Chronological Bible Study – May 17
What I Noticed Today (2 Samuel 16-18)
2 Samuel 16
Ziba helps David, and Shimei curses David.
In verses 1-4, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, met David with a gift of food and donkeys for transportation.
- He told David that Mephibosheth had stayed in Jerusalem in hopes of regaining his grandfather, Saul’s kingdom.
Note: There is so much lying and conniving going on here. We don’t know if what Ziba said is true or not. If so, Mephibosheth had turned against the one man who had reached out to restore, protect, and care for him.
Regardless,
- David believed Ziba, so he turned Mephibosheth’s estate over to Ziba.
In verses 5-14, when David arrived in Bahurim (east of the Mount of Olives), a man named Shimei (a member of Saul’s tribe) saw David.
- He cursed David and threw stones at him, accusing him of orchestrating or participating in the murder of Saul.
- David’s bodyguard, Abishai, asked permission to kill Shimei, but David said no, thinking the Lord may have told Shimei to curse him.
In verses 15-23, Absalom arrived in Jerusalem.
- Hushai met up with Absalom and, when questioned, said his loyalty would be with the one the Lord and the people of Israel had chosen.
- Absalom asked Ahithophel what he should do. Ahithophel told Absalom to sleep with his father David’s concubines to demonstrate his superiority in hopes of getting others to join his cause.
Note: Sleeping with the king’s concubines was an indication of the succession of leadership.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- Because David never dealt with Absalom killing Amnon, he now has to deal with him as an insurrectionist. Absalom used his charm, his good looks, and his charisma to flatter and lie to build a following of loyal supporters. Rather than dealing with Absalom early in his quest for power, David allowed him to grow stronger and stronger until he had to flee his own capital city.
- In this passage, we see very clearly how a situation within a family can grow out of control when it isn’t dealt with immediately. Not controlling his own family impacted not just their lives but also the lives of the people of Israel.
- The same is true for us today. Whether it is the family or our businesses, the failure of a leader to deal decisively with issues always makes the situation worse.
2 Samuel 17
In verses 1-4, Ahithophel laid out his plan to Absalom to take 12,000 men to attack and kill David immediately. The proposal seemed good to Absalom and the elders if Israel.
In verses 5-14, Absalom sought out Hushai for his advice.
- Hushai suggested they assemble all the troops throughout the land and attack David and his entire army.
- Hushai’s plan appealed to Absalom’s pride and desire to destroy his father completely.
Note: Hushai knew this plan would take some time to implement, giving David time to rest and organize his own forces.
- The Lord decreed Ahithophel’s advice be ignored in order to bring about the ruin of Absalom. So Absalom followed the advice of Hushai.
In verses 15-23, Hushai sent messengers to tell David what to expect.
- When Ahithophel realized his advice had not been followed, he went home, put his affairs in order, and committed suicide.
Note: Ahithophel realized since his advice had not been followed, David would regain the throne. He would be considered a traitor, so he killed himself.
In verses 24-29, David went to Mahanaim.
- Absalom appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab.
- Absalom and the army marched to Gilead and camped there.
- While in Mahanaim, Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai brought supplies and food for David and his men.
Note: Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai were chieftains who remained loyal to David. Machir was the man who cared for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, before David had him brought to the palace in Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 18
Absalom is defeated and killed.
In verses 1-5, David organized the army and prepared for battle:
- David wisely gathered his army together and divided it into three parts with three commanding generals; Joab, Abishai, and Ittai.
- David planned to march out with the army, but the men implored him not to go, so he stayed behind.
- He told the generals and all his troops to treat Absalom “gently for my sake.”
In verses 6-8, David’s army engaged the army of Israel in the forest of Ephraim and defeated them, inflicting 20,000 casualties.
In verses 9-18, In the heat of the battle, Absalom got hung up in a tree.
- David’s men found him and reported it to Joab.
- Joab descended on Absalom and struck him with three javelins into his heart.
- If that wasn’t enough, he had ten men get Absalom down and strike him until he was dead.
- They then buried Absalom under a pile of rocks.
In verses 19-33, runners were sent back to Jerusalem to let David know that they had won the battle, but David seemed most interested in the welfare of Absalom.
- When David was told that Absalom had been killed, he went into his chamber weeping, saying he wished he had died instead of his son.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- It is hard for me to understand David’s continued support for his son, Absalom. Absalom had turned the country against his own father. He built an army and attempted to kill his father in order to become king. A vast number of men died as a result of Absalom’s treason. Yet, when David hears the news of their victory, he is more concerned with the loss of his son than in the loss of 20,000 men of Israel.
- Sometimes as parents, we can become blinded to the faults of our children. The same thing happens in business. This blindness leads to chaos and destruction that reaches far beyond the family or the business in which it occurs.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.