1-2 Samuel Week Forty-Five: 2 Samuel 15:32 – 16:23

³¹ Now someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.” ³² It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn and dust on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you pass over with me, then you will be a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me. ³⁵ 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.” ³⁷ So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.  

¹ Now when David had passed a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. ² The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink.” ³ Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’” ⁴ So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!”

⁵ When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. ⁶ He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. ⁷ Thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! ⁸ The Lord has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!”

⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head.” ¹⁰ But the king said, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” ¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him. ¹² Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.” ¹³ So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. ¹⁴ The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there.

¹⁵ Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶ Now it came about when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” ¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” ¹⁸ Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whom the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹ Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.”

²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” ²¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. ²³ The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

—2 Samuel 15:31 – 16:23

Sermon Outline

1. Trust Someone, But Not
2. Receive with Humility
3. Cast Your on the Lord

References

Weekly Study Guide

Every so often, we encounter keywords in scripture that should grab our attention. These words serve as signposts for us—in flashing neon—that highlight important truths and compel us to grapple with what they’re communicating. I have mentioned this before, but the word “until” is one such word. “Until” means there exists a certain state of affairs, and then something comes along that (sometimes radically) changes that state of affairs. This word serves as a time marker throughout scripture that helps reveal and clarify the timing of God’s plans.

We’ve been discussing how God has revealed His plan of redemption to us in scripture by creating a people through whom He would save the world. He first gave a broad statement of that coming salvation in His promise to bless the world through Abraham. God promised that through Abraham He would create a people, and through that people, the savior would come. God later narrowed the focus of that promise when He promised David that this savior would come in the form of a king who would set up a Kingdom that would never end. But we eventually ran into a bump in the road—one of those inevitable plot twists—when Israel rejected the savior God sent them. And this is where we find one of those “untils”.

The promise of a Kingdom seemed impossible at this point. Israel had rejected the King and His offer of the Kingdom and, as a result, Israel, too, was temporarily rejected. But the story wasn’t over. Jesus described the reality (and timing) of Israel’s restoration when, after lamenting over Jerusalem, and wishing that He could have gathered them under His wings, He said, “Behold, your house is left to you desolate, and I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35-emphasis added). That is a key “until” in scripture. Jesus is saying that because of their unbelief, He would be leaving; yet He will return in the future. But He will not return UNTIL Israel acknowledges Him as Messiah. This tells us that Israel will, indeed, in the future, repent and petition His return. This “until” guarantees Israel’s future and their restoration, and gives us a bit more clarity to our great hope (the Second Coming).

But there is another key “until” that Jesus uses later in Luke that carries with it profound implications, and serves as a major component of God’s plan for the ages. In Luke chapter 24, Jesus says, “…Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24-emphasis added). This is also an important “until”. These “untils” speak loudly to the surety with which Jesus was proclaiming and promising Israel’s future. Here, He says that we should look to Jerusalem, and who controls it, to get a picture of where we are in God’s unfolding plan—that Jerusalem will continue to be trampled underfoot and overrun by the Gentiles until a specific time period comes to a close. Again, this comment by Jesus focuses our attention on Israel as the primary piece of the puzzle in God’s overarching plan. When the Jews finally do acknowledge their sin and seek His face (Hosea 5:15), Jesus will then come out of Zion (Rom 11:26), and pour out His blessing (His Spirit) upon them (Zech 12:10). They will then be fully and finally restored (Ezek 36 & 37) and the blessings of the New Covenant will finally be theirs (Jer 31). And Jesus will return to set up His long-awaited Kingdom. But Jesus connects the timing of all of this to this phrase, “the Times of the Gentiles.” What is this period “the Times of the Gentiles” all about, and how is it related to the city of Jerusalem and the timing of when Jesus will sit on David’s throne?

Ever since the time of David, Jerusalem has been the crown Jewel of Israel. Even a cursory glance at scripture reveals how God feels about Jerusalem. In the passage mentioned above, Jesus is mourning over Jerusalem saying, “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem … how often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…” (Luke 13:34). A few chapters later in Luke 19, Jesus actually weeps over Jerusalem:

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known on this day, even you, the conditions for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will put up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground, and throw down your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation (Luke 19:41-44).

Jerusalem is described as the dwelling place of God. “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it’” (Ps 132:13-14). It is the place where the very name of God rests. “I have chosen Jerusalem … that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually” (2 Chron 6:6, 7:16). Jerusalem is inscribed on the palm of God’s hands. “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me” (Isa 49:16). Jerusalem is where the voice of God is heard. “The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain, then Jerusalem shall be holy…” (Joel 3:16-17). And we have discussed before how Jerusalem is described as the “apple of God’s eye” (Zech 2:8). God passionately loves His city of Jerusalem—so much so that He marks out an entire era in salvation history by using Jerusalem as the key.

In Luke 21:24 (mentioned earlier), Jesus is saying that, although Jerusalem is Israel’s crown Jewel, and is the apple of God’s eye, as a result of their sin, their beloved city will be overrun and trampled by Gentiles. They will no longer have control of the city God gave them. The issue at hand is the question of Israel sovereignly ruling over her own land. This becomes clear as we examine the historical context. If you look at a broad sweep of Israel and her sovereignty, you see that the first real move God made in His divine rescue plan was to choose Abraham and then create a nation from his family. But Israel wasn’t actually born as a nation until coming out of Egypt when God gave them a land to dwell in—a land over which they would sovereignly rule. From then on, all the way up until they were taken captive by Babylon, Israel was a sovereign nation; they had control of their cities and borders. Even throughout various times of war and conflict, Israel was in charge of her land.

But God’s patience only lasts so long. The time for judgment had come. The Babylonian Captivity was a punishment by God for Israel’s idolatry and for their lack of obedience to what God had revealed about Himself and His will. Therefore, as a punishment, God took their sovereignty away. When they returned from Babylon, even though the captivity had ended, Israel was no longer sovereign. They were allowed to return to the land by Medo-Persia, but now they would be under the rule of Medo-Persia. Then following the time of the Medo-Persian empire, Israel would be under the rule of Greece, and then, subsequently, Rome. Ultimately, Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome and, after 70 A.D., Israel would not be a sovereign nation again until God gathered them back into the land and reestablished the nation again in 1948. Thus, the “Times of the Gentiles” is ultimately a statement about the state of the sovereignty of the nation of Israel. The issue is: who controls Israel and, more precisely, Jerusalem?

So, we saw last time that the line of Davidic kings lasted from David until the Babylonian Captivity, when Israel lost her sovereignty and the “Times of the Gentiles” began. We saw that there would be no one else from David’s line sitting on his throne until Messiah came. But the question is why? Why would this line of kings temporarily end? An exploration of the “Times of the Gentiles” helps us understand more clearly the reasoning behind there not being a throne of David after the nation was conquered by Babylon. “The Times of the Gentiles” is Israel’s punishment for not honoring God as their King through the human kingly line He established. And it is the time we are still experiencing right now.

But Daniel chapters 2 & 7 broaden our understanding of “the Times of the Gentiles” to refer to something more. We’ll go into this more fully next week, but the book of Daniel is really a book of timelines. In chapter two, Nebuchadnezzar is concerned about his kingdom and its future, so God gives him a vision and timeline for what the entire world will look like politically from his time until the end of time. Later, in chapter nine, Daniel is praying about the future and fate of his people Israel, and thus God gives him a timeline for the future of Israel from his time until Messiah comes to set up His Kingdom. These timelines chart out for us the contours of history and help us gauge where we are in God’s unfolding plan. But it is Daniel chapter two that is in focus here in this discussion.

Daniel chapters 2 and 7 are really just a detailed description of what Jesus calls this time period, “The Times of the Gentiles.” As a timeline that measures out Gentile world domination through successive world powers from Daniel’s time until the Second Coming, it answers the question that was plaguing Nebuchadnezzar—what would become of his kingdom? However, in answering his question, God was also describing for Israel the punishment they would be enduring for their ongoing rejection of Him as their King. Israel would no longer have the privilege of ruling over their own city and land.

There is more background to this idea, which we will cover next time. But, in answering our question of whether or not Jesus has ever sat on David’s throne, it’s crucial to see that when Israel entered into the time of punishment for their rebellion against God—as seen in the Babylonian Captivity—this was more than just a warning shot across their bow. No, they had been given warning shot after warning shot over the centuries by the prophets. The starkest of these warnings came in 722 B.C. when Assyria captured and scattered the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. But the people of God down south in Judah did not listen. Thus, when they were conquered by Babylon in 605 B.C., it was the beginning of a period of punishment that would last until Israel fully repented of their sin and welcomed Messiah. They had this opportunity for repentance when Jesus arrived, yet Israel did not respond—thus, the punishment continued. And, according to Jesus, it will continue until Israel says, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35). “The Times of the Gentiles” is this punishment. The reason that Jesus has never sat on David’s throne is that God removed their sovereignty all throughout “the Times of the Gentiles,” and thus there was no earthly throne to sit on. There will not be a Davidic Throne for Jesus to occupy UNTIL Israel repents, accepts Jesus as their Messiah, petitions His return, and Jesus comes back and establishes His Kingdom.

(MULTILINE)

Discussion Questions

1. To whom do you go for advice? (MULTILINE)
2. Regardless of whether they were true, how might the words of Shimei have cut David to the quick? How might God have used this attack on David to teach him a lesson? Why do you think Shimei was so upset? Is his anger justified? How had David actually treated the house of Saul? Why do you think David attributed the message of Shimei to God? Was he right in doing so? Why or why not? What did David hope to accomplish by sending Hushai back to Jerusalem? How was this effective? (MULTILINE)
3. Why do you think Ziba came to David? What might have been his motives (see also 2 Sam 19:24-30)? Why do you think the Holy Spirit included this brief episode in scripture? How was Absalom’s interaction with the concubines up on the roof a fulfillment of prophecy? What was Absalom communicating by doing what he did with the concubines? How does David’s humility throughout this story serve as an example for us? In what ways do you see God’s hand of providence guiding the events in this season of David’s life? (MULTILINE)
4. How do most people handle false accusations? Why do you think this issue causes such powerful and emotional reactions for people? How would you handle being betrayed by a friend like Ahithophel? What do we learn about humility, respect for authority, dealing with enemies, and loyalty in this chapter? How does the world see these issues differently from how Christ followers see them? (MULTILINE)
5. Do you think this season of David’s life involved discipline from the Lord? When have you experienced a season of discipline? What did you learn about yourself and about God through this? The Bible has much to say about the importance of surrounding ourselves with good counselors (Prov 12:15, 15:22). Just because someone gives good advice, doesn’t mean it’s godly advice. Where do you see this play out in this chapter and the next? How can we apply the lessons of this chapter to our lives this week? (MULTILINE)

Going Deeper

1. How might we contrast Absalom and David in this story? Why did David choose to endure Shimei’s curses rather than punish him? What does this tell us about his character? What can we learn from David about how to deal with criticism? How does David’s response to adversity in general show his trust in God, and how can we apply this kind of trust in our lives? (MULTILINE)
2. What do we learn by David not clinging to the throne? How might this be a parallel to Jesus not clinging to the prerogatives of deity (Phil 2)? Where else do we see David trusting the Lord and His timing and provision in this chapter? It seems Absalom thought he could establish his kingdom through deceit and treachery. What did he forget about Israel and about God? (MULTILINE)

Transformational Activity

Bible Study

One way we can gain greater understanding of who God is and how He works is to choose significant topics to research more deeply. This week we saw the effect of advice and counsel in David’s life. He understood the need to have wise counsel in his life. Take some time this week to explore this topic. What does the Bible say about counselors and the importance of wise counsel? To whom should we look for counsel? What is the difference between good counsel and godly counsel? How do we make decisions that honor the Lord? Come back next time ready to share what God revealed to you.