Hushai Vs. Ahithophel

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you give good or godly advise?

Godly advise. It's always in the WORD.

Proverbs 28:26 (Amplified Bible)

28:26 He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered.

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show what a worldly advise can do to you.

IV. TEXT:

2 Samuel 17:14 (Amplified Bible)

17:14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

V. THESIS:

Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS for I cast all of my cares and burdens upon You for no plans, advise or counsel that will prevail against You.

VI. TITLE:

Hushai vs. Ahithophel

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: unknown

B. Date written: 973 B.C.

C. To whom written: Nation of Israel

D. Keyword: David

E. Main theme: Reign of David

F. Keyverses:

2 Samuel 5:12 (Amplified Bible)

And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake.

2 Samuel 7:12-13 (Amplified Bible)

And when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up after you your offspring who shall be born to you, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build a house for My ame [and My Presence], and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Absalom thought Hushai's counsel is better than Ahithophel

"Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel."

The good counsel is that of Ahithophel but Absalom was deceived. Hushai's counsel is not good but only detailed.

Hushai or "chushay" in Hebrew means: hasty.

This time Hushai never got hasty with his advise, he determined to slow down and delay the attack of Absalom.

Ahithophel or "achythophel" in Hebrew means: brother of folly.

Counsel of Ahithophel declares:

2 Samuel 17:1-4 (Amplified Bible)

17:1 MOREOVER, AHITHOPHEL said to Absalom, Let me choose 12,000 men and I will set out and pursue David this night.

17:2 I will come upon him while he is exhausted and weak, and cause him to panic; all the people with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone.

17:3 I will bring back all the people to you. [The removal of] the man whom you seek is the assurance that all will return; and all the people will be at peace.

17:4 And what he said pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel.

Counsel of Hushai declares:

2 Samuel 17:7-13 (Amplified Bible)

17:7 And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time.

17:8 For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered and enraged like a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

17:9 Behold, he is hidden even now in some pit or other place; and when some of them are overthrown at the first, whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the followers of Absalom.

17:10 And even he who is brave, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are brave men.

17:11 Therefore I counsel that all [the men of] Israel be gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in your own person.

17:12 So shall we come upon [David] some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew settles [unseen and unheard] on the ground; and of him and of all the men with him there shall not be left so much as one.

17:13 If he withdraws into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not one pebble is left there.

Comparison between the two counsel:

1. Ahithophel's counsel/advise is shorter and hasty - that will surely defeat King David while Hushai's counsel/advise is longer and detailed but has one purpose - to delay the attack

2. Both counsel/advise needs to attack King David.

3. Hushai's advise/counsel defeated Ahithophel because Hushai declared it not to be good.

17:7 And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time.