Life of David – 2 Samuel 15

David, “Risen up to ruin”

II Samuel 15:1-12

Vs. 1-6 Stealing the hearts of people

Vs. 7-12 The conspiracy grew strong

Intro

To experience God’s power when you are facing giants, fighting the enemies of God, or withstanding a sinful king is one thing. To cry out to Him when you are held up in the wilderness of despair in the cave of Adullam or to weep up His feet when your rebellion has been seen in the smoldering ashes of Ziklag is all noteworthy. But who will we turn to when someone you love is tearing our world apart? I can think of no more difficult season in any life than when our own sinful choices have caused those we love to rip our hearts apart. To whom do we turn?

God was discipling His son David, and based upon his words in Psalm 3:2–3 (the inscription above the psalm reads “a psalm of David when he fled Absalom, his son”), David knew whom to turn to as he wrote, “Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory, and the One who lifts up my head.” David went on to say in that psalm in verses 4-5, “I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.” He does not cry out to God in denunciation of the injustice of his discipline, nor in David’s silence concerning this is his admission that he is in need of every blow. But dear saint, please hear me on this: “Our reaping what we have sown, our spiritual discipline by our Loving Heavenly Father is not intended to cause us to draw away from Him but draw towards Him in brokenness.” Praise God that even in His discipline for our own rebellious heart, His heart is open to our heartache. Oswald Chambers wrote, “God can only accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, so why not thank Him for breaking yours?”

Stealing the hearts of people

Vs. 1-6 By way of review, in David’s dysfunctional family, a rift has developed between David and his son Absalom. The facts are that David was a permissive parent, and as such, the lack of disciplining Amnon for the rape of his sister Tamar led to Absalom taking matters into his own hands and killing Amnon, for which he lived in exile for three years. Joab then manufactured a story to manipulate David into offering Absalom mercy apart from the demands of justice. This was followed up by David overcompensating by offering justice apart from mercy, leaving Absalom not allowed to see David for two more years. Absalom’s further impatience turned Joab’s field to ash. This time he got forgiveness apart from repentance. Absalom was the oldest living son of David and the heir apparent to the throne of David, but he had learned to be impulsive and decided not to wait until his father died and employed several marketing techniques to sell himself before the nation.

Image is everything: No donkey was good enough for Absalom; no, he needs a chariot with 50 men in front. The fact that it says that Absalom had 50 men to run before him suggests to us that the use of the chariot was to make an impact upon the people and not for military use. A chariot was for military purposes; it was fast and agile, but when you put 50 men out front, it was no longer being used for anything other than making an impression. This guy was a good public relations kind fellow, as he knew what the people wanted to see and provided just that image. The gate of the city was where legal transactions took place and where legal counsel would be given, and it was in this legal arena that Absalom began his challenge to the throne. Absalom wanted to appear to be a judge among the people, so he hung around the gate where the people who were appealing the cases decided in lower courts would come to have their cases heard before David as the supreme court. In that role, Absalom made sure he did two things:

He made sure he knew their names and what city they were from. Why? Well, so all would say, “Man, I met the crown prince, and he knew all about me, what tribe I was from, and we even knew of some of the same people.” There are people who know what impresses people even in the church, and so they quickly want to meet everyone and get to know the kids’ names and all. Now there is nothing wrong with getting to know people and being friendly, but if the motive is to covet a position or to incur favor, then it is just manipulation.
He waited outside the court, and when the person came out who had lost the case, he would say, “Oh man, if I had heard that case, I would have sided with you.” This is another tactic, and you will even see this done in the church, where folks will stir up strife by finding those that are discontented and begin to give an ear to those who have not got the color of carpet or the type of music they wanted and say, “Oh, I know what you mean, and if I was on the board or if I was in a place of leadership, I’d sure play that song more often.” Again, it is good to listen to the people, but it is not a good thing to give ear to things to further one’s own standing or position.

So as David was busy governing the affairs of the nation, Absalom positioned himself by the gates of the city, meeting all of the differing tribes. Simply put, Absalom was running for office all the while David was running the nation, and it is easier to second-guess every decision a person makes, especially when they don’t care about the facts only about getting elected. Absalom would meet and greet them, finding common ground, and say, “Oh, you’re from that city; well, it’s my favorite place; hey, do you know so and so?” “Well, you know dad is just really busy today; after all, he is getting a little old. Man, I sure wish I could help, but I’ll just have to wait until dad’s dead, then I’ll be right with you on that matter. Sure, I do wish there was some other way to become king.” These things are all about power, and most often folks who are into these kinds of things find folks whom they can manipulate in order to gain power.

Over the years, I’ve noticed the same characteristics about them as they always seem to want authority and recognition, without service and sacrifice, and such was the case with Absalom. He knew how to play the people, as they had a need to feel important and the need to believe their opinions were right. There was one church in the town I was in that struck on these two needs and gave everyone a badge and a position so that they would feel important and believe they were right. “Oh, I’m important; see my badge; I’m in charge of the 2nd row chairs!” This worked for awhile until some other person with a badge for the 3rd row seats had a different opinion about whose row it was, then all hell broke loose.

What a master politician Absalom was as he campaigned for the hearts of the people; he didn’t directly say bad things about David, but the impression was nonetheless given to the failed policies of his dad. “He’s out of touch with the people; he’s been in Jerusalem too long; we need a change. It’s about time that Jerusalem looked a little more like the Judean wilderness.” When people would come to bow down to him, he would put his hand out instead and embrace them, projecting the man of the people image. “Why that Absalom is so genuine and friendly, that even though he is the prince next in line to the king, he wouldn’t let me bow down instead he hugged me like he’d known me all his life.” It is interesting to note that charisma has two definitions according to Webster’s dictionary:

An extraordinary power given a Christian by the Holy Spirit for the good of the church.
A personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure, a special magnetic charm or appeal, like that of a popular actor.

The sad truth is that people can be easily taken in by “magnetic charm and personality” and think that what they are following is “extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit” for the good of the Church. How can one tell the difference? Well, usually time will tell, as we shall see in the case of David and Absalom, as David was willing to sacrifice his position for the good of the people, and Absalom was willing to sacrifice the people for the good of the position. The truth of the matter was that Absalom didn’t consider the people his equal; I mean, how equal were these people to Absalom as he rode around in a chariot with 50 men running in front of him? How equal to the people was he when he acted above the law that he as a king would be sworn to uphold when he premeditatedly killed his brother by getting off on a special law that granted mercy apart from justice and forgiveness apart from repentance? Why, he knew everybody thought he was the best-looking guy around; he was selling his hair and apparently making a living doing so. He must have had a great publicist, as they had crafted his image very well to appeal to the masses. “Of course nowadays we would never be so easily swayed by the public image over the character of the person we vote for.”

So finally, in a very crafty way, Absalom “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” The word “stole” in the Hebrew means to “steal by use of deception,” as you will recall that Absalom hadn’t fought in any wars, he hadn’t slain any giants, written any psalms, sacrificed his life for the people—no, he had just hired a publicist to look the part. And over a period of time, Absalom was able to create an image that was:

Attractive and exciting: He had long flowing hair like Fabio and was the best-looking guy in the nation, and he drove a chariot with 50 men out in front.
A hard worker: He rose early, we are told, so he looked like he was a hard worker, but the truth of the matter was, he was a spoiled son who hadn’t worked a day in his life.
On the side of the disconnected and disenfranchised: those that nobody knew he knew, and those who couldn’t get justice, he spoke as though he wanted to give them justice.
A man of the people, a man of change: Though he didn’t outright attack David, he left the impression that if elected, he could do better.

Absalom was a forerunner to many politicians who, instead of using their authority to help people, used people to gain authority. He had several natural qualifications that aided him in this pursuit:

According to 14:25–26, he was blessed with outstanding good looks.
He was from royalty, from both sides of his parents.
Clearly, he was intelligent, even if he had used that in evil means.
Finally, he was charming when it gained him the advantages he wished.

The fact that he was devoid of godly character and integrity mattered little as he majored in the art of telling people what they wanted to hear and giving them what they wanted to have. I’m certain that he would most likely win in a landslide the seat for the US Senate here in Montana. One newspaper editor put it this way: “A politician is a person who proclaims lies to people he hopes are idiots!” That was Absalom to a tee.

What further aided Absalom’s ascent to power can be found in David’s psalms written during this time. Most commentators believe that there are at least eight so-called “exile psalms” written while David was fleeing his son and perhaps as many as 12. In the words of David in Psalm 41:3-4, a possible reason he was so easily taken by Absalom is as we are told, “The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed. I said, “LORD, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” ” David had won the hearts of the people through sacrifice and service; he was a hero.

Absalom won the hearts of the people by advertising and creating an image; he was a celebrity. In my opinion, it is a sign of the fall of a nation when we prefer celebrities to lead us over heroes! This fellow Absalom was a born politician, as he was able to steal the hearts of the people without ever actually condemning his father’s rule. This guy was the original “Slick Willy,” as you just couldn’t pin anything on him, and when you did, he could spin it another way. To make this even more amazing, the throne was his in time anyway; after all, he was the crown prince. How arrogant is Absalom, who didn’t deserve the throne in the first place but wanted to unseat his father to get it? Have you ever noticed that ambition and arrogance always seem to go hand in hand?

The conspiracy grew strong.

Vs. 7-10 Apparently it took only four years of Absalom’s swaying the fickle hearts of the nation, and he did so without raising a sword. It took only 9 years from the time Hitler was on trial for treason to when he took control of Germany, and it was won in the media. Hey, saints, there will come another; we are told in Rev. 13:3 that “all the world will marvel and follow the beast.” This is nothing new, and Jesus warned us in John 5:43. “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.”

There seems to be a discrepancy here in the original, as some think the forty refers to Absalom’s age, while others based on Josephus and other manuscripts suggest that it should be four years of time passed (perhaps both are correct). At any rate, Absalom was willing to commit treason under the guise of worship. Absalom came to his dad asking if he could go and fulfill a vow he had made, and maybe David thought, “Praise God, Absalom is finally going to get his heart right!” So he appears to be the first in line of many who give a little religion to appeal to the people. The sad thing is that he was doing this to the man who was king, his father, whom he has planned to take his kingdom from. Why did Absalom choose Hebron as the city of revolt? Two reasons:

First it was his hometown.
Second, it used to be the capital until David moved it to Jerusalem, so perhaps he was hoping to pick up a few more votes.

How could Absalom behave like this? Well, it is likely that he felt that this was God’s will and justified his deception by convincing himself that he was acting in the best interest of the people, saving them from a man like David. “Oh Lord, for such a time like this, you have raised me up.” Is there anything worse than self-deception? Someone has well put, “Divisive people never see themselves as divisive; instead, they are crusaders for God’s righteous cause, and the hope of all rests upon God’s hand upon them.” David’s last words to his son Absalom are recorded here in verse 9, “Go in peace,” and they were the words to the son, who was at that very moment planning to overthrow his father’s kingdom. Did his father’s words burn in his heart or fuel his cause? Well, it seems as though they fueled his cause as he continues to go forward.

Hey saint, there have no doubt been times in our lives where someone said a word, and though they may not have been aware of it at the time, it was a word from the Lord sent to burn in our hearts, a last ditch effort of the Lord to get us to stop what we were about to do and “make peace” with Him. Be careful, saint, in the future that you listen as Jesus admonished people 16 times in the N.T. to listen to what He is trying to tell them. So how about it? Are His words burning in our hearts, or are they fuel for our cause? Absalom’s goal was to win public opinion by making his treason look like secession so that the people would back him and not his father.

No sooner than David had finished saying his final words to his son, “Go in peace,Absalom sent spies throughout the land, telling everyone that Absalom had seceded from the nation to form his own kingdom. David had begun his reign in Hebron for seven years until he came to Jerusalem; now he hears that his own son has committed treason. He hand-selected a group of folks that were prominent people; some probably didn’t know that they were even siding with Absalom; the most notable of them all was Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s chief counselor and grandfather of Bathsheba, who apparently had lost great respect for David when he had seduced his granddaughter and murdered her husband. The momentum changed, and the people went with Absalom, but most importantly, God had not gone with him.

Vs. 11-12 Absalom left for Hebron with two hundred hand-selected men from Jerusalem; these folks were his endorsements, his list of supporters from David’s reign as king. Some of them no doubt really believed David needed to go; others went along hoping to gain positions in the new administration; others had an axe to grind with David; and some hadn’t a clue that they were involved in a cue. But no where do you see anyone seeking what God wanted; no where is God’s word consulted except as an excuse to commit treason.

Turn with me back to chapter 5, where we read in verses 1-2 that these same people said, “We are your bone and your flesh. You were the one who led Israel out and brought them in, and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.” Now they reject his leadership to follow Absalom, who had stolen their hearts. Hey, saints, in Revelation 2:1, we are told that “He…holds the seven stars in His right hand,” and it is believed that this refers to pastors, but I’m afraid that there has been far too much tendency for people to worship what Jesus holds in His right hand instead of the One who holds them. My point? Only there has been far too much stargazing and not enough Son worshiping! That is why Absalom could steal the hearts of the people because folks had been stargazing. Paul tells us in Rom 16:17 to “note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”

To further bolster his cause, Absalom was able to get David’s top counselor to join him, Ahithophel the Gilonite. You can tell that what Absalom had for God was mere religious appearance, as all the while he was offering sacrifices he was sending for Ahithophel. Perhaps he was asking God to bless his conspiracy. In chapter 16:23, we are told that “the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at the oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahithophel, both with David and with Absalom.” Ahithophel, according to chapter 23:34, had a son, Eliam, who was one of the 37 mighty men, along with a man named Uriah. Apparently Eliam thought enough of Uriah and his character that he allowed Uriah to marry his daughter Bathsheba. So when David seduces Bathsheba and kills Eliam’s close friend and son-in-law

Uriah, this destroyed the relationship that David had with Ahithophel, and apparently he went back to Giloh (exile) because he couldn’t stand the thought of his granddaughter lying in bed with the murderer of his son’s best friend and disgraced his family. This root of bitterness grew in his heart and caused him to defect to Absalom, and later on he will hang himself when his counsel is rejected by Absalom. The moral of the story? Well, only that bitterness left in the heart will cause you to defect, and left unchanged will cause you to get hung up on yourself.

By backing Absalom, he was denying Solomon his true great-grandson. It was no doubt it was Ahithophel that David was referring to when he wrote in Psalm 41:9, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.” And again in Psalm 55:12-14, “It is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me. Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in the throng.”

This is the saddest episode in the life of David, his fleeing the kingdom because of the treason of his son. Making matters worse was the fact that according to Psalm 41:4, he wrote, “LORD, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” He knew he was reaping what he had sown! And when David left his beloved city and his kingdom, we are told in verse 18 that only 600 men from Gath (converted Philistines) left with him. The nation that he had sacrificed so much for had their hearts stolen by Absalom; his family and best friend were all left behind.

And what comfort does he find? Hear David’s own words in Psalm 55:6-7. “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness.” Escape offered nothing as he realized it would just cause him more grief. Then in psalm 61:1-3 he says, “HEAR my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth, I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed, Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.” Then finally in Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.”

David, “I will go wherever you will go.”

2 Samuel 15:13-37

Vs. 13-23 You are my king.

Vs. 24-37 In the hands of God

Intro

In chapter 5:1, the men of Israel said, “We are your bone and your flesh.” Now they go after one who had stolen their hearts. David recognized the doom that awaited him as well as the city if he stayed and fought, and he was determined for the good of the nation to leave, and he left behind 10 concubines, including his legitimate wives; this would make over 18 that were either married to him or were his mistress. Therein lies the problem with David; he has compromised with his own flesh. Consider the story of Uzziah in 2 Chron 26, where we are told, “As long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” Ah, but we are told in the 15th and 16th verses that “his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, to his destruction.”

Oh dear saint, heed the words of Paul in 2 Cor. 12:10: “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” We too need to seek the Lord and guard our hearts against taking credit in God’s help. How do we do so? Well Listen to the words of these 600 men who said in verse 15, “We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands.” I’m reminded of what will be said of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists in Rev. 14:4; these are those “who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” There you have the clearest definition of what a Christian is: a person who follows the Lamb wherever He goes!

You are my king.

Vs. 13-18 David’s last official act as king was to make sure that his family and close officials were safe. In leaving David was risking his life but saving 1,000’s of others, and this is always a shepherd’s heart. One can only imagine what those words “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom” must have felt like to David, as he loved his son, was aware of his own failure, and also realized what all this meant for the nation. He knew the heart of his son and realized that if he did not make haste, not only would he and his servants be dead, but Absalom would destroy the city to get at them. He could have held out in Jerusalem as it was a walled city, but David knew his son and that he was determined, and this would only cause innocent people to be slaughtered by Absalom.

Remarkably, David is able to accept that God’s chastening does not mean that God doesn’t love him; rather, it means that He does love him, so he can say, “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.” There has been much to find fault with in examining David’s life over the last several weeks: his uncontrollable lust for women (which we again see here in verse 16 where he leaves 10 concubines to keep the palace while he was gone; you see, concubines were legal mistresses but not legal wives). We also took note of his permissive parenting style and all the heartache and grief that was brought upon his family as well as the nation. Though all of those are visible and inexcusable, we can still see that he has a shepherd’s heart, as he was not willing to sacrifice the people for the sake of his position.

In the wake of yet another high-profile pastor being forced to step down from ministry due to immorality, I went on the church’s website and read his letter to his fellowship. In this 2-page confession was the heart of a true shepherd, one who takes full responsibility for his sins, calling himself a “deceiver and a liar.” He goes on to say that not all the “accusations are true,” but enough of them are that he has been “appropriately and lovingly removed from ministry.” He accepts the fact that he “created the entire situation” and is responsible and “needs to be disciplined and corrected” because “an example must be set.” His confession goes on to describe his “permanent removal,” from being senior pastor and never serving in a leadership role of the church again, as well as encouraging his former congregation to support the new pastor, calling him “a fine leader” and telling them they are “blessed to have him.”.

Why, he even asks the congregation to forgive and thank God for his accuser. Hey saints, the truth is we sin; we make messes of our lives and are in need of God’s discipline. But it is often what we do after we have blown it that determines where our hearts are truly at. You see, stepping in the muck and mire doesn’t make you a pig; only staying there can do that. The Cherethites (executioners) and Pelethites (couriers), along with the Gittites, who from Gath all left with David, most likely comprised his special forces and bodyguards and were 600 in all. Now there is an interesting parallel between David and the Son of David, Jesus. You see in verses 17–18 we are given the nationalities of the 600 people that went with David, and they were Philistines from Gath who had followed David out of Ziklag and wished to remain with him. Simply put, his own countrymen rejected him, but gentiles followed him.

Do you see that? So too, with our Lord, as we are told in John 1:11–13. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood (not a birthright), nor of the will of the flesh (not by religion), nor of the will of man (self effort), but of God.” They have joined themselves to the man, not the trappings of the office, not for what the king provides but for his character and his relationship to God. Oh, dear saints, that is what it means to be a follower of our KING Jesus. We go where He goes, “ready to do whatever He commands,” because we are not joined to Him for what He brings us; we are joined to Him because of who He is!

Vs. 19-23 As David viewed the procession of men, there was one fellow that caught his eye: Ittai the Gittite, and the reason for this was that he was a new arrival in Israel, and in following David he was following an uncertain future. Now it is interesting to note that his name means “with the Lord.” “Why are you also going with us?” David couldn’t understand why this newly-arrived foreigner should risk such loyalty to him, so he says, “Hey buddy, you’re in the wrong line; you need to go with the king; it’ll be better for you and your family. If you hang with me, I’m only going to make it harder on you, so go on back!” That’s a great heart; even though David was in need of having some loyal people around him, he didn’t want people around them if it was going to be hard on them. Seven times in four verses, David is referred to as king, yet notice in verse 19, when he himself is speaking to Ittai the Gittite, he calls his son Absalom the king.

Now listen up, saints. This relates to you and me and our relationship with the Lord, as we will need to determine if we will be “with the Lord” even if He causes us to leave our city, our family, and our friends. It is no big thing to make Jesus our king when coming to Him benefits our present circumstances. Ah, but are we still going to be “with the Lord” when following Him causes our present circumstances to be uncertain or even worse? Notice that Ittai went with the king publicly, voluntarily, even when he knew that following the king would bring him difficulties. Why? Well, Ittai wanted to be “with the Lord” because of His character, not just for how being with the king would benefit him.

Oh to God, you and I would pledge the words of Ittai in verse 21: “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.” Now we get some insight into why Ittai was willing to follow the king, as he said, “as the Lord lives.” It seems as though God had worked in the life of David in one day by observing his life that he already had come to know the living God through the things he had witnessed. What had he witnessed? Brokenness, humility, trust, and love of God and of His people in spite of their fickleness. Clearly, Ittai was joining himself to a person, not to an office; he was following a person no matter what the consequences.

In our society, in our nation, we know very little of this type of commitment, this kind of conversion; for most of us, it does not come upon our lives at first. But listen up, there will come a time in everyone’s life when those who profess to know the KING will sense Him leading them away from the city and comfort that they have come to expect, and it will be then you will see if you have been following the office or the person! Will we say to Him and to all, “In whatever place my Lord the King shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be?”

Consider the numbers as only 600 left with their king, and the rest of the nation had their hearts stolen by an imposter and stayed behind and forfeited the journey of faith for an easy life. I want you to notice four important things concerning Ittai’s decision to follow the king:

Vs. 22 “Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over.” Ittai’s decision to be wherever the king was had an immediate impact on all that were around him. Here’s my point: far too often we are afraid to “go and cross over,” thinking that those around us won’t go with us, but the truth is often the opposite, as those around us are waiting to see if we truly believe what we say by our actions.

Vs. 23a: “And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over.” Such a journey always comes at a price, and part of that price will always be brokenness, where we will be leaving that which is familiar to that which is uncertain.

Vs. 23b, “The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron”: The name “Kidron” means “dark or sad.” It only had water in it during the winter and spring, then it would run about 2 ¾ miles separating the temple mount from the Mount of Olives. In John 18, Jesus the Son of David would cross this same brook of darkness, and like David, he would be betrayed by one He loved. Ah, but the night that Jesus crossed over it was blood red as 1,000 lambs had just been sacrificed for the Passover. As such, we see that this brook represents sacrifice and death to self, and Ittai was only going where the king himself went. In Matt. 16:24 Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Oh dear saint, hear me on this: if we will follow the king, he will take us on a journey to the cross, and in so doing we will enviably cross over our own “place of darkness and sadness.” Ah, but not to worry because we all know that any place that causes there to be less of us will at the same time be a place where there will be more of Him, as we are told in Psalm 30:5. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Vs. 23c “And all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness.” Finally, Ittai and the rest of the 600 people knew that where they were heading was a wilderness, a time of uncertainty. There are a great many people who are willing to follow the king when the destination is better than where they are. Ah, but what if you follow the king and, in so doing, you are following Him away from what you want? Again, there are a good many of us who follow the king for what He may provide instead of who He is, and we will find out if that is true of us when we see Him get up and cross over the Brook of Kidron.

Four times in two verses we are told that people “crossed over.” This is the second time in David’s life that he has to flee into the wilderness to save his life. Hey, sometimes we need to flee with our king to the wilderness of uncertainty to save our lives! Saints, it was the wilderness that prepared David to be king, and oftentimes the Lord needs to send his children back again to the wilderness so that they may walk where He walks and be further prepared to reign with Him. Now notice that Ittai chose this destination and is given every opportunity to not go but instead says, “Wherever you go, I will go in life or death. I’ll always be your servant.” Oh, the waters of darkness and sadness are colored red with the blood of our brothers and sisters who have made such a decision. Ittai stood by David when he didn’t need to, despite the circumstances, no matter the cost. This fellow was sold out for the king; how about you? Are you sold out for the King of Kings? Are you ready to say, I’m with you, Lord, whatever place you go, I’m going too, and if it means that it will cost me my life, then I’ll serve you there as well? When we have made such a commitment as “whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be,” we will “cross over” into a new, fresh relationship with Him.

In the hands of God

Vs. 24-29 Zadok and Abiathar shared the priestly duties, and according to 1 Chron 15:11, they were the two that had helped bring the ark into Jerusalem, so they wanted to take it out of the city to keep it with David, but David didn’t want the Ark of God to be treated like some “good luck” charm or religious relic. No, if God’s favor was truly upon David, then He would be with him in the wilderness, and He was perfectly able to bring him back to Jerusalem. Apparently all the priests were loyal to David, even though it would probably mean death for them if Abbas succeeded. Zadok means “just or justified,” and they were taking the promises and presence of God out of the city, going with David, which was a visual demonstration that God was with David and not Absalom. Now you see in David’s words to Zadok that it is in God whom he trusts and not in a box to “justify him”? “If God has no delight in me, bringing that box isn’t going to change His mind, and if He does delight in me, He can do whatever He thinks is in my best interest!”

Far too often Christians are trying to tell God what to do, carrying their agendas, putting God in a box of His promises, but that is not what David does; he says, “Take the box back; if he wants me to come back to see it, He’ll bring me back Himself.” Fast forward again to Jesus as he stood in that same area right after He crossed over the same brook and prayed in the Mount of Olives, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) And just as Judas would come and betray Jesus, so too Ahithophel did to David. So how about it? Are you willing to surrender your path and direction to Him? Job would say 13:15, “Though he slays me, yet will I trust in him.” Or consider the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 2:17–18, when they said, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods.” Those men had the same heart as David does here when he says, “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.” Around God’s throne in heaven, no one is amazed at what He does, but they are amazed at who He is, as they cry out, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord God Almighty.

Apparently David knew that Zadok was a prophet and wants to know how come he isn’t acting like it. David would be better served if he stayed in such a position. It will be Zadok whose counsel will conflict with Ahithophel in chapter 17 that will lead to him hanging himself. David’s counsel here reminds us of Oliver Cromwell, who said, “Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry!”

Vs. 30-37 As Jesus left the Last Supper on His way to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, He went the exact route as David. And although they both suffered for sin, David was suffering for his own sin while Jesus suffered for our sins. As David took the walk up the hill, he did so with “his head covered and feet bare,” which were visible signs of mourning. Ah, but this was no pity party over the consequences of sin. He was crushed by the consciousness of the discipline he deserved and the effect it had upon his family, friends, and nation. These actions reveal David to be a broken and repentant man, and therefore a forgiven man who wore the garments of grace and brokenness the rest of his life.

As David crested the Mount of Olives, he worshiped God. Is that not an amazing verse, dear Christian? Stop and consider the facts, as David was having to flee Jerusalem because of his own failure, yet he stopped and took time to worship God and wanted to worship God not just when things were going well but in the midst of failure and defeat.

A.W. Tozer once said, “The Bible was written in tears, and in tears it will yield its best treasures.” How true may a page of our Bibles have our tears upon their pages, and rest assured they have our Lord’s on each and every page as well. Hey, did you notice that David’s weeping did not deter his worship? Isaiah said in 61:3 that God “gives them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” In times and seasons of great heartache, try worshiping; when you are wiped out, reach out to the Lord in adoration, and He will give “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

As David worshiped God, Hushai (haste) came to David in grief over his departure. Hushai (Who-shy) is David’s companion, but he is older than David, and he believes that taking him will not be safe for either, so he sends Hushai back with the other two, Zadok and Abiathar, to be his eyes and ears. Five men will risk their lives to serve their king and go back into the city to keep David informed. Sometimes it is a stronger act to stay than it is to leave with the king. Ahithophel gave counsel that was right on, so David prayed that the advice he would give Absalom would be foolishness. David’s prayer in verse 31 is answered in verse 32 as Hushai comes, but note this: the answer to the prayer of verse 31 happens after he has come to the mountaintop and worshiped. Oh, how many times have our prayers been unanswered because we have not first worshiped?

Now listen up. Ahithophel joins himself to Absalom not because of political agreement nor for the betterment of the country but to serve his own bitterness. You say, “Well, I can understand why!” Bitterness is as murder and adultery; they all stem from pride and self-centeredness, and left undealt with will cost you your life. In the 16th chapter, Ahithophel is going to suggest to Absalom that he goes in and sleeps with his father’s mistress on the top of the place so that all of the nation could see. Now that was far worse than what David had done with Bathsheba. Was Ahithophel’s bitterness satisfied by the violation and rape of 10 women? Was Absalom’s disappointment quenched by raping 10 of his father’s mistresses? Did that make up for Amnon’s actions and the lack of his father’s actions? No, bitterness only causes us to act more like those that we have become bitter towards!

Solomon is around ten years old at this time, and he is watching all of this and goes with his father. In Prov. 3:11-12, Solomon would write to his son something that no doubt he had learned from David: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; for whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” I wonder if our children are learning this lesson from us, or do they hear and witness from our actions that God is unjust or uncaring by His chastening?