When
Absalom’s men who were pursuing Ahimaaz and Jonathan could not find them, they
departed for Jerusalem. Emerging from the well, the pair of messengers then
came to King David. They must have told the king everything Hushai had conveyed
to them through the maidservant. The most important part of the message was
“Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled
against you.” Digesting everything quickly, David then ordered everyone to
arise and cross the river to the other side. So they all arose and crossed the
Jordan river overnight. And by dawn, every one of his men including himself was
on the other side of Jordan.
In
verse 23, we are told of how Ahithophel’s life ended. He went home and hanged
himself and died. It dawned on him that wise as his counsel might have seemed
to himself, Absalom did not take it. So saddling his donkey he went to his
home, set everything in order then he committed suicide. The last part of verse
23 tells us that he was buried with his
father.
Why
did Ahithophel kill himself? The Word of God is silent, but for our own learning
let us postulate two. Firstly, Ahithophel took his own life out of
disappointment. Realizing that Absalom did not take his counsel was more than
what his wounded pride could handle. As a man who was wise unto himself, he did
not know that God had other plans. It is true that man may propose, but our all-seeing,
all-knowing God in His perspective has the right to dispose. Apparently here
God did it for the sake of his servant David. So unable to bear the
disappointment, the “wise” counselor hanged himself.
Secondly,
Ahithophel could anticipate the outcome of Absalom now that he had not taken
his advice. His imagination probably drew an outcome for himself should David
retake the throne. Perhaps, he could imagine dying in the hand of David. Again
his pride would have yelled out an endless ‘no’ to that thought. It was
unthinkable for him to die in the hand of a king he had come to despise.
He would rather die in his own hand, so he committed suicide. Wounded pride has
a way of making us hurt more than we can bear. Be careful not to allow pride to
dictate and hurt us and determine how we should conduct our lives. No one is
exempted from life’s disappointments. It will come at some point in life. How we
handle it will determine how we will progress. Trust God and He will direct our path.
David
wrote Psalms 42 and 43 with the backdrop of the circumstances that he was facing
now. The gist of the Psalms shows us that though David was in very trying
circumstances, yet he placed his hope in God. In so doing, his mood progressed
from one of dejection to one of confident trust in God. He ended with a note of
triumph because his life and hope rested in God. This should encourage us to
lean on God and know that He is our ever trustworthy and reliable help. Herein
lies the difference between David and Ahithophel. One put his confidence in God
and the other in himself. Like David, we have the choice of putting our hope in
God no matter how adverse our situation in life may appear. Do what David did when
he was discouraged by his crisis. He would say to his soul, “Why so cast down O
my soul, put your hope in God.” We can also do and say the same to our soul when
we are overwhelmed.
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