#19 The Saga of David: A Father's Love

David as we find him this episode is nearing the Jordan River, nearing the east of Jerricho. Absalom, his son, has taken Jerusalem and has begun to occupy the famed cedar palace.  Phase one of Absalom’s grand scheme is complete and he is about to enact phase two.  He turns to his advisors, one is David’s former chief advisor Ahitophel.  He tells Absalom the plan, David is not going to cross the Jordan at night, he is going to be too weary and wont want to do it at dark.  Let me take 12,000 men and go all night.  We’ll reach them tomorrow morning and he will be weakened and he will take them all down.  You cut the head off the snake and the whole snake dies.  We will take down David and the whole movement and rebellion against Absalom’s rule will be over. Ahitophel knew this was the way to go, he knew how resilient David could be, he knew that if you let David live on there could be serious problems for Absalom’s newest regime.  

However, Absalom admired another leader, so he turned to him to seek his advice as well. He advised Absalom to stay back, be patient and wait.  He was doing this because he was a mole, a spy. He knew the best thing on David’s side was time, so he encouraged Ahitophel as such. He succeeded and Absalom decided to side with the other advisor.  

Ahitophel, seeing the Absalom siding with this new advice, he knew that he had made a terrible mistake. He knew the time to act was now, he thought Absalom was a man of action. He thought that Absoalom was a man of plan and he knew what he was about and knew what he was doing and was ready to take the kingdom. Clearly Ahitophel, the political superior, saw that Absalom had misstepped in not going and taking David and killing him.  He knew that his cause was doomed and that he had sided with the wrong side.  So he returned to Hebron and hanged himself.

With the extra time that David now had, he used it very well.  He began to rally and train his army while Absalom was staying back.  He would rally the troops, and get them ready to go and ready to fight until he would fight Absalom’s army in open combat.