2 SAMUEL LESSON 18


     We will begin this lesson in II Samuel 17:1 "Moreover Ahithophel
said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I
will arise and pursue after David this night:"

     Ahithophel hated David, because of Bath-sheba. 12,000 men coming
against 600 would be an almost certain victory. He wanted to go right
then, so he could have this finished at the early morning.

     II Samuel 17:2 "And I will come upon him while he [is] weary and
weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that [are]
with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:"

     We can easily see that his ill feelings toward David, is why he
wants to go. He is not interested in killing the others, just David.
David would not be able to move with the families, and whatever
provisions they had taken, as could this army with nothing to carry,
but their weapons.

     II Samuel 17:3 "And I will bring back all the people unto thee:
the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people
shall be in peace."

     If David was dead, the resistance would cease. Absalom knew the
only way he could be king was, if David was dead. The other people
would submit to the rule of Absalom, if David was dead.

     II Samuel 17:4 "And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the
elders of Israel."

     These elders, spoken of here, are the ones who followed Absalom.

     II Samuel 17:5 "Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite
also, and let us hear likewise what he saith."

     Absalom is pretending to take advice from the elders and Hushai,
but he will do what he wants to.

     II Samuel 17:6 "And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom
spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner:
shall we do [after] his saying? if not; speak thou."

     Hushai, of course, is not going to agree to anything, that would
destroy David. Absalom is not aware of that, however.

     II Samuel 17:7 "And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that
Ahithophel hath given [is] not good at this time."  II Samuel 17:8
"For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be]
mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of
her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will
not lodge with the people."

     Hushai is choosing his words carefully, so Absalom will not catch
him in his spying. Absalom knows, that the things Hushai has said are
certainly true.

     II Samuel 17:9 "Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some
[other] place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be
overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is
a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom."

     He is explaining, that even if this large army could overpower
David in the end, there would be great loss of life, because these 600
men with David are experienced in this type of battle. Absalom knows
that David had fought this type of war with the same men here
{basically}, as he had when Saul was trying to kill him.

     II Samuel 17:10 "And he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is]
as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth
that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] which [be] with him
[are] valiant men."

     David and these 600 men are not just ordinary men. They are very
brave and skilled at war. When the men, that Absalom sends, come
against David, who is well- known to be brave, they will melt with
fear.

     II Samuel 17:11 "Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally
gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that [is]
by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own
person."

     If Absalom is to be accepted as king, he must prove to all the
people that he can lead. The counsel is that all Israel needs to be
involved in this, so they will accept the outcome. Of course, we know
that Hushai is stalling for time, to get word to David.

     II Samuel 17:12 "So shall we come upon him in some place where he
shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the
ground: and of him and of all the men that [are] with him there shall
not be left so much as one."

     Hushai is painting such a beautiful picture of how it would be,
if Absalom would do it the way he says. In this type of situation, he
is telling Absalom that not one of the followers of David would be
left to resist Absalom's reign.

     II Samuel 17:13 "Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then
shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into
the river, until there be not one small stone found there."

     He is speaking of a big ravine, which they could be thrown into,
after being drug there with the ropes from the city.

     II Samuel 17:14 "And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The
counsel of Hushai the Archite [is] better than the counsel of
Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of
Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon
Absalom."

     The men with Absalom liked it better to have more men with them.
Even with David having just 600 men, they knew he would still be hard
to beat. Absalom likes the entire army of Israel with him, while he
leads them to victory, and becomes king. We know that the prayer of
David to the Lord is what really swayed this. The Lord has moved to
ruin the counsel of Ahithophel. The LORD is with David, His anointed.
Absalom will fall.

     II Samuel 17:15  "Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the
priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders
of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled." II Samuel 17:16 "Now
therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night
in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king
be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him."

     Hushai has done his part. He has tried to delay them long enough
to get word to David. Even though Absalom had taken the advice of
Hushai over Ahithophel, Hushai thought it would be best, if David and
the people went to a less vulnerable place during the cover of night.
Hushai was not sure that Absalom would not change his mind, and go
after David. Zadok would remain at the tabernacle, and send the
priests to warn David.

     II Samuel 17:17 "Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; for
they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and
told them; and they went and told king David."

     Zadok had sent word to David by Jonathan and Ahimaaz. They did
not go directly into the city, but stopped at a well, where a
handmaiden was carrying water. They did not want to go directly into
the city, because they were afraid of being found out.

     II Samuel 17:18 "Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom:
but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in
Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down."

     Even though they were very careful, a lad saw them and reported
back to Absalom. They ran quickly, while the lad went to tell Absalom.
The best place they could find to hide was in a well. No one would
look for them there.

     II Samuel 17:19 "And the woman took and spread a covering over
the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was
not known."

     We see a brave woman at this house, who covered the well with a
cloth, and pretended to be laying corn out on the top. She had saved
the lives of these priests. Absalom would surely have killed them
both, if he had known they were there. He would have killed the woman,
too, if he had realized she had hidden them. This brave woman saved
all of their lives.

     II Samuel 17:20 "And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to
the house, they said, Where [is] Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman
said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they
had sought and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem."

     This is very much like Rahab, who saved the lives of the spies of
the LORD's host. She protected them, because she felt that David was
the true king. Several times in our lessons, we have seen a woman, who
will be as brave as a soldier, and save someone's life, at risk of her
own. The best thing she did was send them away from David.

     II Samuel 17:21 "And it came to pass, after they were departed,
that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and
said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath
Ahithophel counselled against you."

     This time they were not spotted, and they safely went to tell
David of the plot, that Ahithophel had planned to kill David. They
must cross over the Jordan quickly.

     II Samuel 17:22 "Then David arose, and all the people that [were]
with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there
lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan."

     David did exactly as the priests had suggested. On the other side
of Jordan, there was safety.

     II Samuel 17:23  "And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was
not followed, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and gat him home to his
house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged
himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father."

     This is almost like a spoiled child. If Absalom does not take his
advice, he will go home. The fact that he had an ass to ride shows
that he had been in an important post in the government. He hanged
himself, because he thought he had been rejected by David and Absalom.

     II Samuel 17:24 "Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed
over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him."

     This, Mahanaim, was a fortified city with walls. David felt he
would be safe here. Absalom has taken the advice of Hushai. He is,
now, chasing David with a massive force, and has even crossed the
Jordan in pursuit.

     II Samuel 17:25  "And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host
instead of Joab: which Amasa [was] a man's son, whose name [was] Ithra
an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister
to Zeruiah Joab's mother."

     Joab had been the captain of the army of the Israelites, but he
is with David. Absalom has replaced him with Amasa. This Amasa, was
the nephew of David, by David's sister Abigail. He was an Israelite,
but more, probably, an Ishmaelite. He is spoken of in the following
Scripture as Jether. I Chronicles 2:17 "And Abigail bare Amasa: and
the father of Amasa [was] Jether the Ishmeelite." Zeruiah was thought
of more as an Israelite, than Abigail's children were.

     II Samuel 17:26 "So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of
Gilead."

     They are pitched on the eastern side of the Jordan river. They
are waiting there to attack David and his 600 men.

     II Samuel 17:27  "And it came to pass, when David was come to
Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of
Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the
Gileadite of Rogelim,"

     The most powerful men of Gilead had come to the side of David.
They brought men and provisions of all kinds to help David. Suddenly,
David does not have 600 men, but about 20,000. Shobi had been a
longtime friend of David. Machir had befriended Mephibosheth.
Barzillai claimed to be adescendent of Aaron.

     II Samuel 17:28 "Brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels,
and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and
lentiles, and parched [pulse],"  II Samuel 17:29 "And honey, and
butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people
that [were] with him, to eat: for they said, The people [is] hungry,
and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness."

     This much provision was necessary to feed this massive army.  It
is nice that they brought them comfortable bedding, as well. David has
found friends, again, on the eastern side of the Jordan. It will not
be easy for Absalom to defeat this army now.




















                        2 Samuel 18 Questions


1.  How many men did Ahithophel want to choose out to go after David?
2.  Ahithophel hated David, because of ______________.
3.  What did he say would happen to David's army in verse 2?
4.  He says, if David is dead, it will bring __________.
5.  Who did the saying of Ahithophel please?
6.  What did Absalom do, before following through on the advice of
    Ahithophel?
7.  What does Absalom ask him?
8.  Why did he say, the counsel he had been given was not good for
    this time?
9.  Where does he tell Absalom, that David is now?
10. Even if Absalom's army could win, there would be __________ ______
    of life.
11. In verse 10, he says that David is what?
12. What must Absalom do, if he is to be accepted as king?
13. Who decided that Hushai's advice was better?
14. Who is the LORD's anointed?
15. Who did Hushai take the plan to, so they could get the message to
    David?
16. Who took the message?
17. Who saw them and reported to Absalom?
18. How did a woman hide the two of them from Absalom's men?
19. Where did the woman tell them, that the two had gone?
20. What did they tell David to quickly do?
21. Where did David go for safety?
22. When Ahithophel sees that his advice had not been taken, what does
    he do?
23. Mahanaim was a ___________ city.
24. Who did Absalom make captain of his army?
25. Who was his mother?
26. Where did Israel and Absalom pitch their tents?
27. Who came to help David?
28. What did they bring with them to help?
29. How many men did David have, now, to fight Absalom?
30. Where had David found these friends?