2 Samuel 17:1-4
1 Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men and let me set out and pursue David tonight.
2 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,
3 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.”
4 And the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
Ahithophel’s Advice
Advice for a surprise attack
Events are moving rapidly. (1) On the day Absalom began his advance on Jerusalem, David fled the city in haste, taking only what he could carry. Now David and his followers have descended the Mount of Olives and are in the wilderness of Judah. (2) Upon entering Jerusalem, Absalom followed the counsel of Ahithophel and slept publicly with David’s concubines. (3) On that same day, Ahithophel gave a second piece of advice that was indeed on target and very practical. (4) The second counsel Ahithophel gave was to launch a surprise attack on David that very night. Ahithophel proposed selecting 12,000 of the best soldiers and leading the assault himself. (5) If this plan had been carried out, it would have been a devastating blow to David, who was already exhausted and disheartened by the shock of his flight. If David were to die, the people who had been following him would have had no choice but to return to Absalom. Ahithophel’s plan was indeed brilliant, so much so that it impressed Absalom and the elders greatly.
The advice of man and God’s authority
If Ahithophel’s advice had been adopted exactly as he proposed, David would have been killed and Absalom’s kingship firmly established. However, God did not allow that to happen. Ahithophel’s first counsel (to inherit the concubines) was carried out. It was done as a means of disciplining and training David. However, Ahithophel’s second counsel would be rejected. This was because God’s plan was for Solomon to be David’s successor. Absalom seemed to have some misgivings about Ahithophel’s second counsel, so he decided to seek Hushai’s advice as well. In today’s terms, he was seeking a “second opinion.” The lesson from today’s passage is that behind every human judgment, there is the hand of God at work. God is the One who can open or close people’s hearts according to His will. Are you attempting to carry out your plans in opposition to God’s purposes? Blessed is the person who prays and acts in accordance with God’s will. Such a person will receive God’s blessings.
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, please keep the advice against Your will far from my ears. May Your will be done in my life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.