy to
his coup. For Zadok's part, he could be David's eyes and ears within the city
and his sons could bring news.
-
Without hesitation, they agreed to be his help and returned to the city,
imbedding themselves there, ready to aid David when the time came.
•
II Samuel 15:30,31 : "So 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!'" : The King
is now directly opposite to the city of Jerusalem standing on the Mount of
Olives. As he goes, his emotional state crumbles with each new step.
-
The King of Israel wept as he went up. This is an amazing scene to behold, as
the mighty King, just hours ago, sat in his celebrated place of honor among the
people.
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Look at him now with his head covered and his feet bare, the sign of profound
distress, upon the mount of olives.
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You and I cannot imagine the sorrow that this group is enduring, all in
procession, all weeping and mourning the current unstable conditions.
-
And as if the pain of his son's murderous intent and his subsequent humiliation
wasn't enough, the knife in David's back is turned afresh by one of his own
counselors!
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While there on the mount, David learns for the first time that Ahithophel was
among the conspirators. We aren't privy to the relationship that David had with
Ahithophel.
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Like Nathan, he's given no introduction and it's assumed that the readers are
aware of him. With a few verses, it's easy and disheartening to discover the
connections.
-
II Samuel 11:3 tells us that
Bath-Sheba was Eliam's daughter. II
Samuel 23:34 tells us that Ahithophel was Eliam's Father. As we noted from
verse 12, Ahithophel was David's
counselor.
-
We know that David confessed in Psalm
51:4 that his sin was entirely against the Lord. We don't know if he ever
sought to make things right with Ahithophel.
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On the one hand, you have to imagine that he did attempt to make things right,
but on the other hand, can you blame Ahithophel for being unable to put it to
rest?
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It must have burned him up to hear David's words and to know that Uriah was
never coming home and that Bathsheba, his Granddaughter, was now just another among
David's wives!
-
Is it any wonder that Ahithophel joined Absalom's justice campaign? There was
no end to Ahithophel's disdain for David personally.
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Yet, for our sympathy and ability to relate, Ahithophel never settled the case.
He never committed it to God's hand of justice, so his bitterness only grew and
eventually found a vent.
-
That is what eventually happens for all who choose to carry bitterness in this
life, justified or not. It will not be hidden long and someone will come along
and exploit the pain you feel.
-
Any action that proceeds from that festering, putrefying wound, will be as
ungodly as Ahithophel's! He will soon realize that it would have been better to
relinquish his bitterness to God!
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Initially, Ahithophel handled it by distancing himself from David's dervice.
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He had gone to Absalom in Hebron from his home town in Giloh, an area in the
south, near the Dead Sea. Absalom presented Ahithophel with a chance to strike
back at David.
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David knew that Ahithophel's joining to Absalom meant trouble. We'll learn next
week that when he spoke, his words were regarded as "oracles of God!"
(II Samuel 16:23)
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He has no other recourse but to pray that God would transform Ahithophel's
advice into something that nobody would listen to. David is about to see how
this will be possible.
• II Samuel 15:32-37 : "Now
it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped
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 counsel 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 there with them their
two sons, Ahimaaz, 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." : At the
top of the mount of olives, on one of the most difficult days of his career and
indeed life, David stops to worship the Lord! What a testimony to us!
- In
his most desperate hour, David bowed his heart to God, to proclaim His worth,
regardless of how he felt. That should speak volumes to you and I.
-
David was not worshipping when all things had worked out for good. He was not
worshipping when God had prospered him.
- But
here, in the storm, where His peace and presence spoke volumes, David worships!
-
Earlier, we noted David's resignation to allow the Lord to direct and order his
course. Look now at a man who makes a choice to honor His God in the midst of
his greatest personal challenge!
- Now,
as he trusts the Lord for the outcome of his circumstance and as he worships,
does Hushai the Archite came to meet him. "Whoshai" you say? Here is
yet another unintroduced man!
-
Just like last week, when the drama revealed a tall dark thin man with a pencil
mustache, here comes an old paunchy dude with an unkempt beard coming toward
David to turn the tide!
-
Obviously, Hushai is a loyalist who wants to join David as he accepts
banishment. He is not ashamed on this foreboding day to show his loyalty to the
King by mourning.
- I Chronicles 27:33 tells us that while
Ahithophel was David's counselor, Hushai was David's companion. Essentially, he
was akin to a close brother to the King.
-
But, it's also very likely that he was an aged man who David would be forced to
protect in a time when he could barely hope to protect himself! He wisely
redirects Hushai into profitable service.
- If
anyone had a chance to defeat the counsel of Ahithohphel, it was Hushai.
- There
were already other men in place for him to direct information toward. And with
that, Hushai, David's friend goes back into the city just in time for Absalom
to make his presence known.
Conclusion
- At every turn,
David knew the comfort of God's presence by the presence of his friends! Never
underestimate what you mean to one another!
-
Whether it's a man with a sword like Ittai, a man with the symbol of God's
presence like Zadok or a man who has stuck closer than a brother like Hushai,
David knew God's care for him!
-
Of course, you and I realize that this is a fitting and poignant picture of the
greater David, Jesus Christ.
-
Jesus Christ also walked from the height of His popularity in Jerusalem to the
Mount of Olives, where He wept over Jerusalem, but worshipped His Father,
resigning Himself to His plan!
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He too was betrayed by His close confidant and unlike David, left alone by all
who followed Him with claims of allegiance.
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When He walked back into Jerusalem, it was to be condemned and ultimately
crucified for the sins of the world!
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He was despised and rejected by men and considered stricken smitten and
afflicted by God!
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But, because there was no sin in Him, He arose from the grave and ascended to
His Father and one day.
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On the spot where David mourned and Jesus experienced His greatest suffering,
the Bible declares in Zechariah 14:4
that Jesus will stand there in victory and split the mount in half!
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The world will see then what our hearts know now, that God delights in the true
King of Israel, the King of eternity, the King of our hearts!
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