2 Samuel 15, 16, 17 (NASB)
Today we are going to look closely at a man named Ahithophel. His name is not well known, but the lessons to be learned from his story are of great importance. Ahithophel was a trusted advisor to King David. 2 Samuel 16:23 tells us, “Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was taken as though one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.” He was David’s counselor. His advice was so solid that they regarded his word as being the word of God. Is there anyone like that in our world today? Someone who, whenever they speak, it’s regarded as though they are speaking for God? There are Christian leaders who do have a lot of influence over others today for many Christians rely on others' interpretations of the Bible rather than studying it for themselves. And certainly, Catholics consider the word of the Pope infallible, but the Pope does not carry that same weight outside of Catholicism. At one time in history, Billy Graham held a lot of influence over politicians, and he even met with Presidents and gave them advice, but I can't think of anyone who is equal to Ahithophel. For once you learn more about him, you'll see the extent of his influence, and also understand why people compare him to Judas. If you know American history, Ahithophel is the original Benedict Arnold.
Let’s set the stage and see what turned this advisor into a traitor. To begin with, there is so much drama in the life of David. In 2 Samuel 15, we see David is still king, but his son Absalom is working hard to win the hearts of the people, in order that he might overthrow his father from the throne. 2 Samuel 15:1-6 says, “Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road to the gate; and when any man who had a lawsuit was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, ‘From what city are you?’ And he would say, ‘Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.’ Then Absalom would say to him, ‘See, your claims are good and right, but you have no one to listen to you by the king.’ Moreover, Absalom would say, ‘Oh that someone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has a lawsuit or claim could come to me, and I would give him justice!’ And whenever a man approached to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.”
In other words, Absalom was the first greasy politician, glad-handing and making false promises to the people, telling them what they wanted to hear, so they would come over to his side when he made his move to take the throne.
After he had built up his fan base, he did exactly that. He came up with an excuse and told his father David that he needed to go to Hebron. He had invited 200 men to go with him, but as verses 10-12 tell us, these men didn’t even know what they were taking part in by going with him. It says, “Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, “Absalom is king in Hebron!”’ Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, for they did not know anything. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people continually increased with Absalom.”
Ahithophel went. He threw off his loyalty to David and chose sides with Absalom. The trusted advisor betrayed his king. But as we will see, this sending for Ahithophel was Absalom’s undoing.
Back to the text, verses 14 through 16 say, “Then a messenger came to David, saying, ‘The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.’ So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘Arise and let’s flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go quickly, or he will hurry and overtake us, and bring disaster on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.’ Then the king’s servants said to the king, ’Behold, your servants will do whatever my lord the king chooses.’ So the king left, and all his household with him; but the king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house.”
That piece of information is significant, but first, verses 30-31 tell us, “And David was going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, and his head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and they were going up, weeping as they went. Now someone informed David, saying, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’ And David said, ‘Lord, please make the advice of Ahithophel foolish.’”
This prayer of David becomes one of the most important prayers David ever prays. It’s a quick, simple and to the point prayer, but it moves the hand of God. It is proof of the power of prayer; even prayers that are prayed in haste and desperation.
2 Samuel 15:32-34 shows us how God answers that prayer of David’s by giving him a plan. It says, “It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn, and dust on his head. And David said to him, ‘If you go over 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; even as I was your father’s servant in time past, so now I will also be your servant,” then you can foil the advice of Ahithophel for me.’”
And that is exactly what happens. 2 Samuel 16:15-23 tells us, “Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. Now it came about, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, ‘Long live the king! Long live the king!’ But Absalom said to Hushai, ‘Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?’ So Hushai said to Absalom, ‘No! For whomever the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I shall be, and with him I shall remain. Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? Just as I have served in your father’s presence, so I shall be in your presence.’”
Hushai, who was David’s friend, has now pledged his loyalty to Absalom, but no one but David knows that this is a ruse.
Back to verses 20- 23 it says, “Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, ‘Give your advice. What should we do?’ Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Have relations with your father’s concubines, whom he has left behind to take care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.’ So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom had relations with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was taken as though one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.”
This is the advice of Ahithophel? The Ahithophel who is supposed to be David’s trusted counselor? The man who is supposed to be so wise that his word is considered to be the word of God? His advice is to take David’s concubines? Talk about idiotic advice! They all know the commandments. They all know that this goes against the law of God. I think by doing this, Absalom is not only purposely making himself repulsive to his father, but repulsive to God. He has to know that by breaking this commandment, he is declaring to all the people that he is not going to follow God the way his father did.
Ahithophel adds that by doing this, “The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” This act of taking his father’s concubines will also send the message to the people that Absalom is now king. By this act, there should be no question in anyone’s mind that now Absalom is in power and David is as good as dead.
Then 2 Samuel 17:1-4 tells us, “Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Please let me choose twelve thousand men and let me set out and pursue David tonight. And I will attack him while he is weary and exhausted and startle him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike and kill the king when he is alone, and I will bring all the people back to you. The return of everyone depends on the man whom you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace.’ And the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.”
If they had followed Ahithophel’s advice, history might have looked very different. I think the plan would have worked. Amazingly, Absalom asks for another opinion.
Picking back up in verses 5 through 14 it says “Nevertheless, Absalom said, ‘Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear what he has to say.’ When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, ‘Ahithophel has proposed this plan. Should we carry out his plan? If not, say so yourself.’ So Hushai said to Absalom, ‘This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good.’ Then Hushai said, ‘You yourself know your father and his men, that they are warriors and they are fierce, like a bear deprived of her cubs in the field. And your father is an expert in warfare, and he will not spend the night with the people. Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the ravines, or in another place; and it will be that when he falls on them at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, “There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!” And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely despair; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. But I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, like the sand that is by the sea in abundance; and that you personally go into battle. Then we will come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him just as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. And if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a pebble is found there.’ Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had ordained to foil the good advice of Ahithophel, in order for the Lord to bring disaster on Absalom.”
Did you notice how crafty Hushai is with his words? He says diplomatically, “This time the advice of Ahithophel is not good.” He’s making it sound as if he agreed that Ahithophel’s prior advice to take David’s concubines. He’s making them all think that he is on their team. But he’s playing them. He’s buying David time by waiting until all the troops can be gathered together. Did you also notice that Ahithophel’s advice to pursue David would have been led by Ahithophel, but Hushai’s advice has Absalom personally going into battle? Remember David’s prayer? Remember his quick plea for God to “please make the advice of Ahithophel foolish”? God did exactly that. And when Ahithophel’s second plan was actually brilliant and not foolish, God caused the people not to listen to him and foiled the plan, they instead took the purposely poor military advice of Hushai.
2 Samuel 17:15-16 says, “Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, ‘This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do, and this is what I have advised. Now then, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the river crossing places of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.’”
When Ahithophel realized his counsel wouldn’t be followed, he went home, got his affairs in order and killed himself. Ellicott’s Commentary states that, “Ahithophel was moved, not merely by chagrin at the rejection of his counsel, but was shrewd enough to see that, with this delay, Absalom’s rebellion would inevitably fail, and he himself be likely to come to a traitor’s death.” Just like Judas, Ahithophel killed himself as well.
Why would Ahithophel betray David? Given his positive reputation, why would someone who had been speaking for God and offering good advice for so many years now suddenly betray David and give such horrible first advice to Absalom? Why would he be so eager to personally hunt down David and kill him? What happened? If we look closely at Scripture, we see some clues. 2 Samuel 23:34 tells us that Ahithophel had a son. In a record of David’s thirty “chief men” it says: “Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite.” Ahithophel was Eliam’s father. Eliam had a daughter. Any guesses who she was? 2 Samuel 11:3 says, “So David sent servants and inquired about the woman. And someone said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’” That means that Bathsheba was Ahithophel’s granddaughter. If you know that familiar story, you know that David took Bathsheba from her husband and had him killed. Surely that would have angered her whole family.
If these genealogical clues are correct, does that mean that Ahithophel, David’s trusted counsel, had been biding his time, waiting for a moment to seek his revenge? Had he heard the prophecy that Nathan spoke after David had arranged for Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to be killed? In the record of this prophecy in 2 Samuel 12:11-12 it says, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.’” Whether or not Ahithophel knew that prophecy, he was an instrument in its fulfillment by advising Absalom to do that very thing. And that not being enough to satisfy him, Ahithophel volunteered to personally kill David. He had to be pretty old by this time, too. Being a grandfather, he was not a young man. Yet, he was ready to go to battle against David.
What a duplicitous life he must have been living all these years, serving as counsel to the king, yet bitter and angry at David for what he did to his granddaughter Bathsheba. Reading the prophecy in full, we see in 2 Samuel 12:13 that after David repented, Nathan declared, “The Lord also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die.” Ahithophel was not so forgiving.
All these years, David and Absalom were listening to the counsel of a man who clearly was not listening to God and who did not have their best interest in mind. Proof of this was his advice to Absalom to take David’s concubines. This act was in direct violation of God’s word. The lesson for us today is one we see again and again in Scripture. We must stop and consider: whose advice are we listening to? Who has our ear? It is a theme I find myself coming back to in these sermons. It is vital we learn this lesson.
There are many voices in the Body of Christ that are thought to be speaking the words of God, but they are not. They are offering advice that goes directly against the word of God. The world may have changed, but God’s word has not changed. Yet so many people are speaking for God, telling us that things that were once universally considered immoral are no longer immoral. They say, “the rules have changed. You may offend the old people who are not with the times, but go ahead and live your best life; it will strengthen everyone.” In other words, if enough people go along with the new order of everything, then it will be good for everyone. Everyone will be strengthened in their resolve to change the church.
But that advice is wrong. God’s word has not changed. The way to follow God has not changed. Things have not evolved. Acceptable morals have simply been altered so we can fit in with society. But we must not allow the advice of wicked people who lead us astray from the word of God. We cannot overthrow God’s law for new laws we find more agreeable. We should not listen to those voices.
When Absalom sent for Ahithophel, that was his undoing, for it started a chain of events that led to his downfall. By sending for him and listening to his advice to take David’s concubines, there was no coming back from that. There was no way to be reconciled to his father after that. It was his “crossing the Rubicon” moment: the die had been cast. But unlike Julius Caesar, Absalom was unsuccessful and he did not come to power. He ends up dying in battle.
I think there are moments in every person’s life when we take a step that sets our life on a specific course. We all face moments of great decision. Do we step into the river and cross it or do we make a different decision? These moments are often seemingly insignificant, yet they often have grave consequences. The Rubicon was not a large river, yet there was no turning back from it. Absalom sending for Ahithophel seems insignificant, yet that was a line that, once crossed, could not be rescinded. It was the moment of no return. His first step of treachery by stealing the counselor led to his even greater treachery of taking the concubines, and as I said, there was no coming back from that.
The repercussions can be dire if we choose to follow people’s advice instead of God’s counsel. Little decisions lead to bigger decisions, often snowballing out of control.
Ahithophel’s moment of decision arrived when he decided to leave David’s service and he chose sides with Absalom. It led to his death. Hushai, on the other hand, was loyal and stayed with David and the faithful priests of the Lord. Like all situations, how different would this story have gone if all the people involved had stopped what they were doing and actually inquired of the Lord? David prayed, and certainly that was a good thing. But did he stop and ask the Lord for advice? Absalom did not seek God’s counsel, he sought the counsel of men. Ahithophel’s faith is never mentioned, but it doesn’t seem like he sought God’s counsel either, for if he had, would he have tried to kill David still?
Like we see with Nathan’s prophecy to David, when we repent and turn to God, He is faithful to forgive us. But also, as we see in David’s life, our disobedience to God still leads to consequences. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us to always seek God’s counsel over the counsel of people. Let us be careful to learn the Word of the Lord, so people’s advice will not lead us astray. Ahithophel’s life is a warning to all of us today. Not only should we be mindful of the advice we follow, but clinging to hate towards those who have hurt us will only cause further pain in our lives.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for the great love You have shown us by sending Jesus to die on the cross so we may find forgiveness. Thank You for being so loving and kind, always willing to forgive us when we repent and turn to You. Please help by Your Holy Spirit to listen to Your word. Help us to be discerning about the other voices we listen to. Help us to follow You. We love You and praise You and in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
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