God of the Dark Day

January 29th, 2025

God of the Dark Day

2 Samuel 15:24-37

24 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

As an old man, David re-enters the wilderness, wondering if his old faith still works. What does he learn today?

The Submission God Still Prefers (24-29)

More friends now show up: Abiathar the priest and Zadok the Levite, lugging the ark of the covenant. David should be thrilled! The Ark is the ultimate sign that God is with him, and not Absalom. Talk about a recruiting edge! So why does he send it back? In 1 Samuel 4–6, Israel wasn’t walking with God, but they thought that if they carried the ark into battle, God must bless them. They didn’t want to submit to God; they wanted to use God. They made the ark a rabbit’s foot. It didn’t go well for Israel then, and David wants no part of it now. He’s done manipulating. “If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, he will bring me back and let me both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him (25).” David says, “God is in control of my life. I place myself in his hands. I don’t know what God will do yet, but I know it will be right.” He submits to God’s will; we haven’t heard this from him in a while! He first learned it in the wilderness.

But he also sends Abathar and Zadok back to form a spy ring! In one breath, he totally submits to God. The next, he’s forming an intelligence network. I see no conflict here. Biblical faith affirms that God is in total control, and that he wants you to take responsible actions. You trust God, but you also think, plan, and make the best choices you can. You work hard, doing all you know, then you rest it in God’s hands.

The Solutions God Still Produces (30-36)

David trudges up the Mount of Olives, away from Jerusalem. He’s weeping, barefooted, head covered, all his company grieving with him. Then he gets the worst news yet: Ahithophel, his longtime advisor, whose counsel is like that of God, has joined Absalom. Ahithophel’s betrayal is a huge blow to David’s cause and a deep personal wound. David had confided in Ahithophel countless times. Ahithophel is also Bathsheba’s grandfather. David knows that his own sin played a large part in this betrayal. This news is the low-point of David’s darkest day; he writes at least three psalms about it (Psalms 3, 41, 55).

But instead of collapsing in despair, David does something we haven’t heard him do in a very long time: he prays. “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness!” Knocked flat on his back, David finally looks up. The last few chapters have been full of people trying earthly solutions to their problems by scheming, lying, manipulating, and conspiring. No one has prayed! Back in the wilderness, David sees that his only hope is in God.

Wilderness Faith, Confirmed

Just then, David tops the hill and sees Hushai the Archite. He is obviously still pro-David, because he’s dressed in mourning. So David’s wheels start turning: “Maybe this is God’s answer to my prayer! Ahithophel’s counsel will never err, but maybe God can use Hushai to undermine Ahithophel’s wisdom.” David sends Hushai back into Jerusalem as a mole. The story ends dramatically, with Hushai reaching the city at the exact same moment as Absalom. It’s the kind of solution God can provide in a desperate moment. It comes in an unexpected form, but right on time, perfectly suited for the job. It seems that, after all this time, the old wilderness faith still works.

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