God Decides Leaders: Daily Thoughts from 2 Samuel (2 Samuel 16)

Joseph son of Jacob had a dream as a young man that his family would bow down to him. He went many years before this was fufilled, being sold into servitude and even imprisoned, before God, in His sovereignty, brought Joseph to the second most powerful position in Egypt, in time to save his family from famine.

David looks to the sovereignty of God to determine his fate.

When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! The LORD has avenged on you all the blood 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. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today.” So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself.

Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, for whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you.”

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What shall we do?” Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” 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. Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom. (2 Samuel 16, ESV)

In contrast to those who are loyal to David and willing to go with him no matter the cost, there are those who wish his destruction. It appears that Mephibosheth has harbored a desire for the return of his grandfather Saul’s household to power and believes that somehow Absalom will bring that about. At least, this is what Ziba, the one David appointed to serve Mephibosheth reports. David rewards him (assuming he survives this ordeal and will once again be in power).

Shimei, a relative of Saul, also comes to curse David as he flees, his anger so great he foolishly risks death from David’s military guard. Amazingly, David recognizes that only God can allow this curse to stand.  If He is indeed against David it will stand, but if not, vengeance belongs to God.  If God chooses to restore David, the curse will fall flat.

Ahithophel, David’s counselor gone over to Absalom, counsels Absalom to sleep with his father’s secondary wives in a public way so that people will know that it is he alone who can now be king. This signals to Israel that it is war with David and they must choose whom they will follow. One will make it, one will not. The only glimmer of hope in this is Hushai, David’s spy who is pretending to support Absalom.

When it seems hopeless that the place God has given you can remain yours, remember David. God is in sovereign determination of your place and role in His kingdom. God is our hope. He can bring about a reversal we could never foresee. Long live the true King!

Randall Johnson

About the Author

Randall Johnson

A full-time pastor since 1979, Randall originally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) in 1979 and from Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin) in 1998. He is married with four grown children and a pile of epic grandchildren.

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