Teaching Notes

II SAMUEL

As we move into chapter 16 of II Samuel, David's son Absalom has lead a successful insurrection against his father David. And as Absalom prepares to return from Hebron, where he was proclaimed as king, David is leaving the city of Jerusalem, leaving the kingdom behind, and heading for Mahanaim, on the east side of the Jordan River, in the area of Gilead. A very sad day not only for David, as his own son rebelled against him, but for the entire nation of Israel.

II SAMUEL 16

VERSES 1-4

1. Ziba was trying to gain favor in the site of David. He realized that David was leaving, but before he left, he wanted to gain the land which David had given to Mephibosheth several years earlier. The land that David instructed Ziba to watch over and care for Mephibosheth. And so Ziba lies and tells David that Mephibosheth has turned against David and he is looking forward to the kingdom being turned against David and restored to him. And David is on the run, he does not want to get into a war with his son, so he makes this hasty decision without hearing the other side of the story.

We are going to see in II Samuel 19, David is going to find out from Mephibosheth that Ziba was lying about him. He made the whole story up. Mephibosheth still loved David.

2. Over the years that is a lesson I have learned the hard way. There are always two sides to a story. It is amazing how right someone can sound until you hear the other side of the story. Before you respond in a situation, get all the facts or you will get burned. Ask God for wisdom, because without God's wisdom, we too will get burned.

VERSES 5-8

1. As David is fleeing from Jerusalem, up on a ridge was standing one of Saul's relatives, Shimei. And he is cursing at David and his men, throwing stones upon them and telling David that he is getting what he deserves. But this self-appointed prophet has fabricated a story about David. You see, David did not usurp the throne from Saul. In fact on two occasions David had the option of killing Saul, and yet he refrained from touching the Lord's anointed. And remember, Saul was killed in battle and God placed David on the throne in Israel. God anointed David as king, and not man.

2. Many in the church today act like Shimei, self-appointed prophets, and come against the servants of God without having all the facts. Letters have been sent by these people on several occasions to various churches making false accusations about Pastor Chuck Smith. And the reason is they have a grudge against him or they don't have all the facts. Before you listen to these self-appointed prophets, get all the facts!

VERSE 9

1. The son's of Zeruiah were lose canons, ready to blow at any time. And Abishai, the brother of Joab was no exception. He just could not take it any longer and tells David to let him take this guys head off. Remember in I Samuel chapter 26, as David and Abishai are standing over king Saul as he slept. He tells David "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!" I Samuel 26:8. And if it were not for David, I'm sure he would have shishkabobbed king Saul right there, on the spot. And we are going to see once again David restrain Abishai from his impetuous reaction to this situation.

VERSE 10

1. David feels that God has sent this man to curse and humiliate David because of his sin. And you can look at this incident two ways. The first is that David still had a lot of guilt over his sin. He was feeling a lot of condemnation that did not come from God, but Satan. You see, God forgave David as soon as he repented of his sin. God convicted David, which drew David back to God. Satan condemns us which draws us away from God. This was a result of his sin, he felt. The other way to look at this is that David submits to the will of God, as he feels that this man was sent from God. I tend to think it is both. David still felt guilty over his sin and it was hard for him to let that go. Thus, it took the fight out of him. His sin condemned him. But also we see David rightly recognize that if God wants him back in Jerusalem, and on the throne, He will bring him back.

VERSES 11-12

1. David is in a very passive mode now and just submits to God's will. He looks at it this way, "If I am not going to do anything against my rebellious son Absalom, then how can I come against this man for what he is doing?" But on his death bed, David charges his son Solomon to hold Shimei responsible for his actions and to "Bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood." I Kings 2. And Solomon has Shimei executed for his wickedness that he had shown to David.

VERSES 13-14

1. This is so true in our own lives. Some of the times that are hardest in ministry, in our life in general, is when people bring false accusations against us. We become weary as we hear these things. And the best thing to do with these lies, is let them die on there own. If they are lies, they will fall apart. Just ask the Lord to strengthen you during these times. Ask him to refresh you.

VERSE 15

1. Ahithophel was David's dear friend who turned his back on David and sided with David's rebellious son Absalom. And as we said before, Ahithophel was Bathsheba's grandfather. And he may be trying to repay David back for killing Uriah and destroying his granddaughters family.

VERSES 16-19

1. Hushai was also David's friend, an elderly man. And David told Hushai to go back to Jerusalem and be an informant for him. Be a spy and send word back on what is going on. While you are there confuse the counsel of Ahithophel. And as he approaches Absalom, we see that Absalom is not sure what side he is on. And Absalom hears only what his pride allows him to hear. Hushai is saying to Absalom that he will serve the one whom God has chosen, and Absalom thought he was speaking of him. But Hushai was speaking of David. And Hushai goes on to say that he will serve the son of David if he was loyal to his father. It is amazing how our pride can cloud what is being said.

VERSES 20-22

1. The counsel of Ahithophel was to show to all that Absalom was now king. This was more of a political move than a lustful move, to solidify the peoples support around him and to severe any hope of reconciliation between David and Absalom. You see, it was customary in the Ancient Near East for the king of a new dynasty to take the harem of the previous monarch, thus he was showing to all that there is no turning back, that he was now the king.

2. This is also the fulfillment of what God had told David would happen as a result of his sin with Bathsheba back in II Samuel 12. The Lord told David "...`Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.'" II Samuel 12:11-12.

VERSE 23

1. Ahithophel was a very wise man and his counsel was as if he was speaking for God.

II SAMUEL 17

VERSES 1-4

1. Ahithophel continues his counsel to Absalom, as he continues to speak of solidifying the people behind Absalom, but this time it will be because David has been put to death. And he feels that with 12,000 men he can capture David, for at this point he is weak and his troops disorganized. It will be a surprise attack, strike quick and kill David. Once David is dead, the nation will rally around Absalom's authority.

2. Now you can understand why Ahithophel had such hatred for David, but David's own son agrees with this counsel, to kill David. And maybe the reason was because after David's son Amnon raped Absalom's sister Tamar, David did nothing. And maybe that just ate away at Absalom till he finally hated David so much that he wanted him dead.

VERSES 5-10

1. Absalom calls Hushai in, explains the counsel that Ahithophel has given in this matter, and then asks for Hushai's counsel. And Hushai tells Absalom not to rush into this, think this through. David and his men are warriors, fighting machines. And now, since you have taken away the kingdom from David, he is going to fight like a "Bear robbed of her cubs." And even if your best men try to fight against David, they will lose. Now that Hushai has set the stage, he is ready to give his counsel regarding this matter.

VERSES 11-13

1. Hushai appeals to Absalom's pride in this matter. He says the only way to get David is to gather all Israel, from the north to the south, and you Absalom can lead this invasion force into battle. He would lead this huge army into battle and then home victorious. But don't send 12,000 men into battle against David, for they will lose and your victory will be turned into defeat. Pride is a very powerful tool and Hushai used it to buy some time for David to escape. You see, to gather soldiers from all over Israel will take several days or more, thus Hushai could get word to David on what is coming down.

VERSE 14

1. Ahithophel's counsel was good, there was nothing wrong with it except it was contrary to what God wanted to do. Remember David's prayer in II Samuel 15:31, "O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!" And that is exactly what God did to Ahithophel's counsel. God was going to bring judgment upon Absalom for his rebellion against David.

2. Some people feel that if God uses people, as evil as they may be, to fulfill His purposes, then they should not be held accountable for their actions. Many people feel that Judas was just fulfilling prophecy, he was destined for that role, and thus he should not be at fault for his actions. WRONG! Judas, like all the men and women before and after him, have a free will, a choice in life to make on what they will do. And he, like many others have taken the wrong one. God knew all along how they would respond and so he uses them to fulfill His plan.

VERSES 15-16

1. Hushai sends his men to go tell David Absalom's plan, and for him to flee to the east side of the Jordan River before nightfall comes. Put some distance between you and Absalom.

VERSES 17-22

1. These spies were stationed at En Rogel, which is just south of Jerusalem. And when they are seen, they hide in the bottom of an empty well or cistern, until Absalom's men returned to Jerusalem. They then brought word to David who did not waste any time in crossing over to the east side of the Jordan River, to Mahanaim.

VERSE 23

1. After reading this you get the idea that Ahithophel was a sore loser. When Absalom did not accept his council he went and committed suicide. But I don't see it that way. You see, Ahithophel was a wise man, even though he did a foolish thing, and he saw that the counsel of Hushai was only going to lead to trouble for Absalom. And Ahithophel saw his future come crashing down before him. He realized that David was going to have enough time to strengthen his forces and defeat Absalom. And that would mean his defeat also, for David would in no way spare this rebellious man's life, or so he thought.

2. Now suicide is wrong and very selfish. But also understand that it is not the unpardonable sin. The only unpardonable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 12:31. And what Jesus was referring to was the rejection of the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives, which is to draw people to Christ. If you reject Christ you are blaspheming the work of the Holy Spirit and condemning yourself to eternal separation from God. Yes, when a Christian commits suicide it paints a bad picture of God and destroy's your witness that you have left behind, but you don't lose your salvation.

VERSES 24-26

1. Both David and Absalom are on the east side of the Jordan River, with Absalom and his troops slightly north of David's. And Joab is one of the captains in David's army, and his cousin, Amasa, is put in charge of Absalom's. Civil war is about to break out again, brother against brother. And the only winners are the enemies of Israel.

VERSES 27-29

1. These three wealthy men come to the assistance of David and his men. They bring bedding and food for them. Who are these men? Shobi was the son of the Ammonite king, Nahash. You may remember his brother from II Samuel 10:1-4, Hanun. David had sent some emissaries over to show respect over the death of his father, Nahash. But Hanun humiliated them and sent them back to David. And David took care of the situation and defeated the Ammonites. His brother, Shobi, respected David and sided with him. Machir took care of Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth before David brought Mephibosheth back to Jerusalem to care for him. II Samuel 9:5. And Barzillai was a very old man, a very wealthy man. He too was very loyal to David and as we will see in II Samuel chapter 19, as David is heading back to Jerusalem, he invites Barzillai to come with him. But this old man respects David's kindness, but is to old for the journey, so he remains on the east side of the Jordan River. II Samuel 19:31-40. 2. When the chips are down you findout who your friends really are. It is amazing how many people want to jump on the band wagon when things are going well. But when difficult times come, persecution, and-so-on, it amazes me how many want to jump ship. David found out that these three men were his friends, and even in difficult times, they came to David's assistance.

II SAMUEL 18

VERSES 1-2

1. Now David is thinking like a soldier instead of a grieving father. And he divides his troops into 3 divisions with Joab over one division, Abishai over another, and Ittai, who was a Philistine from Gath, over another division. And David is also ready to go with his troops into battle.

VERSE 3

1. David at this time is around 50 to 60 years old, and they don't want him to go to war anymore. You see, they rightly recognized that Absalom and his forces were only out to get David, for once he is dead, then so was their cause, and the battle will be over.

VERSES 4-5

1. Before David sends his men off to battle, he tells them to go easy on Absalom, don't kill him. David is once again thinking like a father, but he wants them to keep Absalom his son alive for his sake.

VERSE 6

1. David knew that he could not win with overpowering Absalom, so he set the battle in the woods of Gilead, on the east side of the Jordan River. It was more of gorilla type warfare instead of hand-to-hand combat, which favored David and his men.

VERSES 7-8

1. With the dense forest and difficult terrain, it was very dangerous just traveling in this area. And God uses it for David's advantage, as his men defeat Absalom's men. Also remember that many of David's men were trained warriors, while Absalom's men were not.

VERSE 9

1. As David's forces come upon Absalom, he high tails it out of there on a mule. Now I'm not sure how fast a mule can travel but as he was fleeing for his life, his hair got caught in the branches of a tree, pulling him off this mule and leaving him hanging by his hair, unable to escape.

2. We said last week that his hair was a source of pride to him. Each year he would get a hair cut and his hair weighed some 5 pounds. And that source of pride was the thing that entangled him and will ultimately lead to his death. Isaiah 2:12 says "For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up-and it shall be brought low."

VERSES 10-11

1. David said to deal kindly with Absalom, don't kill him. Joab is telling this soldier he would give him a promotion if he had killed Absalom.

VERSES 12-13

1. This guy was no fool. He not only recognized that David would put him to death for doing this deed, but Joab would not stand up for him. They all knew the kings commands regarding this situation.

VERSES 14-15

1. Like we said last week, Joab was a great military leader, but he also was a lose cannon. He did what he wanted when he wanted. You did want him on your side but he also caused you a lot of trouble. (i.e. Dennis Roddman).

VERSES 16-18

1. Back in II Samuel 14:27 we are told that Absalom had 3 sons and 1 daughter. What happened to these 3 sons we are not told. We can only speculate that they died at an early age and the monument that was set-up was to keep the name alive since he had no son's to do that.

VERSES 19-20

1. Joab knew that the news brought to David was not good, for his son Absalom was dead. And so he encourages Ahimaaz to let someone else bring the news to David, someone who is not close to the king.

VERSES 21-23

1. Joab sends a Cushite to bring the news, but Ahimaaz runs and passes this Cushite, even though he has no good news to tell David. He had no real message for David, it will be empty as we shall see. You see, it doesn't really matter how well you run, if your message is empty.

VERSES 24-26

1. If you saw one or two guys running from the battle, you could pretty safely guess that good news was coming. But if you saw a whole group of guys running from the battle, you were in for trouble because they were in retreat.

VERSES 27-29

1. Ahimaaz is not being truthful here, he only gives David the good news and lies about Absalom. He knows what has happened to him.

2. As we share the gospel we too are to give the whole truth and not lie. We are to be honest. Yes God is a God of love but He is also a righteous judge who will judge and punish sinners. That in this world we will have tough times, but God is with us. We are not called to be salesmen for Christ, but WITNESSES of Him!

VERSES 30-32

1. From what this Cushite said, David recognized that Absalom was dead.

VERSE 33

1. David needed to dry his tears and welcome his troops home or else he was going to lose them. They were victorious and by David's actions it made them feel that David would have been happier if they were dead.

2. We also see here a picture of the Father who is weeping over his children that are living in rebellion against Him. David could not die in his son's place, but God was able to die in our place and set us free from our sins. We can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Yes David could only weep over what had transpired, but God was able to send us HIS SON!