REGARDLESS OF HOW TALENTED, gifted or intelligent an individual is, no one can make it through life without help. One of the ways we are helped is through advice.
For three weeks in December 2015 and the first week in January this year, I started a series of “teachings” or articles of encouragement from the life of David (inspired by Andrew Wommack).
Today is the last Thursday in 2016 and I end the year the way we started, with a lesson from the life of David. 1 Corinthians 10:11 and Romans 15:4 teach that the Old Testament or the past is to teach us and be an example for us.
David was an insignificant shepherd boy who became a successful and feared warrior who went on to be king of Judah and Israel. While he was king, he slept with Bathsheba, impregnated her and later set up her husband Uriah to be killed.
David had a son named Amnon who raped his half-sister Tamar. Tamar’s brother Absalom (David’s son) killed Amnon for what he did to his sister and then fled from Israel and stayed away for three years. David permitted him to return to Israel and he did but later, Absalom overthrew David and became king.
There are two individuals who are at the core of this entire situation between David and Absalom – Ahithophel and Hushai. The account below is found between 2 Samuel 15 and 2 Samuel 18.
While Absalom was conspiring to overthrow David, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, who was David’s adviser. When David found out Ahithophel was one of the conspirers working with Absalom, he prayed and asked God to turn Ahithophel’s advice into foolishness.
David asked his friend Hushai to act as a spy in Absalom’s camp and to secretly send him information on his plans and to frustrate Ahithophel’s advice. After Absalom overthrew David, Ahithophel advised him to sleep with David’s concubines/mistresses for the public to see (this was to shame David as well as solidify Absalom’s power).
Ahithophel went on to give further advice to Absalom that he should pursue David and kill him. Hushai was successful in infiltrating Absalom’s camp and gained his trust and his advice was preferred over Ahithophel’s. Both Absalom and Ahithophel gave Absalom advice on how to kill David but Absalom preferred and followed Hushai’s advice.
When Ahithophel saw his advice was rejected, he killed himself. Absalom followed Hushai’s advice, went into battle against David and was killed on the battlefield by David’s men. (Hushai had shared Absalom’s battle plan with David’s men prior to the battle.)
Ahithophel was a man who both Absalom and David kept close to but what was so important about him to these two men? The answer is found in these two verses – 2 Samuel 11:3 reveals that Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, and 2 Samuel 23: 34 shows Eliam was the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite.
This means that Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather. Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom was probably motivated by years of hatred for David sleeping with his granddaughter and killing his son-in-law.
Absalom accepted Hushai’s advice but was unaware it was motivated by deceit and pretense. He believed his advice to be sound and genuine but it led to his death.
The principle here is that we must be very careful from whom we take advice. Some people’s motives are genuine and righteous, while deceit, hate and revenge motivate others. It is impossible and unwise to go through life without advice or help, but we must be wise about what advice we receive, who we receive it from, and how, when and where we apply it.
2 Samuel 16:23 states: “Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.”
I leave you to ponder on this verse but would say this much. Matthew 7:16 says that by their fruit you shall know them and Matthew 24:11 says that many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Ahithophel appeared be “one who inquires of God” but his “fruit” did not represent or resemble one who is of God. Be even more careful with the advice you take from those who appear to speak on behalf of the Lord but whose “fruit” isn’t righteous.
• Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, is director of C2J Foundation Inc., a project-based NGO focusing on social development. Email: coreyworrell@gmail.com