Inquire First

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

INQUIRE FIRST

2 Sam 17:15-23

15 Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, "Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. 16 Now send a message immediately and tell David, 'Do not spend the night at the fords in the desert; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.'" 17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A servant girl was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18 But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left quickly and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19 His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it. 20 When Absalom's men came to the woman at the house, they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman answered them, "They crossed over the brook." The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem. 21 After the men had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, "Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you." 22 So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. 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.

NIV

The big question here in this narrative is, why did Ahithophel go home and hang himself? We know from past verses that his advice to Absalom was like one who inquired from God. This would imply he was a godly man, knowing the power and authority of Almighty God, and giving advice to Absalom in accordance with the plan of God. From what we have learned about Hushai is that David asked him to go back to the court of Absalom and help frustrate the advice of Ahithophel, which he did. So this is the first time that his advice to King Absalom was rejected for the advice of Hushai. So he hanged himself? What, just because his advice was rejected? What a sad man, or a self-centered, egotistic, narcissist, thinking everything revolved around him and his counsel. Had he truly been a man of God, after hearing that Absalom was taking the advice of Hushai, he would have inquired of the LORD for assurance that his plan or advice was better, and ask the LORD to persuade Absalom of the right course of action. However, if his advice was rejected, then once again, if he was really a man of God, he would have inquired of the LORD, and respond with a humble heart and go on, continuing to be a man who is known as one who inquires of God. But he did not, and only thought that if his rejection and hung himself. We do not go hang ourselves every time our advice is not accepted, or some plan we have devised, even if we believe we have heard from the Lord. We don’t get upset when people follow the advice of someone else because it seems good, even if it is a plan from the mind of man, rather than from the will of God. Of course, the first truth is that we should be known as someone who inquires of God. The second truth is that we should live with a humble heart, which comes from being someone who inquires from God. Thirdly, we would be a forgiving person, based on the fact that we are known as someone who inquires from God. If we are a man or woman of God, we will also inquire first.