(14)
2 Samuel 2—24
(8)
2 Samuel 12:15b—20:26
(2)
Scripture Reading: 2 Sam. 15:1-37; 2 Sam. 16; 2 Sam. 17; 2 Sam. 18; 2 Sam. 19:1-8a
Second Samuel 15:1—19:8a is concerned with Absalom's revolt.
Absalom prepared to rebel by preparing for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run before him (15:1).
Verses 2 through 6 describe how Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
Absalom conspired and revolted to be the king in Hebron (vv. 7-12). Absalom asked David the king to let him go to Hebron to pay a vow which he had vowed to Jehovah, and the king told him to go in peace (vv. 7-9). Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "When you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron" (v. 10). The conspiracy gained strength, and the people who were with Absalom increased continually (v. 12).
Verses 13 through 23 tell us that David with his servants fled to escape from Absalom.
David the king and all the people went forth, but he left ten concubines to keep the house (v. 16).
When the king went forth, all the people followed him, passing over toward the way of the wilderness (vv. 17-23).
According to verses 24 through 37, David devised a plan against Absalom's conspiracy.
Zadok and all the Levites came to David, bearing the ark of God. David asked them to bring the ark back into the city of Jerusalem and to stay there to collect intelligence for him (vv. 24-29).
David went up the ascent to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. He had his head covered and went barefoot. All the people who were with him did the same thing, and they went up weeping (v. 30).
When David heard that Ahithophel was among the conspirators, David said, "Turn, I pray, the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, O Jehovah." Then he came to the summit, where God was worshipped (vv. 31-32a).
David asked his friend Hushai to stay in the palace and to work together with the priests to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for him (vv. 32b-37).
In 16:1-4 Ziba, Mephibosheth's attendant, came to meet David.
When David was a little past the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba came to meet him (v. 1a).
Ziba brought with him supplies of food and drink to please David (vv. 1b-2).
When David asked Ziba concerning his master's son, Ziba said that he was dwelling in Jerusalem, expecting that the house of Israel would restore to him the kingdom of his father. David then told Ziba that now all that belonged to Mephibosheth was his (vv. 3-4).
In verses 5 through 14 Shimei, a man of the family of the house of Saul, came forth to King David.
When David came to Bahurim, Shimei came forth from there (v. 5a).
Shimei was cursing as he came forth. He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David (vv. 5b-8).
Abishai the son of Zeruiah wanted to take off Shimei's head (v. 9).
David answered Abishai, saying, "If Jehovah has told him to curse David, who then can say, Why have you done so?...Now my son, who came forth from my body, seeks my life; how much more then this Benjaminite will do so. Leave him alone and let him curse, for Jehovah has told him to do so. It may be that Jehovah will look on the wrong done to me and that Jehovah will repay me with good for his cursing on this day" (vv. 10-12).
While David and his men went on their way, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him, cursing, throwing stones at David, and casting dust upon him (v. 13).
David and all the people with him arrived weary, and he refreshed himself (v. 14).
Second Samuel 16:15—17:23 tells us that Absalom took Jerusalem and ruled there.
As David had requested, his friend Hushai pretended to serve Absalom (16:15-19).
Ahithophel gave an evil counsel for Absalom to go in unto his father's concubines for the strengthening of all those who followed him (vv. 20-23).
In 17:1-4 Ahithophel gave another inhuman counsel for Absalom to pursue after his father and kill him.
Verses 5 through 22 reveal that Hushai defeated the counsel of Ahithophel according to God's ordination.
Hushai annulled Ahithophel's inhuman counsel (vv. 5-14). Regarding this, verse 14 says, "Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel; for Jehovah had ordained the defeat of the good counsel of Ahithophel to the intent that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom."
Hushai defeated the counsel of Ahithophel with the help of the priests and their sons, who told David how to escape from his son Absalom (vv. 15-22).
When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he went back home and hanged himself (v. 23).
Second Samuel 17:24—19:8a describes how Absalom was defeated and killed.
In 17:24-26 we see that Absalom pursued after David, camping in the land of Gilead.
Barzillai the Gileadite and others came to support David and the people who were with him (vv. 27-29).
David organized his army and sent them to fight against Absalom and his people (18:1-5). When David told the people that he would surely go forth with them, they said that he would not go forth, for he was worth ten thousand of them. The king agreed, saying, "What seems best in your sight I will do" (v. 4a). Then David commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom" (v. 5a).
According to verses 6 through 8, Absalom and his people were defeated by the servants of David in a forest.
In 18:9—19:8a we have an account of the death of Absalom.
Absalom, riding upon a mule, met the servants of David. The mule went under the tangled branches of a great tree, and Absalom's head was caught in the tree. He was left hanging between heaven and earth while the mule that was under him went on (v. 9).
A certain man saw this and told Joab that he had just seen Absalom hanging from a tree (v. 10).
Joab asked that man why he did not strike Absalom down to the ground (vv. 11-13). That man said that he would not put his hand against the son of the king, for the king had commanded that they take care of Absalom.
Joab took three staves and thrust them through Absalom's heart while he was still alive in the midst of the tree, and the ten young men who carried Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him (vv. 14-15).
Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel. Then they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and cast up over him a very great mound of stones (vv. 16-17).
While Absalom was alive, he had taken a pillar which was in the king's valley and raised it up for himself, saying, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar by his own name, and it was called Absalom's Monument (v. 18).
Ahimaaz the son of Zadok the high priest wanted to announce the news to David, but Joab prohibited him and asked the Cushite to do it. When the Cushite came to David, he told the king that Jehovah had avenged him of all who had risen up against him (vv. 19-32).
David was much concerned for his son Absalom, twice asking, "Is all well with the young man Absalom?" (vv. 29a, 32a). When he heard about Absalom's death, he wept grievously. "The king was badly shaken, and he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he spoke thus, O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son!" (v. 33).
In 19:1-8a Joab advised David to comfort the people by quieting himself.
