SERIES K --- ISRAEL’S GOLDEN AGE --- LESSON 12

ABSALOM HESITATES

ABSALOM’S DEFEAT

From 2 Samuel 17:15-18:18

Hushai immediately reported the matter to Abiathar and Zadok the priests. ‘Ahithophel gave his advice and then I gave mine,’ he said, describing the advice each gave. ‘Hurry and warn David not to spend the night at the fords of the Jordan River. Tell him to move into the desert so that he and his men will not be overtaken and killed.’ Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel, for they did not want to be seen going in or out of the city. A servant girl carried the message to them from their fathers, Zadok and Abiathar. But a boy was watching when they left En-rogel and he reported their movement to Absalom. When Jonathan and Ahimaaz reached Bahurim a man hid them in a well in his courtyard. Then the man’s wife covered the well and spread grain over it to hide the two. When Absalom’s men arrived, they asked the woman about Jonathan and Ahimaaz. ‘Where are they?’ they demanded. ‘They went over the brook,’ she answered. ‘But when they could not find what they were looking for, they went back to Jerusalem.’ After Absalom’s men left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well and hurried to King David. ‘You must rise up and cross the Jordan River tonight!’ they urged. Then they told David about Ahithophel’s advice. David and his men rose up and crossed the Jordan River that night. By daybreak, not one of them was left on the west side. Back in Jerusalem, Ahithophel felt disgraced because Absalom had refused to accept his advice. He saddled his donkey and returned to his home town and after putting his business in order, he hanged himself. His body was buried in his father’s tomb. By this time David had reached Mahanaim and Absalom had gathered an army and had crossed the Jordan River and set up camp in the land of Gilead. Absalom chose as his general a man named Amasa, son of Ithra the Ishmaelite. Amasa’s mother was Abigail’s daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. Thus, Amasa was Joab’s cousin. David received a warm welcome when he arrived at Mahanaim. Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim brought supplies for him and his men. These included bedding, basins, cooking pots and bowls, wheat, barley, flour, parched lentils, honey, curds of milk, sheep and cheese. ‘You must need all these things,’ they said, ‘for you must be tired and hungry after your trip through the wilderness.’ David organized his warriors, putting commanders over hundreds and over thousands. Joab commanded a third of them, Abishai the son of Zeruiah a third and Ittai of Gath a third. ‘I will go along with you to the battle,’ David said to his warriors. ‘No, you must not go with us,’ they replied. ‘If we have to flee, the enemy will not care about us. They will be after you, for you are worth ten thousand of us. Stay here in the city and send us help if we need it.’ ‘I will do whatever you think is best,’ David answered. As the troops marched out to battle, David stood at the gate of the city to watch them. ‘For my sake,’ David told Joab, Abishai and Ittai, ‘have mercy on Absalom.’ When David said this, all the men around them heard the order. The followers of David and the followers of Absalom joined battle in the woods of Ephraim. It soon became obvious that Absalom’s warriors were losing the battle, for about twenty thousand of them were killed. Actually, more of Absalom’s men died in the woods than were killed in the fighting. In the heat of the battle, Absalom came face to face with some of David’s men and tried to flee on his mule. As he did so, his thick hair got caught in the branches of an oak tree and his mule ran away, leaving him hanging there by his hair. One of David’s warriors saw Absalom caught in the tree and reported what he saw to Joab. ‘Why didn’t you kill him?’ Joab demanded. ‘I would have given you ten pieces of silver and promoted you to an officer who wears the belt.’ ‘I wouldn’t have killed the king’s son for a thousand pieces of silver,’ the man answered. ‘All of us heard the king tell you and Abishai and Ittai not to harm Absalom. If I had killed him, the king would surely have found out who did it and you would have done nothing to protect me.’ ‘I can’t waste time talking with you here,’ said Joab. He raced to the oak where Absalom was hanging alive and plunged three daggers into his heart. Then ten of Joab’s young armour bearers gathered around Absalom and stabbed him. Joab then sounded the trumpet and his men stopped chasing Absalom’s men. They threw Absalom’s body into a great pit in the woods and heaped a huge pile of stones over it. Meanwhile, Absalom’s men headed for home as fast as they could go. During his lifetime, Absalom had made a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, ‘I have no son to keep my name alive.’ He called the monument ‘Absalom’s Monument’ and it is still known as that today.”

COMMENTARY

THE KING’S FRIEND

In Bible times the [King’s Friend] was an office held by the man who was chief adviser to the king. Some people believe that the office had its origin among the native Canaanites and was taken over by the Israelites. Such an office did seem to exist in Gerar during Isaac’s time, for King Abimelech had a Friend, Ahuzzath. Even earlier, Judah the son of Jacob, had a Friend named Hirah and Samson’s Friend later married his wife [even though Judah and Samson were not kings, they were leaders; Judah was head of his clan and Samson was Judge of Israel]. David’s Friend was Hushai the Archite. He came from the Archite clan of Benjamin, which lived southwest of Bethel. Hushai was extremely loyal to David. When Absalom rebelled, Hushai turned spy and offered his services to Absalom. Unknown to David’s rebel son, he was the key man in a Jerusalem communications network that got news back to the fleeing king. The fact that Absalom accepted Hushai’s advice rather than Ahithophel’s indicates how persuasive he could be. In fact, the success of the war can be credited to Hushai. David’s oldest son, Amnon, also had a Friend, his cousin Jonadab. Solomon’s Friend was Zabud, the son of Nathan the prophet. If he had responsibility for arranging the king’s many marriages, he must have been a very busy man.

The message, "Get the Leaven Out," was delivered on location at 60 Bailey Ave., Manchester, NH for First Fruits Ministries Sabbath celebration of March 25, 2023. Here is the Odysee video archive: https://bit.ly/3FTBhZ4

For the presentation transcript, download the PDF here:
https://bit.ly/3z4ngnA

Sermons at First Fruits Ministries are based on weekly Torah Portion readings announced each week in the church bulletin. This week’s sermon is loosely based on: Leviticus 1:1-5:26; Isaiah 43:21-44:23; Matthew 5:23-30; Hebrews 10:1-18 (https://bit.ly/3K3hs44).

I have been attending a Church of God group that is an offshoot of the late Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God. They recently told me that I am not eligible to participate in their Passover because I was not baptized with a group that kept the Feast Days. I disagree with this view. I was baptized in the Baptist Church by immersion many years ago before I learned the Torah truths. As far as I'm concerned, my baptism was my pledge to follow Yeshua and not denomination specific. I'll be keeping Passover Sedar with friends of mine outside the group.

What do the rest of you think?

"He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations:
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah."

Ps 66

SERIES K --- ISRAEL’S GOLDEN AGE --- LESSON 11

CURSES AND COUNSEL

ZIBA’S GIFTS AND SHIMEL’S CURSES

From 2 Samuel 16:1-17:14

Just beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, David paused to let Ziba, Mephibosheth’s household manager, catch up. Ziba had a pair of saddled donkeys, loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred pieces of summer fruit and a wineskin full of wine. ‘What are you doing with these things?’ David asked Ziba. ‘The donkeys are for your family or servants to ride, Ziba replied. The bread and fruit are food for your followers and the wine is for you to take in case anyone becomes faint in the wilderness.’ ‘But where is your master Mephibosheth?’ David asked. ‘Back in Jerusalem,’ Ziba answered. ‘He said that he would stay behind because he would now get back the kingdom which belonged to his grandfather Saul.’ ‘Well, if that’s true, then I will give you all that Mephibosheth now owns,’ David promised. ‘I bow before you and ask that you always show me such favour,’ Ziba responded gratefully. Before long, David and his people approached Bahurim. As they came near, Shimei the son of Gera, a member of Saul’s family, came out and cursed them. Shimei threw stones at David and his people, including some of the bravest warriors of Israel. ‘Go away, you bloody murderer!’ he shouted at David. ‘Adonai is punishing you for the blood of King Saul’s family which you spilled so that you could take his place as king. Now Adonai has taken the throne from you and given it to your son Absalom. Look at your punishment, you bloody murderer!’ ‘Why are we letting this dead dog curse the king?’ Abishai asked. ‘Let me go over there and cut off his head.’ ‘If Adonai has told him to curse me, who am I to challenge him?’ David replied. ‘Look! If my own son is trying to take my life, what can I say when this member of Saul’s family curses me? Let him alone! Let him curse me, for Adonai has probably told him to do this. Perhaps Adonai will see what I’m going through and will give me something good for these curses.’ As David and his men went on, Shimei moved along beside them, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at them. By the time King David and his followers reached Bahurim, they were tired, so they rested there a while. Back in Jerusalem, Absalom and his followers had arrived, with Ahithophel. Hushai, David’s adviser, arrived about the same time and went to see Absalom. ‘Long live the king!’ said Hushai to Absalom. ‘Long live the king!’ ‘Is this the way to show loyalty to your friend David?’ Absalom asked. ‘Why haven’t you gone with him?’ ‘My loyalty is to the king whom Adonai has chosen,’ Hushai answered. ‘I will stay with you. I served your father while he was king. Now I will serve you while you are king.’ Absalom turned to Ahithophel for his advice. ‘What should we do next?’ he asked. ‘Sleep with your father’s wives,’ he answered. ‘This will turn your father against you so that you cannot be reconciled. Then all your followers will know that they must remain with you.’ They placed a tent on the palace roof for Absalom, where he could sleep with David’s wives in the sight of all the people, this was only one example of Ahithophel’s counsel. Whatever he said seemed so wise that people thought they must follow it, for it seemed that Ahithophel’s advice had come from the mouth of YHVH. That is also the way it seemed when he advised King David. ‘Let me choose twelve thousand men,’ Ahithophel next advised Absalom. ‘Let me set out tonight to pursue David so that I may catch up to him while he is exhausted and before he gets the supplies he needs. He and his men will panic and run. When David is alone, I will kill him and you will be safe as king. When David is dead, all his followers will turn to you and the nation will be at peace again.’ Absalom and his other followers thought Ahithophel’s plan was good. But Absalom wanted Hushai’s advice as well. ‘Call Hushai here and let’s find out what he thinks,’ said Absalom. When Hushai appeared, Absalom asked his opinion. ‘What do you think of Ahithophel’s advice?’ Absalom asked. ‘Should we follow it? If you don’t think so, tell me!’ ‘This time Ahithophel has given you bad advice,’ said Hushai. ‘Your father and his men are great warriors and they are very angry, like a bear robbed of her cubs. Do you think such a seasoned warrior would stop for the night in the open, where you could attack him? Without doubt, he has found caves where he and his warriors have hidden. When they kill the first of your men, the rest will panic and say that your army is being destroyed. Then even your bravest men will run away, for everyone knows what great warriors your father and his men are.’ ‘Here is my advice. You should quickly bring together the entire army of Israel from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. Then when you have an enormous force, lead them personally against David and his warriors and destroy them all. If David escapes to a city, destroy it and pull down its walls, dragging the stones into the valley.’ Absalom and his men liked Hushai’s advice. ‘This is better than Ahithophel’s advice,’ they said. Adonai had already planned Absalom’s defeat so He would not let Ahithophel’s advice be accepted.

COMMENTARY

DAVID’S FRIENDS

Aside from those mentioned here, some of David’s friends were foreigners and even people who almost should have been his enemies. These included Achish, king of Gath. He rejected David at first and then became a follower, granting him the city of Ziklag. The Philistine exile, Ittai of Gath, also remained loyal to David during Absalom’s rebellion. He and his band of six hundred men actively took part in the final war against Absalom. The king of Moab sheltered David’s parents during Saul’s persecutions, perhaps because David had some blood ties there. Uriah the Hittite was a loyal and talented soldier; he became one of David’s Thirty. Other friends of David were religious people. These include the prophet Samuel, who first anointed him and later supported and helped protect him. This group would also include the prophet Nathan, and the priests Zadok and Abiathar. David was always able to command the loyalty of military men. An outstanding example of this kind of friend was Benaiah. He served David in the wars in Moab and was famous for slaying a lion in a pit and an Egyptian giant. He was made head of David’s bodyguard. Throughout his difficult and troubled reign, David’s friends were many. An intense and complicated man, he was bound to call forth great loyalty and sacrifice from those who loved him. In the end, his friends fortunately proved themselves stronger than his enemies.

Got to ride a horse yesterday

Got to ride a horse yesterday

Got to ride a horse yesterday

Check out the latest video from Way, Truth, Light. My wife has been doing an amazing job studying, preparing, and sharing a brief overview on each Torah Portion. This week she shares a teaching on Parashah "Vayikra". Please like, share, and subscribe, New videos are posted each Shabbat @ 10am. Shalom friends.