King David’s relationship with his son Absalom,
had been strained for several years, after Absalom killed his half brother
Amnon (2
Samuel 13). And now, in 2 Samuel 15, we find David and a large group of
loyal followers leaving Jerusalem when the king receives word that his son has launched
a rebellion and is on his way to the city to overtake the throne. Once again David
is running for his life, this time from his own child (2 Samuel 15-18).
After Absalom arrives in Jerusalem
and discovers his father is gone, Absalom begins to plot how to find and kill
him. One of David’s trusted advisors, Hushai,
has stayed behind under the pretense of switching allegiance to Absalom, but undercover,
he is relaying Absalom’s intentions and actions as they unfold, to David, by
messenger.
Ahithophel, Absalom’s top chosen advisor,
recommends rallying troops to go after David immediately, but after Absalom
listens to Hushai’s counsel, he decides to follow his plan instead. After all, Hushai has been a close and trusted
friend of King David and would have knowledge of the King that no one else does
and Absalom, at this point, has no indication to distrust Hushai’s intentions.
Behind the scene, God is using Hushai to reverse
Ahithophel’s strategy (which actually was the best one for defeating David) to
bring disaster down on King David’s rebellious son, Absalom.
How it all ends is not the most important point of this drama. Let's spotlight on this scripture for a minute - 2 Samuel 17:23:
“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.”(NLT)
Wow! When I read this I had to stop and consider,
how many times in my own life, would I rather been dead than have my opinion
rejected, ignored, overlooked? Maybe not literally dead, but the, “You don’t
like what I believe or say so I’m going to pack myself up and cut myself off from
you and anyone else who does not value what I think,” kind of dead.
This mindset is a growing norm in our society.
People are polarizing around issues of government, politics, religion, ethics, morals, lifestyles and behavior. Everyone wants to be heard, be right, and all who disagree, on
either side of the divide, are considered intolerant, hateful and narrow
minded. It’s an all out, “I’m right and you’re wrong,” continuous brawl!
Many years ago, Mike went to visit a
church member who was in a mental ward. As this guy shared his plight, he
confessed there were things in his past he couldn’t let go of because he was right
and “those people” were wrong. Mike asked him, “Would you rather get out of
here or be right?” The man’s reply was, “I’d rather be right.” That man could still
be in that psyche ward; maybe he died in there for all we know. Sometimes there’s
a high price for always needing to be right.
Back in the narrative of 2 Samuel – Absalom thought he had a right to the crown
but he died in the war that ensued as he tried to escape from some of David’s
men that came upon him. They found Absalom hanging by his long, thick hair that tangled in
a fat tree branch after his mule kept going and left him dangling there. And his big-ego counselor, Ahithophel,
needed to be right so much, that he hanged himself all because his opinion went unheeded!
The only one really in the right here was
David, who had already learned the hard way that being so is not more important
than being king, being cast from God’s presence or falling out of relationship
with a son or friend. Just a read through the Psalms of David allows us to see how
he experienced the lessons of pride, humility, exaltation, brokenness, reliance
upon self or trust in God.
Jesus laid down his rights to be right and
died for us. Before doing so, He told us to love one another as He loved us (1 John 3:16).
That’s a colossal assignment!
When being right and having the last word becomes more important
than relationships with people, God, or living a life of peace and contentment,
serious trouble is brewing.
Don’t get ‘hung up’ on always being right. I’m
painfully and slowly learning it’s better to humbly die to self, than be dead right; cut off from the Spirit of
God in my life and those I am called to love and serve!
That’s way too great a price and one I’m not willing to pay, anymore.
That’s way too great a price and one I’m not willing to pay, anymore.
Psalm
34:18 The Lord is near to those who
have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite [humble] spirit.
John 10:17-18 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life…No one takes
it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.