2 Samuel 16

2 Samuel 16

Once David left Jerusalem, the political scene was shaken. Not only was Absalom a threat to overtake the throne, but Saul’s son, Mephibosheth, was also seeking to take the throne from David. As David began his journey out of Jerusalem, one of Mephibosheth’s servants met him to give him some animals, food, and wine for the journey. After all David had done for Mephibosheth and his family and servants, this servant was expressing his gratitude to David in the middle of David’s struggles. But when David asked about Mephibosheth’s whereabouts, he learned that Mephibosheth had chosen to remain in Jerusalem with hopes that Israel would declare him king.


As David journeyed toward the Jordan, another man, Shimei, came out to curse David for all that he had done. He was upset that David had been promoted to the throne after Saul’s death, and he was glad to see that David was being pressured by Absalom. The man truly thought that these recent events were a result of mistakes that David had made. Even though he was being attacked verbally and physically, David chose not to respond. He did not know if the man was responding out of anger or if he had been led by God to curse David. For that reason, David restrained himself and those with him from responding to this man. David knew that in the end, if he continued to remain faithful to God, God would see him through this situation. Although he did not know how it would all be resolved in the end, and he did not know how many more trials he would have to endure, he still showed great faith in the One who was guiding him every step of the way.

Meanwhile, Absalom was preparing to make his home in Jerusalem, taking the throne from his father. The young man that David had sent back to Jerusalem at the end of 2 Samuel 15 was Hushai, and when Absalom made his way into Jerusalem, Hushai was there to meet him. He was what we might consider an insider or mole, planted by David. He had been instructed to serve Absalom just as he had David, and Absalom took him in without question.

So as the political control began to shift, the situation began to look a lot worse for David. He had been forced to flee from his home city, and he had no idea where he was going. Many Israelites who had once trusted and followed David in every decision that he had made were beginning to question their allegiance to David. While some remained dedicated to him, many turned away and began to follow Absalom. As Absalom began to take control in Jerusalem, the allegiance of several key figures was also thrown into question. Who could David trust? And in the same manner, who could Absalom trust? The good guys and bad guys were not black and white, and the allegiance of many shifted back and forth. But in the midst of all this turmoil, it was still evident that David was trying his best to remain faithful to God, knowing that He would carry him through these troubling times. In the same way, even when life seems as if it cannot get any worse, we must hold fast to God. We will all encounter hard times, but God loves us, and He will always be there for us in the midst of the storm.

Matt