In this powerful episode, we delve deep into the heart of 2 Samuel 15, exploring the tumultuous relationship between David and his son Absalom. Through the reflective lens of Alan J. Huth’s personal Bible reading journals, we uncover the themes of betrayal, faith, and redemption. Discover how David’s past transgressions influence the present challenges he faces as his son conspires against him, posing profound questions on leadership, forgiveness, and the cycle of sin and repentance. This episode encourages listeners to reflect on their personal battles and the strength derived from trusting God, even when the path is unclear.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Alan J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
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Today we are in 2 Samuel chapter 15. We will listen in to the reading from Faith Comes by Hearing of all 37 verses of 2 Samuel chapter 15. 2 Samuel 15
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After this, Absalom got himself a chariot and horses and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, From what city are you?
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And when he said, Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel. Absalom would say to him, See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you. Then Absalom would say, Oh, that I were judge in the land. Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.
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And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. And at the end of four years, Absalom said to the king,
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Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron. For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord. The king said to him, Go in peace.
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So he arose and went to Hebron. But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying,
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As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, Absalom is king at Hebron.
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With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor from his city Gilo. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing. And a messenger came to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.
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Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest ye overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.
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And the king’s servants said to the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides. So the king went out and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. And the king went out and all the people after him, and they halted at the last house. And all his servants passed by him, and all the Karathites, and all the Pelathites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite,
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Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us? Since I go, I know not where. Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.
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But Ittai answered the king, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.
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And David said to Ittai, Go then, pass on. So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by. And the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness. And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. Then the king said to Zadok,
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Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, I have no pleasure in you, behold, here I am. Let him do to me what seems good to him. The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace with your two sons, Ahimeaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.
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So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there. But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up weeping as they went. And it was told David,
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Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.
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And David said, O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
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While David was coming to the summit where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. David said to him,
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If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 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 now I will be your servant, then you will defeat for me the council of Ahithophel. Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimeaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son. And by them you shall send to me everything you hear.
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So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
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In 1997, I was reading 2 Samuel and I was reading 13 through 15 all on the same day. So this is a summary of all these chapters, including chapter 15. I wrote, Amnon raped sister Tamar, then Absalom kills his brother Amnon. Sexual sin of David with Bathsheba over lust bears fruit in David’s children. The law of sowing and reaping. We reap what we sow. David forgives Absalom and in return Absalom rebels against his own father. David must have had a soft heart. He didn’t discipline Amnon for raping Tamar. How could he when he did the same to Bathsheba? He didn’t punish Absalom for murdering Amnon. How could he? He did the same to Uriah. Ten years later in 2007, when reading 2 Samuel 15, I wrote Family Affairs. No forgiveness or reconciliation after 40 years. David never lifted his hand against Saul, yet Absalom plots rebellion against his father David. David ascends to the Mount of Olives where God was worshipped according to chapter 15 verses 30 and 32. David voluntarily walks away from the throne without even a fight. Now you may be asking the same question I asked when I read this chapter. Why? Why does David just abrogate the throne? Why does he just walk away? Why is Absalom a threat to him? Why doesn’t he have faith in God to take care of it? And I don’t believe there’s very many answers to those questions, except in verse 25. when the king says to Zadok, carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says I have no pleasure in you, behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him. it may be so that once again David just puts his faith and his trust completely in the Lord, and he’ll wait upon the Lord and watch God work. And we’re going to see what happens as we look into 2 Samuel chapter 16 tomorrow. In the meantime, David’s son Absalom is creating a huge conspiracy against his own father. Now, I don’t know if that’s ever happened to you in your life. I don’t think anything like that has happened to me, where there’s been a big conspiracy orchestrated against me. But maybe some of you have experienced that. If so, I’m sure it’s been very painful, especially if it comes by someone so close as a family member or a very close friend. So if that’s the case for you today, let me lift you up in prayer. Father, this is a tough chapter. A son conspiring against his own father. Maybe some who are listening have experienced that or are experiencing it even now. If so, Lord, I pray that they know what to do when they pray to you. David decided to let it go and to flee. Maybe that’s the course that you’re suggesting some of these folks take. Or maybe it’s to stand, hold your ground. Lord, give wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to those that may face a circumstance like this today. And we’ll look forward to seeing you get the glory in it. In Jesus’ name, amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. Maybe you wonder if Old Testament prophecy is true, came true already, or is coming true in the future. First, most prophets had a recurring theme. God loves us. Because he loves us so much, he gave us commandments, rules, statutes to live by. If we live by them, we can be blessed beyond what we can think or imagine. But when we choose to disregard, ignore, and set aside his rules, we are subject to his curses. We live under curses until things get so bad we cry out to God. He’s always there, waiting for our cry. Most often, but not always, He responds with grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness. We get back in line, then the cycle repeats. The Old Testament prophets cover this cycle over and over. Sometimes we wonder how the Israelites could have been so foolish. Yet, in our day, we have the same choice. We know God loves us. We generally know the rules, and we’d know them a lot better if we were more consistent in our time in God’s Word. Yet we decide, like those in the Old Testament, to ignore them and live out our lives. Things don’t often go well, so we finally cry out to God. As we see in the Old Testament, prophecy comes true as God restores rebellious, disobedient people like us back into right relationship with Him. But it is not always the case. Sometimes He has enough and does not deliver them. So yes, Old Testament prophecies are true, they came true, and they will come true in the future as we cycle through the same life choices the Israelites made. Thus, the value of reading all the Old Testament prophets Maybe we will learn what they tried to teach. God loves us. Keep his rules, love him back, and enjoy his blessings. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. You have probably noticed I refer to my personal Bible reading journals in AdBible. I took an honors English class in high school and learned about journaling. I kept a journal in high school, probably related to that class, and then I quit. For some reason, I started journaling my Bible reading about 10 years later. I don’t know why I decided to journal my Bible reading, but my first journal is dated 1983. Back then, I bought spiral-bound notebooks from a retail store. Nothing fancy. But when I started the Ezra Project, I decided to publish Bible reading journals. You can find two of them on our website at ezraproject.net. Why journal? It will change the way you read the Bible. If you struggle with your daily quiet time, try it. If you know you’re going to write something down after you read, you will pay more attention to what you’re reading. It can be as simple as your favorite verse in the passage or the major point you got out of the passage. You decide. It’s your journal. And it’s not a personal journal. It’s a Bible reading journal. So you shouldn’t have to worry about someone finding it and reading it. I wanted to print a bumper sticker once called Real Men Journal. I figured it would look good on the back of the pickup trucks. Well, you know, I never printed it because I knew it wouldn’t sell. But get an Ezra Project Bible reading journal at EzraProject.net. I know you’re going to enjoy it. And want to share it with others.
