ONE FAMILY PLAN
Chain of Evil: David's Dilemma
“For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.”
(1 Kings 15:5, NIV)
“And the counsel of Ahithophel in those days, was as if a man had consulted the Word of God.” (2 Samuel 16:23)
Brothers Amnon and Absalom… sons of King David:
“She replied, No, my brother! Do not force and humble me, for no such thing should be done in Israel! Do not do this foolhardy, scandalous thing! And I, how could I rid myself of my shame? And you, you will be [considered] one of the stupid fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you. But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, HE FORCED HER AND LAY WITH HER. THEN AMNON HATED HER EXCEEDINGLY, so that his hatred for her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Get up and get out!” (2 Samuel 13:12-15)
“But she said, No! This great evil of sending me away is worse than what you did to me. But he would not listen to her. He called the servant who served him and said, Put this woman out of my presence now, and bolt the door after her! Now [Tamar] was wearing a long robe with sleeves and of various colors, for in such robes were the king's virgin daughters clad of old. Then Amnon's servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. And [she] put ashes on her head and tore the long, sleeved robe which she wore, and she laid her hand on her head and went away shrieking and wailing.” (2 Samuel 13:16-19)
For this, Absalom had Amnon killed:
“Now Absalom commanded his servants, Notice now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and brave.” (2 Samuel 13:28)
Absalom conspired against David:
“Then Absalom would say to him, ‘Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.’ And Absalom would add, ‘If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.’ Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so HE STOLE THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.” (2 Samuel 15:3-6)
“While Absalom was offering sacrifices, HE ALSO SENT FOR AHITHOPHEL THE GILONITE, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.” (2 Samuel 15:12)
When David learned of the betrayel:
“O Lord I pray You, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15:31)
Why Ahithophel? It all started with David and Bathsheba:
David was supposed to be at war…
“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.” (2 Samuel 11:1, NIV)
Bathsheba’s father was Eliam:
“and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’” (2 Samuel 11:3)
“…Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite…” (2 Samuel 23:34)
Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather!
Bathsheba’s husband Uriah and her father Eliam were part of an elite force [David’s Chief Warriors] (2 Samuel 23:13, 34 & 39)
“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’” (2 Samuel 11:2-3, NIV)
“And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her--for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to her house.” (2 Samuel 11:4)
“And the woman became pregnant and sent and told David, I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:5)
He tries to cover it up by having Uriah go to his wife but to no avail:
“Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, I will not do this thing.” (2 Samuel 11:11)
So David got him drunk but that didn’t work either:
“David invited him, and he ate with him and drank, so that he made him drunk; but that night he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.” (2 Samuel 11:13)
Finally, David had Uriah deliver his own death sentence:
“In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down and die. So when Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah opposite where he knew the enemy's most valiant men were. And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David fell. Uriah the Hittite died also.” (2 Samuel 11:14-17)
CHAIN OF EVIL:
“...SHALL THERE BE EVIL IN A CITY, AND THE LORD HATH NOT DONE IT?” (Amos 3:6, KJV)
David committed adultery with Bathsheba, after which he murdered Uriah.
“For OUT OF THE HEART COME EVIL THOUGHTS—MURDER, ADULTERY…” (Matthew 15:19)
“Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I WILL RAISE UP EVIL AGAINST THEE OUT OF THINE OWN HOUSE...” (2 Samuel 12:11)
So the Lord raises up EVIL against David through Absalom and then the Lord brings EVIL upon Absalom through the defeating of the counsel of Ahithophel…
“…For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent THAT THE LORD MIGHT BRING EVIL UPON ABSALOM.” (2 Samuel 17:14)
This, in turn, brought the death of Ahithophel:
“When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. HE PUT HIS HOUSE IN ORDER AND THEN HANGED HIMSELF. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.” (2 Samuel 17:23, NIV)
Absalom appointed Amasa in place of Joab:
“And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab…” (2 Samuel 17:26)
Unknown to King David and against his wishes Joab kills Absalom:
“…So HE TOOK THREE JAVELINS IN HIS HAND AND PLUNGED THEM INTO ABSALOM’S HEART while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.” (2 Samuel 18:14, NIV)
Later, after the revolt had concluded, David confirms the appointment:
“And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you are not the commander of my army for life in place of Joab.’” (2 Samuel 19:13)
Joab kills Amasa:
“Joab said to Amasa, ‘How are you, my brother?’ Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and JOAB PLUNGED IT INTO HIS BELLY, AND HIS INTESTINES SPILLED OUT ON THE GROUND…” (2 Samuel 20:9-10, NIV)
David’s charge to Solomon:
“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom, but DO NOT LET HIS GRAY HEAD GO DOWN TO THE GRAVE IN PEACE.” (1 Kings 2:5-6, NIV)
Earlier, Abner killed Joab’s brother Asahel so Joab killed Abner:
“Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, JOAB STABBED HIM IN THE STOMACH, AND HE DIED.” (2 Samuel 3:27)
Solomon had Joab killed:
“So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him…”
(1 Kings 2:34)
Back to David:
“…I anointed you king of Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added that much again. Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, doing evil in His sight? You have slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have murdered him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, THEREFORE, THE SWORD SHALL NEVER DEPART FROM YOUR HOUSE, because [you have not only despised My command, but] you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. THUS SAYS THE LORD, BEHOLD, I WILL RAISE UP EVIL AGAINST YOU OUT OF YOUR OWN HOUSE; AND I WILL TAKE YOUR WIVES BEFORE YOUR EYES AND GIVE THEM TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND HE SHALL LIE WITH YOUR WIVES IN THE SIGHT OF THIS SUN. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Samuel 12:7-13, Amplified)
“Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, THE CHILD THAT IS BORN TO YOU SHALL SURELY DIE.” (2 Samuel 12:14)
Ahithophel, publically and personally humiliated, waited for an opportune time.
“Absalom said to Ahithophel, ‘Give your counsel. What shall we do?’ Ahithophel said to
Absalom, ‘Go into your father’s concubines whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be made strong.’ So they spread for Absalom a tent on the top of the king’s house, and ABSALOM WENT IN TO HIS FATHER’S HAREM IN THE SIGHT OF ALL ISRAEL”
(2 Samuel 16:20 to 22)
As we know, it didn’t end well for Ahithophel. He “saddled his donkey, went home to his city, put his household in order and hanged himself”
(2 Samuel 17:23)
David won the war but his son, Absalom, died. After all his son had done, David loved him:
“Is the young man Absalom safe?” (2 Samuel 18:29 & 32)
“O my son Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom! Would to God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son” (2 Samuel 18:33). “O my son, Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 19:4)
“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART; he will do everything I want him to do.’” (Acts 13:22)
Conclusion:
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28, NLT)
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it [EVIL] for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20, NASB)
Out of the “EVILS” of Adultery, Rape, Hatred, and Murder, God brought forth Jesus Christ, our Savior.
“From this man’s descendants [through David and Bathsheba] God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.” (Acts 13:23)
Words of King David:
“I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” (Psalm 16:2)
“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek.” (Psalm 27:8)
