The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was” (2 Samuel 18:29).

Ahimaaz was so eager to bring the news of their victory that he did not realize that he might also be bringing unhappy news to the king, namely, that David's son was dead. Joab understood this and so tried to dissuade Ahimaaz from taking the news (2 Samuel 18:20).

Ahimaaz passes the first messenger and reaches the king. He humbles himself and gleefully announces their victory over the king's enemies. But then the king asks about the welfare of his son Absalom, and Ahimaaz is panicked for a proper response. He lies and leaves the telling of this news to the original messenger. In that tortuous period of waiting between his news and the coming Cushite's news, Ahimaaz likely recalled the general's words: 

You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day;however, you shall carry no news today because the king's son is dead" (2 Samuel 18:20). 

Joab understood David's heart. Yet, his own violent disgust for Absaolom, who he helped not once but twice come into the king's good favor, trumped his loyalty to carry out the king's wishes in preserving Absalom's life. Joab knew the king would be pained by the news of his son's death. 

Ahimaaz understood the fortuituous news of victory; however, he did not consider the heart of the one who would receive this news. David's mind was all about Absalom. He would have more readily embraced defeat and even his own death rather than this news of his son's death. He had already lost two sons before this. And he would lose still another son, all this in fulfillment of God's judgment oracle against him for taking Uriah's life. 

As for Ahimaaz, he likely regretted his haste to take this news to the king.

Friends, let us learn this lesson from both Ahimaaz and Joab. They both let their passions, whether over-eagerness or anger, get the better of them. Oftentimes prudence requires us to be dispassionate, so that we can have a proper perspective of any course of action and finally to act with wisdom and not haste. 

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 16:23).

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom (2 Samuel 17:14).

Ahithophel had a reputation for wisdom that matched the word of God. More than this, both David and Absalom treated any advice he gave with the highest regard. Therefore, it was completely out of character for Absalom to prefer Hushai's counsel over that of Ahithophel. But we are given the reason for this:

For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 7:14).

As amazing as Ahithophel's counsel was, it was no match for God's purposes, for God's ways are always infinitely higher than man's ways:

As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

No counsel, no matter how wise, can thwart God's purposes:

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
    that can succeed against the Lord (Proverbs 21:30).

The explanation for this is the difference between the Creator and the creature. He alone is God, and He knows the future as well as the past, so that He always does just as He pleases:

Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
    and I will do all that I please’ (Isaiah 46:9-10).

Therefore, it is utterly foolish to go against God's will. The great Jewish teacher, Gamaliel, reminded the Jewish Counsel in Jerusalem, who opposed the preaching of the apostles, that if what the disciples were preaching was from God, they would not be able to stop them:

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God (Acts 5:39).

While Ahithophel was wise, he was not wise enough to understand before Absalom's rebellion that it was foolish to go against God's chosen servant, David. Later, Solomon would be the wisest man in the world, but even his wisdom came up short when he violated the LORD's command not to intermarry with the women of Canaan. 

As it is written in the first letter to the Corinthian church:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate (1 Corinthians 1:18; cf. Isaiah 29:14).

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).

I believe both Ahitophel and Solomon realized near the end of their lives the error in their reasoning. Ahithophel realized it and killed himself, perhaps understanding that God had thwarted his wise counsel and he would be executed for treason when David retook the throne (cf. 2 Samuel 17:23). 

The Book of Ecclesiastes suggests that Solomon realized in the end that the only thing that mattered in life was to fear God and keep His commands (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Friends, let us learn this lesson from Ahithophel and Solomon. Let us reaffirm our devotion to the Lord. Let us realign our priorities so that the focus of our lives might be understanding and obeying His will. This is true wisdom. Even as the Scriptures teach,

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

If you are reading my sharing this morning, won't you consider stopping to reflect for a moment, even several moments, perhaps even the next hour? Reaffirm your devotion to the Lord. Then, follow up on this commitment by reflecting on what specific things you can set in motion in your life now or shortly hereafter so that His will might become the priority of your life.

The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33 TNIV)

As I read this account, and the kings distress over Absalom, his son, I can sense some of the weight of his guilt. Remember the LORD's judgment for David's sin against Uriah the Hittite:

Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ” (2 Samuel 12:10-12 TNIV)

Absalom kills Amnon after Amnon rapes his sister, Tamar. Then Absalom usurps David's throne and sleeps with David's concubines in broad daylight before all Israel. Now, Absalom is killed. This is just as the LORD predicted as judgment for David's sin. Yet, after David confessed his sin, Nathan said of David, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die" (2 Samuel 12:13). And David did not die. And in Absalom's rebellion, David does not die. But David cries out, "If only I had died instead of you -- O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Yes, Absalom is guilty of rebellion against David. But it must have crossed David's mind, 'How much of this is Absalom and how much of it is the LORD's doing as judgment for my sin?' David must have thought, 'If I was not so foolish back then, none of this would have happened. My son Amnon would still be alive. My son Absalom would not have rebelled. He would not have slept with my concumbines. My son Absalom would still be alive! Even if God did not cause all this, He would certainly have intervened so that none of this would have happened.

I bring this to our attention so that we might have a deeper perspective than to just see a father mourning over the loss of his son. David's words, "If only I had died instead of you" carries with it the perpetual reminder of David's guilt. David's three sons, namely, his first son with Bathsheba, Amnon, and Absalom, were sacrificed on account of David's sin. Finally, David's son Adonijah was put to death after plotting to take Solomon's throne. Thus, all told, four of David's sons were sacrificed on account of David's sin. Wasn't this what David inadvertantly pronounced against himself when Nathan told him the story about the man that was deprived of his only sheep in 2 Samuel 1-7?

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity" (2 Samuel 12:5-6 TNIV).

So for his having taken Uriah's life and stolen Uriah's wife, one might say that it cost the lives of four of his sons. This might sound somewhat unjust and unusual. But before we protest, let us realize that this is the cornerstone of the Gospel message. We sinned but someone else is paying the price for our sins. Jesus, God's only-begotten Son paid the price for our sins, the just for the unjust:

For God loved the world in this way: He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18 TNIV).

No wonder David mourned over Absalom's death. We should mourn over the death of Christ, even to acknowledge as David, "If only I had died instead of you." But we are infinitely more grateful for what Christ voluntarily did for us. No one took His life. He gave it up freely in order to free us from the eternal penalty of sin and so that we might be with him forever in paradise. Glory be to God!

Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”

 ¹⁰ But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’”

 ¹¹ David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. ¹² It may be that the LORD will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”

What a man tries to plan and implement will fail whereas what God promises to do will prevail.  David's throne was at stake and he could've been removed from his throne forever but God preserved him from his enemy again by thwarting David's enemy's evil scheme.  Even though God's action was not visible to our naked eyes, we are still able to see it though faith just as David was.  Sometimes we feel surrounded by problems in every direction but to see no way out of pit we are trapped in.  Let us not be discouraged because God who knows our situation "will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." Not only that!  But also "when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."  David's attitude was not of accepting the hardship as his fate even though it sounded like it but he was simply admitting that God was in control as we see it when shimei, son of Gera, hurled insults at him.  Let's examine ourselves if we trust in him in the same way David responded to the hardship. 

Ch15.¹⁵ The king's officials answered him, "Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses."

There are times that I miss having to just - obey. As a child, that is all I had to do - obey.  As a student I just, obeyed.  As a teacher, as an independent adult I have to be way more engaged.  Not that I prefer one or the other, there are times though that I miss the 'obey' mindset.  

It is refreshing to be in that mindset.  I just relax, trust that everything will be fine, and to make it easier, know that if anything goes wrong, it won't be my fault or my job to 'fix it.'  

This mindset is similar to the mindset of submitting to God.  I recently was praying emphatically for a friend.  My friend was going through some distress, and I hoped that God would perform some miracle that would make it evident and present a great opportunity to be a witness in his life!  If I were in charge, I had an elaborate plan made out, the words picked out!  I anticipated all night long, that something miraculous would happen.  Too keep it short, i was looking for a bird.  At one time, when it was dark out, I passed a pole with a fake bird on top of it and freaked out, excited that my plan matched God's!  But it was a fake bird, not the one I was looking for.

I thought, Why did God do that? why wouldn't God take this opportunity.  I relaxed and said, God's way is better, maybe it is not in God's plan to give a witness, or maybe it is less about the bird and more that I am walking around looking for a bird.  Any ways.. I resolved that as much as I wanted to have things happen, I was not in control, and this was not for me in any outcome, so anything that happens, would be fine.  I would just obey, since It is not for me to fix, but to obey.

BTW, the bird we sought was found the next morning.  A miracle that is survived the night, and returned.

Yujin adds... Amen, brother Fernando! Concerning our earnest desires and prayers, consider what Paul wrote in Romans 9:1-4,

¹ I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, ⁴ the people of Israel.

Paul desires his Jewish brothers be saved, but he know many of them, even most of them, will remain lost and be condemned with the rest of the unbelievers. We must witness and we must pray in obedience to God, but it is not our desires or our effort that saves but purely the grace of God.