Wars are ultimately won or lost on the battlefield, and typically, the battles that win a war are won by the best-led, best-trained, and best-equipped force.  However, the intelligence and counterintelligence game can significantly tip the scales!  When a less powerful force can know in advance how a person is going to fight them, what they are going to fight them with, and possibly, through counterintelligence, even strategically influence how, when, and where your enemy ends up fighting you, then you can massively increase your chances of winning!

As a matter of fact, effective intelligence and counterintelligence are not only essential for winning wars, but they’re also a huge factor in competitive business and even sports.  For instance, in competitive sports, watching film on your opponent is essential intelligence gathering that everybody does.  However, let’s just say you’re the Head Coach of an NFL team called the New England Patriots, or a college football team called the Michigan Wolverines, and you have a way to figure out how the other team tells their offense and/or defense what to do.  If you do, your chance of winning the game increases tremendously because you can instantly adjust your defense or call a play for your offense that you know takes advantage of the weakness of what the other team is getting ready to do.  The principle is the same for every competitive engagement in the universe, and it’s exactly what David has been setting up to help him rescue Israel from Absalom’s leadership and get his throne back.

Absalom, one of David’s sons, spent four years deceitfully undermining his dad’s leadership and integrity.  Like a snake hidden in the grass as he quietly slithers towards his prey, Absalom carefully spread all kinds of lies and intentionally manipulated opinions so that the masses no longer confidently believed David was doing his job effectively.  Simultaneously, he was building himself up in the eyes of Israel as a man who could successfully lead the nation.  The final step of his deceitful plot was to convince the key leaders in every tribe that he had been anointed by the priests in Hebron and endorsed by key leaders in Jerusalem (the capital city) as the new King, without ever doing so, and it worked.  Before the priests and leaders even knew what was happening, the tribal leaders and people from all over the country had jumped on board with Absalom being King, so much so that when David finally found out, he had to quickly get his family and trusted loyal supporters together and flee Jerusalem.  It turns out that David had been so passive in the leadership of his own family, especially with Absalom, that he left himself and the nation totally vulnerable to a hostile takeover from within.

As you can imagine, this completely devastated David. However, it also inspired David to finally get back to the place where his relationship with God was the most important relationship in his life; where what he truly believed at the heart level was trusting, obeying, and knowing God!   It was the straw that broke the camel’s back to truly turn David’s heart back to the place where the joy of his life, that is what truly defined his life, was living in an abiding relationship with God; the relationship that led David to write things like Psalm 23,

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)

Interestingly, returning to an active faith in God also got David out of the funk of passively leading Israel.  As we have said a few times through our study of 2 Samuel, “Faith is not the passive reception of God's gifts and promises but active, obedient participation in them.”  For David, this meant actively doing his job with excellence as King!  As such, David wisely seized an opportunity to send Hushai, one of his most faithful servants and counselors, back to Jerusalem to try and get in with Absalom’s inner circle and counteract the inevitably good advice a man named Ahithophel was going to give Absalom on how to finish David off and fully establish himself as King.  It was a massive risk for Hushai, but he jumped at the opportunity without hesitation.

In chapter 16, we find out that Absalom believed Hushai’s lie that he had turned on David and gladly welcomed him into his team of advisors.  Hushai then had to wisely stand by and watch Absalom heed the advice of Ahithophel, who told Absalom to make it very public that he was having sex with the ten concubines that David left behind to care for his house.  They actually pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof of David’s house for Absalom to be with each concubine in a way that all of Jerusalem could see what was going on, and as such, make it clear to them that Absalom was fully committed to replacing David as King.  It was a completely reprehensible and disgraceful act. Still, Hushai astutely held his tongue so that he could build rapport with Absalom and the rest of his advisors and wisely wait for the most opportune time to provide counsel that would give David the best chance of returning to the throne of Israel.  Hushai demonstrated the same kind of wisdom that, 1,000s of years later, ended up in a hit country song by Kenny Rogers.  In the first line of the song's chorus, named “The Gambler,” Rogers sang, “You've got to know when to hold 'em,” and that’s precisely what Hushai did.  He held his cards until an opportunity came for him to offer advice that would have the best chance of helping David win the game, and that chance finally came in 2 Samuel 17.  The whole thing reads like a dramatic spy novel!

There are four dramatic parts to the story in 2 Samuel 17.

 The first dramatic part is in verses 1 through 4.

Ahithophel presented Absalom with a wise plan to kill David and fully set Absalom up as King. 

 1 Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. 2 I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace." 4 And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom and all the eldersof Israel.

“… he counselled a swift search-and-destroy expedition, which would relentlessly pursue David while he was still ‘weary and weak’, taking care to minimize loss of life, while ensuring that the king was killed (17:1–3). This was only good sense for a rebellion led by the heir to the throne: if the king is dead, what can people say to his heir but ‘Long live the king!’? Absalom must strike while the iron was hot.”¹Keddie, G. J. (1990). Triumph of the King: The Message of 2 Samuel (pp. 161–162). Evangelical Press.

“Ahithophel proposes a surgical strike with the hope of only one enemy casualty, David. The small force he recommends could be assembled quickly and would allow David to be hit while he was still weary and discouraged in retreating from Jerusalem. According to Youngblood (1008), “ ‘Twelve thousand’ may be Ahithophel’s way of asserting the need to muster at least one ‘thousand/unit’ … from each of the twelve tribes in order to demonstrate the involvement of all Israel in Absalom’s rebellion.”²Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, p. 658). Lexham Press.

Indirectly, this verse lets us see how big a sphere of influence Absalom The advice landed on the ears of elders from all the tribes of Israel, meaning all the tribes of Israel had elders in Jerusalem with Absalom as he plotted to finish off David and fully establish himself as king!  David truly is in an extremely dire situation!

But the most important fact in this part of the chapter is that Ahithophel gave Absalom excellent advice, just as David knew he would do, advice that, if followed, stood a high probability of being successful. Furthermore, his advice left Absalom out of the execution of the plan, which not only eliminated the chance of Absalom getting killed but also gave him some plausible deniability.If the plan succeeded, he could stand up and publicly mourn his father’s death, as if it wasn’t what he really wanted to happen, and as such, potentially stir the hearts of people on the fence to trust him as king.

 The second dramatic part of chapter 17 is in verses 5 through 14.

Hushai, David’s covert operative in Absalom’s inner circle, convinced Absalom to follow his unwise plan instead of Ahithophel’s. 

5 Then Absalom said, "Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say." 6 And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Thus has Ahithophel spoken; shall we do as he says? If not, you speak."

 For whatever reason, Hushai was not present in this meeting of Absalom’s innermost circle. It’s possible that Absalom left Hushai out of the initial planning meeting because he didn’t fully trust him yet. However, perhaps because Absalom knew Hushai had been very close with David and, as such, possibly had intel that could shed important light on the situation, Absalom changed course and asked Hushai to give his opinion.

In addition, Hoffner included this thought in his commentary, “Goldman (289) points out regarding Absalom’s summoning Hushai: ‘The fact that Hushai had to be summoned shows that he had not been allowed to attend Absalom’s council. Absalom probably was not quite sure of his loyalty, and it may be that his decision to consult him was prompted by a desire to test his reactions to Ahithophel’s plan, as well as by the hope that Hushai would confirm him in his approval of the scheme which had been suggested.’”³Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, pp. 662–663). Lexham Press.

 7 Then Hushai said to Absalom, "This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good." 

 Note:  This highlights the fact that Hushai had been agreeing with everything Ahithophel had previously said, so that when he finally contradicted Ahithophel’s advice, he would be viewed as a team player who is objectively considering what’s best for Absalom rather than somebody trying to advance themselves or undermine Absalom for David (which Hushai was indeed covertly doing).

 8 Hushai said, "You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people. 9 Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.' 10 Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men. 11 But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. 12 So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there." 

“The plan appeals to Absalom’s vanity by suggesting that he personally lead a massive force of troops that cannot be defeated (v. 11), even if it requires pulling down the walls of a city in which the enemy has taken refuge (v. 13). It also subtly reminds him—without actually insulting him—that his father is a far better soldier than he is, so that he will need a massive army behind him. So far as we know, Absalom has had no battlefield experience, whereas David served both under Saul, under Achish, and as king and commander-in-chief. While David had experienced much hardship in the field, Absalom has had no experience of hardship of any kind. Hushai stressed the crucial factor of morale: They should avoid the possibility of a smaller force being initially repelled (v. 9). He employs vivid similes: “like a bear robbed of her cubs,” “whose heart is like the heart of a lion,” “like the sand by the sea for multitude,” “as the dew falls on the ground.” Since Hushai is criticizing Ahithophel’s rival plan for pursuing David, in v. 9 he deliberately uses a distancing expression “them” (so correctly njps, esv)—not “our troops” (nrsv, njb, nabre) or “your troops” (niv, reb) as some translations paraphrase it—to describe the troops that Ahithophel proposed to lead against David. On the other hand, when discussing his own alternate proposal, he shifts noticeably to “you” (v. 11) and “we” (vv. 12) to describe the glorious victory.”⁴Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, pp. 664–665). Lexham Press.

 When Ahithophel counseled Absalom, Ahithophel referred to David as “king.”This was likely to ensure Absalom understood that as long as David was alive, he would at least be a rival king with a certain amount of Israel lining up behind him.  This again was extremely good counsel that Absalom would have been very wise to heed and understand.  However, including his first interaction with Absalom in chapter 16, Hushai has referred to Absalom as King, and David as Absalom’s father.   The purpose was clearly to feed Absalom’s ego while subtly flattering him in a way that made him more inclined to want to follow Hushai’s advice.

Robert Bergen noted, “The speech is masterful in its construction and powerful in its effect: it simultaneously discredits Ahithophel, undermines Absalom’s confidence, magnifies the king’s worst fears, and buys David precious time to escape and regroup. In the end it lays the foundation for David’s return to Jerusalem.”⁵Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, p. 666). Lexham Press.

 “Hushai’s advice was eloquently expressed (8–13). It was based on the fact that Absalom’s army was bigger than David’s. The flaw in his scheme (as Hushai well knew) was that it involved a long delay, and so would give David and Joab, with all their military experience, ample time to make proper preparations.”⁶Payne, D. F. (1994). 1 and 2 Samuel. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 330). Inter-Varsity Press.

 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 ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom.

 “The key to the whole episode is stated in verse 14: ‘The Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.’ The means by which this was accomplished was the intervention of Hushai. Hushai knew full well that Ahithophel’s strategy was almost bound to succeed if executed with despatch. Speed was of the essence, and therefore, Hushai’s strategy was to buy time for David to marshal his forces. Without delay, he proceeded to subvert Ahithophel’s plan.”⁷Keddie, G. J. (1990). Triumph of the King: The Message of 2 Samuel (p. 162). Evangelical Press.

“David has prayed that YHWH will ‘turn the counsel of Ahithophel to foolishness’ (15:31), and has sent Hushai to counter him (vv. 32–36). But Ahithophel’s first advice to Absalom, to sleep with David’s concubines publicly, though terribly abusive of these women, seems tactically sound; indeed, it fulfills Nathan’s prophecy (16:16–22; cf. 12:11–12). Perhaps YHWH has not answered David’s prayer; but is using Ahithophel to fulfill his own purposes. It is only when Hushai’s advice is preferred to Ahithophel’s that it becomes plain which way events will go, a turning-point marked by the narrator’s comment that ‘YHWH had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that YHWH might bring ruin [‘evil’] on Absalom’ (17:14).”⁸Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, p. 662). Lexham Press.

This is where the drama really kicks in with this spy novel!  Will the word make it to David in time?  Will the messengers get caught? Will Hushai get exposed?  Will his plan help David win or make things harder for David?

 The third dramatic part of chapter 17 is in verses 15 through 22.

Hushai secretively sent word to David about what was happening.

15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, "Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled. 16 Now, therefore, send quickly and tell David, 'Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'" 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into it. 19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it. 20 When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have gone over the brook of water." And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 

Note: “En-rogel is generally identified as bîr Ayyûb (“Job’s well”), a well (perhaps once a spring) about 210 meters south of the City of David at the junction of the Hinnom and Kidron valleys. It shares the same underground water supply as the spring Gihon (AYBD 2:503–4). Stationed here, the two sons of Zadok and Abiathar could receive intelligence about Absalom’s doings and pass them on through the network to David. The well marked a point on the northern boundary of Judah (Josh 15:7) before David captured Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:6–10). Adonijah’s sacrifices performed at En-rogel (1 Kgs 1:9–10) … which would have made it a convenient place for the sons of the two high priests to wait outside the city walls and not arouse suspicion. When the narrator says that “a boy (or ‘servant,’ נַעַר, na'ar) saw them” and told Absalom about it, what is meant is that he saw them receiving information from a palace servant girl. Simply seeing the men at En-Rogel would not necessarily have appeared incriminating, since … their presence would have been natural.”⁹Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, p. 671). Lexham Press.

21 After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, "Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you." 22 Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. 

 Note: “… in the form in which Ahimaaz and Jonathan relayed it to David, there is no mention of Hushai’s alternative advice, perhaps because—to be safe—David needed to assume that Absalom might follow Ahithophel’s plan after all. The warning to David is that Ahithophel’s plan for an immediate attack meant that he should cross the Jordan immediately and find safety on the eastern side (v. 21).”¹⁰Hoffner, H. A., Jr. (2015). 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 2, pp. 669–670). Lexham Press.

 We have now seen one hair-raising, dramatic thing after the next: Hushai’s interaction with Absalom in chapter 16 to convince Absalom to let him serve on his team; Absalom, hearing the advice from Ahithophel that would have likely ended with David being killed; Absalom inviting and heeding Hushai’s advice over Ahithophel’s extremely wise counsel; and the entire thing almost getting turned upside down by a young man who realized something odd had taken place. At each turn, there was another level of drama that ultimately got resolved through divine intervention!God is clearly working in and through this effort.  David and his men are living by faith in that they are acting on the promise of God for David to be King with wise and cunning decision making, but in the end, the wisest and most cunning plans they have could still fail with little surprise.  I mean, who would have imagined Absalom would heed the advice of a man who showed up in Jerusalem after being with David instead of the guidance of the most proven, respected, and sought-after advisor in that entire region of the world!  The providential hand of God is clearly at work, and as we will see in the final part of chapter 17, God’s not done!

 The fourth dramatic part of chapter 17 begins in verse 23 but ends in verse 2 of chapter 18. Jonathan Pugh will preach on chapter 18 next week and start things off with those two verses.  However, I also want you to see how they fit in with the dramatic events of chapter 17.

Ahithophel committed suicide, while David and his army got fed and organized for battle! 

23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

 Note: We don’t know if Ahithophel committed suicide out of the embarrassment of having his advice rejected or because Ahithophel was such a wise counselor that he knew Hushai’s advice was going to results in Absalom’s defeat, David returning to the throne, and certain judgement on Ahithophel for advising Absalom to do things like having sex with the ten concubines David left to take care of his house.  Either way, Ahithophel’s suicide removed the greatest tool Absalom had to kill David and fully establish himself as king.

24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother. 26 And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. 27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, 29 honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, "The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness." 

“Thanks to Hushai, David was able to make his headquarters in a fortified city, Mahanaim, while Absalom and his army, in due course, crossed the Jordan (24). Absalom’s commander-in-chief Amasa lacked the skill and experience of Joab, to whom he was related. (He was also a relative of both David and Absalom.)”¹¹Payne, D. F. (1994). 1 and 2 Samuel. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 330). Inter-Varsity Press.

 “Probably David chose to go to Mahanaim because it was fortified and also had served as the capital of Israel under Ish-Bosheth (2:8). There could well have been a residue of good feeling there toward David because of David’s past favors to Saul’s family, especially to Mephibosheth (9:10–13). While he was there, his meager provisions of food and supplies were augmented by Shobi son of Nahash (and brother of Hanun, 10:1), Makir of Lo Debar (just east of the Jordan, five miles south of the Wadi Yarmuk, and Barzillai of Rogelim, 25 miles north of Mahanaim. They brought such items as bedding … bowls … pottery, and extensive food supplies including wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey, curds, and sheep, and cheese. These three men were chieftains tributary to David, bound to him by ties of loyalty and obligation. (Barzillai was old and wealthy, 19:32.) Besides, they may have preferred to cast their lot with David, a known quantity, as opposed to Absalom, an unknown.”¹²Merrill, E. H. (1985). 2 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 473). Victor Books.

1 Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 And David sent out the army, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. 

We can discuss a lot here, like the command Jesus gave His disciples to be “wise as serpents and gentle as doves” (Matthew 10:16) as they accomplished the mission He was sending them on, the same mission He has sent us to accomplish.  That means the principle holds true when it comes to how Christians should achieve success in the arenas of life that God has placed them in, and that includes how to ethically play the intelligence and counterintelligence game that is necessarily involved with making a business successful in a competitive market, coaching a sports team, winning a case as a lawyer, and the list goes on!

For instance, a business trying to be successful in a competitive market needs to do really good research on the companies they’re in competition with so that they can make the best decisions possible to compete and win.  There’s no honor in making intentionally blind decisions! At the same time, as Christians, we have a mission bigger than the business we lead, the mission of Christ, which requires that we not only do things legally but also ethically.  Therefore, stealing proprietary information from a competitor or willfully undermining an NDA or noncompete clause significantly impacts your ability to point people to Jesus!

Now for all the Duke and N.C. State fans, as much as discussing things like the new Head Coach of UNC Tarheels got found guilty of doing while he was the Head Coach of the New England Patriots, would be interesting to talk about; as relevant and as important as that topic is to how we faithfully engage the world far from God with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, its actually not the lesson of first importance from this narrative.

What we learn about God in this story is of first importance, and to me, what we learn is that His providence is trustworthy.  But what does the word “providence” even mean?

The word “providence” refers to God’s ability to perfectly accomplish His will in and through every person and thing in the universe, including every circumstance, so that everything perfectly points to His glory as it accomplishes eternal good for all who are in Him.

The very concept of deity, whether it’s the Biblical belief in the triune God or pagan beliefs in numerous gods, is inseparably matched with providential ability and its usage, and, with the God of the Bible, He is perfect in both.

Even if we can’t understand how God is doing what He’s doing or see how it somehow accomplishes something of eternal good for those who are in Him, the Bible nonetheless assures us that God’s providence in and through everyone and everything is unwavering.

For instance, years after Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, Joseph ended up running the Egyptian Empire for Pharaoh.  Meanwhile, a famine struck the land, and Joseph’s brothers ended up in Egypt trying to get help, and as such, ended up standing before Joseph.  Long story short, to their shock, when they fell before Joseph asking for forgiveness, feeling like he was probably going to execute them for their heinous crime, Joseph responded with a testimony of the providence of God.  Look at what happened,

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him." 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this command before he died, 17 'Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants." 19 But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:15-21)

It's why Paul wrote this to the church in Rome,

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)

So, with that in mind, let’s look at one more passage of Scripture, the one I read when I started this sermon, Psalm 23, except this time, let’s read it together as a responsive reading.  I’m going to read a part, then you are going to read a part, and as we do, let’s listen closely to the beautiful providential work of God we proclaim as we read what David famously wrote.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;

-I shall not want. 

 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

  He leads me beside still waters.

  3 He restores my soul.

 He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

  6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)

The question then is, do you believe Christ is the Divine Shepherd of your life, doing the very things David proclaimed about God’s providence in Psalm 23?  In other words,

Challenge

Is your life a testimony of trusting the providence of God?

Are your actions oriented in the belief that God doesn’t see you and your circumstances, and as such, everything is ultimately dependent on you?

Do your actions and attitude come from a belief that God is working against you?

Or, are you trusting God that no matter what’s going on in your life, He’s somehow working everything out for His glory and your eternal good; therefore, you refuse to do anything but live in glad obedience to Him.

Are you trusting that even if you never see how He’s at work or accomplishing good in the brief whisper of this life, you are nonetheless going to praise Him because what He did on the cross and the now empty tomb is so good that, no matter what happens in this life, you don’t need any more proof than that of the trustworthiness of Hi

Discussion Guide 2 Samuel 17

What’s a strategy you’ve figured out in some sort of competition (board game, sport)?

How often does it work?

Do you know of any counter moves that, if used, will cause its failure?

4 Dramatic Moves in 2 Samuel 17:

Ahithophel presented Absalom with a wise plan to kill David and fully set Absalom up as King. (17:1-4)

-Have you ever made a bold or extreme move that seemed unreasonable or illogical?  If possible, describe.

-What had to be true or would have to be true for you to make a bold (almost absurd) move?

Hushai, David’s covert operative in Absalom’s inner circle, convinced Absalom to follow his unwise plan instead of Ahithophel’s. (17:5-14)

-Have you ever trusted advice/counsel/direction that was apparently true but realistically wrong?

-What would have to be present or true to convince you to walk away from trusted counselors?

-What ‘vice’ did Hushai use to convince Absalom?

-How have you learned to handle similar ‘vices’ that would entangle/appeal to you?

-In verse 14, what was the real secret to Hushai’s win?

Hushai secretively sent word to David about what was happening. (17:15-22)

-How have you seen God work out seemingly insurmountable details?

-How quickly were you willing to trust what had seemed unbelievable?

Ahithophel committed suicide, while David and his army got fed and organized for battle! (17:23-18:2)

-What do you think was the real instigator of Ahithophel’s suicide?

-What role did Hushai’s win (in point #2) play in Ahithophel’s failure?

Closing

-What does your path to trusting/believing/obeying God tend to look like?

-What does it usually take for God to get you walking a new direction?