2 Samuel 17

2 Samuel 17

Guzik - We see that the LORD purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel because David prayed. Prayer moves the hand of God, and David prayed: O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness! (2 Samuel 15:31) So that (term of purpose) the LORD might bring calamity on (bring to ruin) Absalom - The purpose of the LORD commanding the good advice be defeated is so that Yahweh would bring disaster on Absalom. Guzik - That the LORD might bring disaster on Absalom: In all of this there was a severe chastening for David, and he knew it. Yet God did not forsake David during this time of chastening. He was there for David at this time also. He was not out to destroy David but to correct him. Rod Mattoon - Hushai’s counsel was considered better because God made it better. He was appointed to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. It was God’s will, way, and plan to deliver David, defeat Ahithophel, and destroy Absalom. God was demonstrating His power to David by controlling the situation and the hearts of David’s enemies and putting Ahithophel’s counsel on the back burner....Even though David’s character was not the greatest, God did not forsake him. The faithfulness of God cannot be changed by the inconsistencies of His people. God is always faithful to us even though we may be unfaithful to Him. (Treasures from 2 Samuel) Thwart (06565) pārar is a verb meaning to break, to divide, to frustrate, hinder, prevent, thwart, frustrate. This word is often used in conjunction with a covenant or agreement. The Lord warned the Israelites what would happen if they broke the covenant with Him (Lev. 26:15); and pledged to them that He would not break it (Lev. 26:44). Asa, king of Judah, asked the king of Aram to break a covenant Aram had made with Israel (1 Kgs. 15:19). This word is also used to refer to the frustration of plans, as the enemies of Israel did to the Israelites trying to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 4:5). However, the Lord’s purposes cannot be frustrated (Isa. 14:27). Parar - 47v - annul(4), annulled(1), break(12), breaking(3), broke(4), broken(7), cease(1), do away(1), fail(1), frustrate(2), frustrated(2), frustrates(1), indeed annuls(2), ineffective(1), made my void(1), nullifies(1), shattered(1), thwart(2), thwarted(1). Gen. 17:14; Lev. 26:15; Lev. 26:44; Num. 15:31; Num. 30:8; Num. 30:12; Num. 30:13; Num. 30:15; Deut. 31:16; Deut. 31:20; Jdg. 2:1; 2Sa 15:34; 2Sa 17:14; 1 Ki. 15:19; 2 Chr. 16:3; Ezr. 4:5; Ezr. 9:14; Neh. 4:15; Job 5:12; Job 15:4; Job 16:12; Job 40:8; Ps. 33:10; Ps. 85:4; Ps. 89:33; Ps. 119:126; Prov. 15:22; Eccl. 12:5; Isa. 8:10; Isa. 14:27; Isa. 24:5; Isa. 33:8; Isa. 44:25; Jer. 11:10; Jer. 14:21; Jer. 31:32; Jer. 33:20; Jer. 33:21; Ezek. 16:59; Ezek. 17:15; Ezek. 17:16; Ezek. 17:18; Ezek. 17:19; Ezek. 44:7; Zech. 11:10; Zech. 11:11; Zech. 11:14 Gilbrant - The Hebrew verb pārar can mean “to break,” “to annul,” “to frustrate,” “to foil,” “to thwart,” “to invalidate,” “to stir” or “to shake.” It is found about fifty times in the OT with most occurrences concentrated in the Pentateuch and the prophetic Books. In each case, a disruption of something previously thought to be established occurs. Pārar commonly denotes the concept of removal or annulment of an agreement, for example, the vows taken by newly married, divorced or widowed women (Num. 30:8, 12f, 15). Under the Law, a marriage could only be annulled by the groom and had to be done immediately. The husband could also nullify any vow, rash promise or oath made by his wife without his prior knowledge (Num. 30:6–15). Further, any Israelite who intentionally broke the commands of God had to be cut off from the community (Num. 15:31; cf. Ezra 9:14). Job’s friend Eliphaz accused him of withdrawing his “fear of God” (Job 15:4), while God asked Job if he wanted to annul his judgment (Job 40:8). Pārar occurs twenty-three times with b erîth (HED # 1311), “covenant,” as the object, thus making pārar the most commonly used term for violation of an agreement. Usually, man is responsible for breaking the Covenant, but God is occasionally mentioned as a possibility for doing so also, in the sense of annulment due to the unfaithfulness of Israel (Lev. 26:44; Judg. 2:1; Jer. 14:21; Zech. 11:10). But despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, God remains faithful to the Covenant, which is most fully expressed in his promise of a new covenant. “The days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah” (Jer. 31:31). This will be necessary because Israel broke her vows to God like an adulterous wife against her husband (v. 32). Pārar is occasionally found with the nuance of “thwarting” or “foiling” the plots of others. For example, God “foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples” (Ps. 33:10, NIV). God also frustrated the plans of Israel’s enemies who desired to prevent them from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem following the exile (Neh. 4:15; cf. Job 5:12). Isaiah 14:27 asks the rhetorical question concerning God’s purposes, “Who will disannul it?” Proverbs asserts that “without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established” (Prov. 15:22; cf. Ezra 4:5). David devised a successful plan of sending Hushai to spy upon the advisers of Absalom in order to frustrate the advice of Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:34; 17:14). Three times pārar occurs with the meaning “to split,” “to divide” or “to tear.” Two instances refer to the judgment and power of God resulting in natural disasters of cataclysmic proportions (Ps. 74:13; Isa. 24:19). Elsewhere, Job used this strong verb to describe how God had savagely broken him in two (Job 16:12).(Complete Biblical Library) G Campbell Morgan (borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible) - The Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithopel, to the in-tent that the Lord might bring evil. upon Absalom.-2 Sam. 17.14.These words stand out revealingly at the centre of a story of strange and complex intrigue. Absalom is seen listening to two counsellors. One the one hand, Ahithophel gave him the counsel which would undoubtedly have led to the success of his rebellion, at any rate for the moment. David had not yet had time to gather about him any large body of men. Let a company be set to capture him, and that immediately. Hushai, on the other hand, gave him counsel which appealed to his vanity. It would have been a far more spectacular thing to lead a great army in person, and gain a great victory. His vanity ensured his ruin. Thus amid the complexities of human cleverness, the will of God is seen moving inexorably forward to the accomplishment of His high purposes. The pressure of the Divine power compelled the true inwardness'of the thought and vanity of Absalom to act in accordance with itself, and so to bring about his utter defeat. This is one of the great principles of life which every page of the Bible emphasizes and illustrates. Men cannot escape God. They go their own way, but that way never sets them free from the authority and invincible power of God. The very fact that they are compelled by God to carry out their own way, is the assurance of their ultimate discomfiture and defeat. Man's way for himself, as apart from God, is ever the wrong way, and cannot lead to success. 2 Samuel 17:15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have counseled. Zadok: 2Sa 15:35 2 Samuel 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Samuel 15:35-36+ “Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 “Behold their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear.” THE GAME IS AFOOT! Then - Marks progression in the narrative, specifically the clandestine portion! Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have counseled - Why would Hushai go to the priests and not to the sons Jonathan and Ahimaaz? Who would suspect Hushai is a counter agent if he is simply going to the priests, ostensibly for religious reasons? On the other hand, palace spies might have become suspicious if he had gone straight to Jonathan and Ahimaaz. Rod Mattoon - True friends are never more loyal than in time of need. David is warned to flee over the plains and not delay. Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at Enrogel. This was the fuller’s well, the place where they tread clothes with their feet as they washed them. A wench or girl delivered the message to these men and they contacted David. (Treasures from 2 Samuel) ILLUSTRATION - Visitors to the Ft. Myers, Florida, home of Thomas Alva Edison, are intrigued by a path in his garden that he called "the walk of friendship." The uniqueness of this walk is that each of the stones that constitute the walk was given to Edison by a friend. The pathway is designed as a memorial to friendship, the kind of friendship that Hushai had with David. Friends lead friends step by step out of danger into delight. If you have a close friend, rejoice in that friend and thank God for him or her. Enjoy that bond of friendship that you have. In fact, why not write or call that friend today and tell him you love him in the Lord and are praying for him. You will never know what it will mean to him if you don't. Dear follower of Jesus, you have a Friend Who sticks closer than a brother, for He lives within your heart! What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Ev'rything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Ev'ry thing to God in prayer. 2 Samuel 17:16 "Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.'" BGT 2 Samuel 17:16 καὶ νῦν ἀποστείλατε ταχὺ καὶ ἀναγγείλατε τῷ Δαυιδ λέγοντες μὴ αὐλισθῇς τὴν νύκτα ἐν Αραβωθ τῆς ἐρήμου καί γε διαβαίνων σπεῦσον μήποτε καταπίῃ τὸν βασιλέα καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν τὸν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ LXE 2 Samuel 17:16 And now send quickly and report to David, saying, Lodge not this night in Araboth of the wilderness: even go and make haste, lest one swallow up the king, and all the people with him. KJV 2 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. NET 2 Samuel 17:16 Now send word quickly to David and warn him, "Don't spend the night at the fords of the desert tonight. Instead, be sure you cross over, or else the king and everyone who is with him may be overwhelmed." CSB 2 Samuel 17:16 Now send someone quickly and tell David, 'Don't spend the night at the wilderness ford of the Jordan, but be sure to cross over, or the king and all the people with him will be destroyed.'" ESV 2 Samuel 17:16 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.'" NIV 2 Samuel 17:16 Now send a message immediately and tell David, 'Do not spend the night at the fords in the desert; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.' " NLT 2 Samuel 17:16 "Quick!" he told them. "Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him." NRS 2 Samuel 17:16 Therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over; otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.'" NJB 2 Samuel 17:16 Send with all speed to David and say, "Do not camp in the desert passes tonight, but get through them as fast as you can, or the king and his whole army may be annihilated." ' Do not spend the night at the fords: 2Sa 15:28 send quickly 2Sa 17:21,22 15:14,28 1Sa 20:38 Ps 55:8 Pr 6:4,5 Mt 24:16-18 with him will be destroyed: 2Sa 20:19,20 Ps 35:25 56:2 57:3 1Co 15:54 2Co 5:4 2 Samuel 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries HUSHAI'S WARNING PASSED TO DAVID Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed (Heb "swallowed up") - If they did not cross the Jordan River, their backs would have been against the River and a frontal attack would have placed them at a major military advantage. Utley on destroyed or literally swallowed - The Masoretic Text has the VERB (BDB 118, KB 134, Pual IMPERFECT) which literally means "to swallow," "to engulf," which is an idiom for destruction. It views death as (1) an animal with a large mouth (i.e., Jer. 51:34) or (2) the ground opening and the earth swallowing (i.e., descent into Sheol, cf. Ex 15:12; Nu 16:30,32; Dt. 11:6; Isa. 28:4) NET NOTE on fords - The Masoretic Text reads “the rift valleys (עֲרָבוֹת, ʿaravot) of the wilderness.” The plural form typically refers to the gently sloping plains at the basin of the rift valley just north of the Dead Sea (while the larger rift valley extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba). Many translations render as the “fords” (NASB, ESV, NIV, NRSV) assuming the reversal of two letters as עֲבָרוֹת (ʿavarot, “fords, crossing”). 2 Samuel 17:17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant would go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. Jonathan: 2Sa 15:27,36 were staying : Jos 2:4-24 at En-rogel Jos 15:7 18:16 1Ki 1:9 2 Samuel 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Samuel 15:27; 36+ (DAVID ENCOURAGES PRIEST TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM) The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.....36 “Behold their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear.” HUSHAI'S WARNING THROUGH A FOUR COURIER CHAIN Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel - En-rogel (also known as Job's Well - See En Rogel in map above - see Wiki) was near Jerusalem on the border between Judah and Benjamin (see dotted line above in map) and permanent source of water for the pool of Siloam and provided a place for David's spies, Jonathan and Ahimaaz to hide. Walton - En-rogel - A spring half a mile south of the Gihon Spring, near the junction of the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys, En Rogel most likely shared the same water source as Gihon (associated with Bir Ayyub, “Job’s Well”). It served the needs of the people immediately outside the walls of Jerusalem. Since it was frequented by many people, it would be a place to hear the gossip and it would not be suspicious for Jonathan and Ahimaaz to be stationed here, waiting for word from the city. (See page 346 IVP Bible Background Commentary) and a maidservant would go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David So notice the chain of communication from (1) Hushai to (2) the priests to (3) a loyal maidservant to (4) Jonathan and Ahimaaz who were not even in the city. for they could not be seen entering the city - This explains the cloak and dagger aspect of their counterespionage. Absalom's spies would clearly be watching who went in and out of the city gates. 2 Samuel 17:18 But a lad did see them and told Absalom; so the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. Bahurim: 2Sa 3:16 16:5 19:16 2 Samuel 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ABSALOM ALERTED OF NEARBY SPIES But a lad did see them and told Absalom - The "jig's up" potentially because of this eagle eyed lad. How he knew they were David's men is not clear from the text. So the two of them departed quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it - The well depicted above is probably much deeper than the one they were hidden in! Obviously Jonathan and Ahimaaz somehow realized they were spotted so moved quickly to take cover in an unlikely hiding place, a well. But a "wise woman" would soon make it look like a storage site for grain and not a well below! Walton - Bahurim. Located north of the Mount of Olives, Bahurim was a Benjaminite village (probably Ras et-Tmim or Khirbet Ibqe’dan). It is a bit ironic that David’s spies would be aided and hidden in a well by an inhabitant of Bahurim, since it was also the home of Shimei ben Gera, who had cursed the king (2 Sam 16:5) (See page 346 IVP Bible Background Commentary) THOUGHT- "Adversity is the testing ground for loyalty. Fair-weather friends are unworthy of trust. David’s friends were like bright diamonds on black velvet. They were with him through thick and thin, good and bad, up and down, in and out. Beloved, treasure the friends that you have. They are more precious than gold. David’s friends were ordinary, everyday, little, big people: a counselor, priests, messengers, two faithful women, and unknown soldiers who refused to desert their king when death was imminent.God is in the business of using little people so that He gets the glory. * A little maid was used to save Naaman, a Syrian general infected with leprosy. (2Ki 5:2-4) * An Ethiopian rescues Jeremiah from the well. (Jeremiah 38:7–10) * A little lad surrendered his lunch to Jesus who in turn fed over 5000 people. (John 6:9) Are you little enough in your own eyes to be used of God? The problem with some people is they feel to good to do something for the Lord. Others feel they have put in their time and so it is someone else’s turn to work. Some feel they have done enough. Beloved, our enough is not enough. Don’t put the Lord’s will on the back burner of your life, it will ruin you." (Matttoon - Treasures from 2 Samuel) 2 Samuel 17:19 And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known. a covering: Jos 2:4-6,5-24 nothing was known: Ex 1:19 2 Samuel 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Joshua 2:4-6+ (RAHAB THE HARLOT) But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 “It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. A DAVID LOYALIST HIDES THE SPIES And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known - The owner (man) is described in 2Sa 17:18, but this unnamed woman of the house (forever immortalized in Scripture) boldly steps forward as a friend (see note) of David (Listen to Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" - do you have a friend like that? Are you a friend like that?). This woman was the man of Bahurim's wife who covered the well opening and scattered grain so you could not tell the well was underneath. Obviously this well would have been more like a hole dug in the ground without a crank and bucket complex over it. THOUGHT - Did you notice the importance of women (all unnamed) in the life of David (and I'm not speaking of his adultery, his wives or his concubines which had a generally negative influence!) - a wise woman from Tekoa (2Sa 14:2-19+), the maidservant courier (2Sa 17:17), the "wise" woman at Bahurim who must have read Joshua and imitated Rahab the harlot's actions (see above) (2Sa 17:19-20), a wise woman at Abel Beth-maacah (2Sa 20:15-22+). 2 Samuel 17:20 Then Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have crossed the brook of water." And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. They have crossed the brook of water. 2Sa 15:34 Ex 1:19 Jos 2:4,5 1Sa 19:14-17 21:2 27:11,12 when they searched and could not find them: Jos 2:22-23 2 Samuel 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SEARCHERS FAIL TO FIND WELL HIDDEN SPIES Then Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" - The search party even knew the names of the men. This is interesting because it implies they knew who their fathers were, the priests Zadok and Abiathar! But no action is recorded against the priests. And the woman said to them, "They have crossed the brook of water." And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem - The woman lied like Rahab the harlot had lied, and sent the searchers on a "wild goose chase!" 2 Samuel 17:21 It came about after they had departed that they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, "Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you." Arise: 2Sa 17:15,16 Ahithophel: 2Sa 17:1-3 2 Samuel 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SPIES SUCCEED IN WARNING DAVID It came about after they had departed that they came up out of the well and went and told King David - They must have thought that was a close one, what if one of us had coughed or sneezed! And they said to David, "Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you - The spies instructed David to cross quickly because that is where Ahithophel had advised attacking them. NET NOTE - Heb “for thus Ahithophel has devised against you.” The expression “thus” is narrative shorthand, referring to the plan outlined by Ahithophel (see 2Sa 17:1-3). The men would surely have outlined the plan in as much detail as they had been given by the messenger. F B