2 Samuel 15:1-37
1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy camea to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.
4 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 counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.
13 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 bringb 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.c
16 And the king went forth, and all his household afterd 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.
22 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,e 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.
27 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 weptf 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.
32 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.
And Absalom went out from the gate of the city, and when people would come from Israel to bring a matter for judgment, he would say, Oh what a shame that my father wouldn't appoint me as judge in Israel, because I could judge in these matters. You come to see my dad, he's so busy, he hasn't got time to see anybody. But bring the matter to me, let me judge it for you. And the people would start to bow to him, and he'd take them by the hand, and he'd kiss their hands (2 Samuel 15:2-6).
He was a shrewd politician, kissing the babies, and just saying the things that the people wanted to hear. "Oh, what a shame that I wasn't placed in a position that I could really help you? Oh, I could do so much for you if I were just in this position. It's a shame my dad is so busy, he really doesn't have time for people, you know busy running things. Oh, what we could do for you!" All of this you know.
And he began to steal the hearts of the people, those that would come to Jerusalem, he would steal their hearts. And when he felt that he was in a strong enough position, he headed for Hebron with some of the key leaders and he announced his kingdom there in Hebron. And when the kingdom was announced, then Israel began to gather unto Absalom. And some of David's counselors, one especially Ahithophel went with Absalom against David (2 Samuel 15:7-12).
This dissertation of his friend Ahithophel is expressed by David in the fifty-fifth psalm. Let's turn to Psalm fifty-five, and read of David's feelings over the desertion of Ahithophel who went with Absalom.
"Give ear to my prayer O God, and hide not Thyself from my supplications. Attend unto me, and hear me, I mourn in my complaint and make a noise because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked, for they have cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, O that I had wings like a dove then I would fly away and be at rest! Lo then would I wander far off and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. Destroy O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about upon the walls thereof. Mischief also and sorrow in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof, deceit, and guile depart not from her streets; For it was not (Here is his lament about Ahithophel), for it was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could've borne it. Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me, then I would've hid myself from him. But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked unto the house of God in company."
Then David's prayer of vengeance upon them for their deceit and treachery. So the desertion from David of some of his chief men. Yet there were those who remained true, but if word came that Absalom was coming from Hebron with an army.
Now David as I told you, his spirit is gone. Rather than defending himself, rather than setting up his troops to defend him from Absalom, and from the army that's coming with Absalom, David's spirit is gone. He makes no attempt to defend the city, to defend himself. But David begins an exodus from the city with his faithful followers and they start up over the Mount of Olives toward the wilderness. As they start up, David is weeping as he walks through the Kidron stream, and up the Mount of Olives. He has his head covered, and he's weeping and all of those that are going with him, their heads are covered, they too are weeping. What a sad and pitiful sight. David not even making a fight; David not standing up. This great valiant man not standing up, but fleeing. Absalom his son will arrive at Jerusalem, and find out there are no defenses at all against him.
And they told David, Ahithophel is among them. And David said, Lord, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. And when David came to the top of the mount of Olives, he worshipped God, and behold, Hushai (2 Samuel 15:31-32),
Who was also one of David's counselors, an older man, came to meet him, and David said, "Hey, go on home, go back to Jerusalem, and maybe you can sort of subvert the counsel of Ahithophel." So David began to set up his men also to destroy the purposes of Absalom.
And the priests had come with the ark of the covenant, and David sent them back, Zadok and Abiathar, he sent them back with the ark of the covenant (2 Samuel 15:35).
Committing it really, and it is interesting to me David at this point was committing his case totally to God. "If God wants me to come back, you know the Lord will bring me back. If the Lord is pleased to help me, then the Lord will help me." But he's not gonna defend himself. He's not fighting for himself anymore. He is a broken man, and he is committing his case totally into the hands of God because this is really the fulfillment of this prophecy, really, because of his sin. Nathan said, "your sons are gonna rebel against you". He sees this just as a God's judgment and he's accepting it. He's committing himself totally into God's hands, and into this judgment that God has brought upon him. "