Let's be turning to 2 Samuel chapter 17. We're looking at the rebellion of Absalom and currently what David is going through with Absalom coming after him to take his life and to secure the throne for himself, this is really hastening toward a crisis moment here. This is going to be the crux of the moment.

As we've seen in the last chapter, all that the Lord said would be brought to pass to Chase and David has now come to pass with Absalom laying with David's 10 concubines under the sun, out in the open for all to see. And so that's been completed now. But I don't even think David knows that at this time, but that's already been done. What I really want us to see in this chapter, as we're going through it, is David is out in the wilderness. David is surely stressed and tried, and he's very troubled. He's got the care of those with him on his heart, and he doesn't know how it's going to all unfold or how the Lord's gonna bring this to a close, but even though David isn't aware of what's going on, what I want us to see is how the Lord is bringing to pass all the provision that David needs.

Absalom and Ahithophel, these co-conspirators have laid a pretty solid plan up to this point. It's worked very well, but what they're seeking is not going to be brought to pass. It's not going to unfold. It's not going to come to pass the way they planned it to be because God is sovereign. God is sovereign and God's going to do what God is going to do.

And that's what I saw as I was reading this chapter. And I hope to bring that out that the Lord is providing. that though these things, these attacks, these persecutions, these trials and afflictions have always come against the people of God, and yet the Lord provides for us all. He provides for us throughout everything that we need. So that's what I want us to see here in this.

So the first thing that our Lord does for David is he takes the counsel of wise Ahithophel, who seeking him in that day was to hear as the oracle of God, to hear God speak, as it were, in his wisdom and how well he laid his plans. But the Lord makes the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness. God is able to take the best laid plans against his child and make them foolishness, to bring them to fall down flat on their face. So just read the first four verses here. 2 Samuel 17 verse one, moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, let me now choose out 12,000 men and I will arise and pursue after David this night. And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid. And all the people that are with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only. I won't harm anybody else. I'll just take his life.

And I will bring back all the people unto thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned. So all the people shall be in peace. And the saying pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel. And so this is a good plan. Like this is a well laid plan. This is Ahithophel speaking and he's right.

He's probably at least going with double, if not triple, the amount of men out there to face David, who's not in good shape at all. And he'd be able to take him that very night, and he promises, I'll bring back the people, and there will be peace in the land, because David will be dead. There's no point in them fighting anymore. They might as well just submit and just accept what it is. You're the king now, Absalom, and it'll just all wrap up. like that. Now, as I read that though, I couldn't help but notice a hiss of the serpent in that, in what he was doing, right?

Not just taking David's life, but there's always throughout history been this this attempt by Satan to take God's inheritance, to take that which is God's glory and God's honor and God's people to himself. And this has always been running throughout history.

From the time when he came as a serpent, when the serpent came into the garden and deceived Eve, and then Adam heeded her voice, who heeded the voice of the serpent, and when he did that, he no longer listened to the voice of God. He was now listening to the voice of the serpent, and enmity was formed in his heart. and he was separated from God. That fellowship was lost in man. He was corrupt and all his seed in him became corrupt and defiled, spiritually dead, in darkness, not knowing God, not able to worship God in spirit and in truth.

And so we must be delivered from that because he took it. He took that inheritance. The devil took that inheritance over to him, all the people over to him. And so it was the purpose of the Lord to bring back the people, to reconcile the people to himself in truth and righteousness, justly to do that. And so he does that.

And what Romans 8, 5 and 9 says concerning at least the enmity that's in us and the need for us to receive the spirit of God, not by an act of our will, but by the grace and power of God to give us his spirit so that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are delivered from that bondage. That enmity is removed from us and we are reconciled to God. But let me just read Romans 8, five through nine.

It says, for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded, what we are by nature is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. That's what we need because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so, be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

And so, that's what we need. We need to be recovered. We need to be delivered in righteousness by the Lord Jesus Christ. because we don't have that ability. We're not able to reconcile ourselves to God by our works, by our will, by anything in us. We need Christ. And so, now I'd mentioned that there's this theme here, right? The seizing of the inheritance, which appears to be the wicked one keeping us in bondage, keeping us in darkness, keeping us in ignorance to the true and living God.

And so Ahithophel says it, I will smite the king only and bring back the people unto thee. And that's not the right king. Absalom's not the proper king. David's the proper king. And he wants to put to death the king proper and bring them underneath this false king who has usurped the power of David.

And we're told, we see this theme throughout scripture. For one thing, when Abraham went out to rescue his nephew Lot, when there was war between the king of Sodom and Gomorrah and a couple others and I think four other kings came from the north and they fought with them and they took the people of Sodom and they took all the riches of Sodom and Abram because they took a lot with them, went out to rescue his nephew. And he defeated those kings that defeated all the other kings. And he defeated them and brought them back. And we're told that the King of Sodom went out to Abram. And this is after Melchizedek blessed Abraham and gave Abraham wisdom.

But he went out to him and said, give me the persons, and you can take all the goods for yourself. I just want the people. Just give me the people and you can have all the goods." And of course, Abram turned it all down because he said, well, one thing, I'm not going to have you going around boasting that you made me rich. I don't answer to you. And in some sense, it just seems that the people were free, that they were also not in that bondage to that king, because he paid nothing for them. They were free now.

And so how is this related to the devil and what he does? Well, the devil promised our Lord Jesus Christ when he was in the wilderness, being tempted of the devil to endure that temptation that Adam fell in. He told our Lord that all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, I'll give them to you if you just fall down and worship me. In other words, you just give me the people and I'll give you all the riches. And of course, our Lord, you know, it's impossible because he's God. He's not going to worship the creature. But also we see in that how that the Lord would not be turned from his inheritance, from receiving the people, from keeping the people.

And that's this theme going on. Our Lord, when he was speaking a parable to the Jews, said, when the husband men saw the son, they said among themselves, this is the heir, come, let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance. And so this theme's always been going on, of the enemy trying to keep the people of God in prison, keep us in darkness, keep us in bondage to sin and to this world and to the enemy.

You could be religious, you could do religious things, he don't care, just don't believe. on Christ, just don't worship Christ and believe the truth, right? That's all he's keeping us from. But our Lord says in John 6, 39, and this is the father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

And so here's David in the wilderness. And if he's smitten, if he's taken, then all the people will be gathered unto Absalom and all will be lost. That's what the picture is there. But the Lord has provided, right? The Lord's provided for David. He's not going to fall. He's providing for him and the people shall be delivered and preserved. And so the way that the Lord does this is he takes Ahithophel's good counsel and makes it utter foolishness. And the way that we see this is Absalom, he hears it, he likes it, but he says, you know what?

We have Hushai here who David sent back, right? Back in a couple of chapters ago, Hushai's an older man and he's feeble and he's weak. And David said, if you go with me, you're gonna be a burden to me. It's better for you if you go back to Jerusalem and you try to defeat Ahithophel's council. You try to defeat his council.

And so that's why Hushai is there and the Lord providentially put him there. And so when Absalom heard it, he remembers, oh yeah, we got Hushai here. He's a wise man. He swore an allegiance to me. Let's see what he says. Look at verse seven. Hushai said unto Absalom, the counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. All right, he just contradicts it and says, it's not the right thing for this hour. It's not good at this time. And then he lays out a case as to why he says, well, if you do this, David's not going to be there.

You're not going to get David. And there's just going to be bloodshed. And you're going to make the mighty men with you. You're going to make their hearts melt. Because now there's going to be a war. And they're going to realize we're going against the mightiest of the mighty and David's men. The plan didn't work. And this is going to all blow back in our faces. And so then they're going to be afraid. It's not going to work. Let it go. Just let him go for now, and we'll get him another time.

And the Lord blessed that for them to hear that. It was a lie. I mean, it was not good counsel, and yet the Lord made it so that Absalom and the elders said, you know what? That's the right thing. Let's do what Hushai said. Let's not do what Ahithophel said that we should do. And the Spirit tells us that. Well, look at verse 14. Look at verse 14.

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, the counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For, and here's the reason why they said that, for the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom. And so there in the scripture, it calls Ahithophel's counsel good. It's good counsel, as in it's wise. That's exactly what they should have done. That would have definitely brought the end of David. That would have ended the rebellion. Everybody would have been secured under Absalom.

But God purposed. But God. And you can't go against God's will. And so God defeated, God defeated that counsel, that good counsel of Ahithophel. And he, because the heart of the king is in his hand, right? The heart of those who would do us evil, the heart of those that would destroy us and harm us in this world, their heart is in the hand of our sovereign Lord.

He can do all things. He is doing all things according to his will and purpose. Right now, you can take Comfort in that, brethren, that the Lord knows all things. He knows exactly what's going on. The things that are happening in the world are all according to His purpose. And He provides for His people. And you can rest in Him. And you can pray about it. You can cry out to Him and know that He hears. And He does what is good and right for His people.

And so God had purpose to save David. He told David by the prophet Nathan that God had put away your sin, David, and you shall not die. Now I get it why it was hard for David to have that confidence as he's being hunted and chased out into the wilderness. It's terrifying, I understand, like none of us rarely are in that position to where we know and we just go on. But even when we know things, we still struggle and we still battle those fears and doubts. But the Lord upheld David and sustained him and provided for him regardless of David's fears and worries. The Lord provided for him.

And the Lord even gave David that prayer. He said, oh Lord, back in chapter 15, 31, he said, oh Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. God gave David that prayer and God answered that prayer. And he did turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. And so the Lord is providing for David, and David is escaping death that night from his enemies.

And one of the things we see in this is that like David who had a dear friend in Hushai, to be there to defend him and to defeat the council of Ahithophel. So we too, brethren, have a dear friend in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has all power and authority given to him.

He is seated on the throne and he's ruling and reigning. He's doing all things, all things good and right for his people. And so he came to defeat the counsel of the devil, to defeat his works. For this purpose, the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. And he's done that. He did that on the cross.

And he was buried to put away our sin and rose again for our justification. And he's accomplished our redemption. And so my point here again, as we're going through this chapter, is I just want you to show how that while David's hiding out in the wilderness, David's struggling and weak and having difficulties, yet the Lord is providing for David. And the picture is, the sense for us is that here we are in the wilderness with our various enemies pursuing us with difficulties and troubles, and yet the Lord provides.

He works all things. He's moving things and doing things and accomplishing things in order to bring to pass His good and perfect will, which is always good for us. It's always good for us, brethren. With this work of Hushai being accomplished, it remained for David to hear this good word. This is good news. Things are going well.

Hithefell's not going out there with 12,000 men to destroy David, but it's still things can change, things can happen here. And David doesn't know this good news. David doesn't know what he should do. He's waiting in the wilderness to hear what he should do. This is a good word. It's like a gospel. but he doesn't know you. That word has to get to David now, all right? And so what happens here?

Verse 15 and 16, then said, Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests. Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled. now therefore send quickly and tell David saying lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness but speedily pass over lest the king be swallowed up and all the people that are with him right so there's good news right there's good news But you must pass over.

You've got to pass over the River Jordan. You've got to get on the other side of Jordan this night. And you've got to pass over that speedily, lest you be taken, David. Because if Ahithophel gets his way, he's going out there. The destroyer's going to come, and he's going to destroy the king, and he's going to take the people. You got to get over the River Jordan there.

There's something of urgency in that, right? And it's like the gospel. There's an urgency to the gospel. To get that word out there, to preach this word, to faithfully preach this word. Rather than having bingo tonight, we're preaching the word, because this is what the Lord uses to bless his people, to comfort his people. We're declaring to the sinner, all things are now ready. The Lord has accomplished our redemption.

Go. Go. Flee. Flee from these dead things, this wicked world. Flee. Go to Christ. Flee to Him. Do not delay. Speedily pass over. Speedily pass over, right? It's been done. The redemption has occurred. The good news has been accomplished. Now it's going forth. And we declare, go to Christ. Look to Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that thou shalt be saved. Don't just let this word fall to nothing. But we get this word out there that sinners would hear it.

It reminds us of when the angel was going to Sodom to deliver Lot. It was determined, Lot, you're not going to be destroyed. The Lord wasn't going to destroy the city of Sodom with Lot in there, but he had to go. He had to go, and that's what they said to him.

They said, all right, you can go to that city that you asked to go to, but you've got to go. And they said, haste thee, escape thither, for I cannot do anything till thou become thither. And so it is. We've got a good word, the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, but that word has to get out there so that the sinner hears it and is moved out of their prison, moved out from that darkness by the grace and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are moved to Christ, to flee to him, to pass over, and to go to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, having said that, this word must get to David. They've got to get this word to David to tell him. Look at verse 17 and 18. So, Hushai tells Zadok and Abiathar, Now, they've got to get this word to their sons, Jonathan and Ahimeas. And it says that Jonathan and Ahimeas weren't there.

They were staying in Enrogel, for they might not be seen to come into the city. It would look bad if they're coming and going from the city. someone's going to get suspicious and say, what's going on here? We're on lockdown here. You're not going in and out freely.

And so they sent a wench, it says there, which is a maid servant, a bond servant or a slave girl, went and told them and they went and told King David. Nevertheless, a lad saw them and told Absalom, but they went both of them away quickly and came to a man's house in Behurim, which is where David was, which had a well in his court, whither they went down." And so, the fact that they were seen by this lad who went and told Absalom, it doesn't look good.

And I could have messed things up. So again, there's things happening that could terrify, things that seem like they could derail everything. But we know the strong hand of the Lord is involved. But from our perspective, it looks like this thing could still go off the rails. It might not come to pass here. So this thing happens and they go down a well, right? They have to hide in a well.

And the picture here, the sense here is with regard to the gospel that we have is people throughout history have gone through great pains to get this word to us today. The Lord has used his people in such a manner to raise them up so that they are committed and they care about this word.

This is urgent. It's important. This word has to get to David. We know the Lord's saving David. He's promised to do it. And yet, he still uses these means to get this word to him. And that's the sense to us. The Lord's going to save his people. but he's ordained that they should hear the good news by this word, by the gospel word, and so his church is commissioned to preach this word, to support this word, to push this word out, to faithfully declare this word, because that's what the Lord uses, to tell his people, here, this is what Christ has done for you. It all has been done, redemption's been accomplished, here, right? And through that word, they believe and they follow Christ.

And that's the picture here, but the people go through great, great pains, right? Some suffered persecution and died or lost their belongings or shed their blood, right? There was suffering, there was pain and suffering in it, but only in the flesh, only in this world, only temporarily, right? And so here they are, they're down, In this well, many people all doing their part.

You had the priests, Zadok and Abiathar. You had the little slave girl going. You have Jonathan and Ahimea running this word out there. Now they've involved this other couple, this man, and it says, verse 19 there, and a woman there at the house, she took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon, and the thing was not known. And when Absalom's servants came to the woman, to the house, they said, where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, they be gone over the brook of water. And it's like Rahab, right? She's just lying to protect them. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

And so here we see, these people risked their lives and their property to get this word to David. And you think about how many brethren were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. and how many brethren, how many people throughout history gave their lives, their riches, what they had in this world of their bodies, of their selves, of their time and energies to get this word out for us to hear. What a blessing, what a mercy in that with so many doing their part there in each thing there. So it's a picture of the gospel going forth, through many dangers, through many snares, right?

It's done. Christ has justified his people, right? But it pleases God to reconcile us to our God, to be in fellowship with God, to hear what he's done, to believe on him and to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, to honor and glorify him with our lives, which have been delivered from this death, to believe him. It's like Paul told Timothy regarding his labors in the gospel. He said, therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

And so we see here that how even the little things, your attendance here, You know, I know some of you are sick and have difficulties, but what a blessing, what a comfort it is for us to see your faces just by your presence here. It blesses not just my heart, it blesses the heart of your brethren here, what you give, your time, your energies, your service, anything that you do, it's for the love of the brethren. And that's not lost, right? And it's that blessing here that we have together. You know, it seems small, but you have no idea how immense it is, how important it is. And it's a blessing.

So, all so that this word would reach the sinner's ear and that they would hear the good news, that they would hear that urgency to speedily pass over. Passover to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ lest you be swallowed up in death and I ain't gonna happen So this is gonna go forth So we have that encouragement knowing that the Lord the Lord's will is in it His hand is in it to bless this word to his people And what they labored in was made effectual.

Look at verse 21. And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told King David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water, for thus hath Ahithophel counseled against you. And so, as the gospel's hitting the ear of the sinner, they're hearing this word here, it comes, and it's made effectual to them. And this word, as we see it here, it's made effectual to David. Look at verse 22.

Then David arose, he hears the word, get over, make haste, get over, pass over. Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan by the morning light, there lacked not one of them, that was not gone over Jordan. And so it is in Christ, not one shall be lacking, not one shall be lost, all for whom Christ died shall be brought over, and yet he does it in these means. It pleases him to establish his church as a candle with a light, with the gospel light, a candle lit, to broadcast that word far and wide. you know, to bring in every last one of his sheep and to bless them in that. And so it's a beautiful picture of the grace of our God going forth to deliver his people, to bless his people. And then we read in verse 23, the defeat of the enemy there.

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass and arose and got him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father." So that there we see the conclusion of the loop there, right? That the devil Right? His work was defeated. That's what the picture is. The devil's works were defeated. His counsel fell to the ground and did not destroy the people. The people were not lost. David lives in the people with David, and they pass over safely. They're delivered from death.

And it's a picture also of what we see in Judas, right? Because Judas did the same thing. When he saw what he did, he was made to feel the guilt and the shame of it, and he hung himself. He wasn't given repentance, he took it into his own hands. Now, just to close this chapter out here, and closing it out here, remember, David's still being harassed. He's still being tried a little longer by Absalom, but we know it's gonna be over shortly. It's coming to an end real soon, and look what the Lord does in providing for David in verse 24.

Then David came to Mahanaim, Reminds me of Jacob King to my name, but, and Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab, and with which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra, an Israelite that went into Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Job's mother. I guess they're cousins, Joab and Amasa. So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

Now watch how the Lord refreshes David. He refreshes David and the people with him with provisions in the wilderness. Like you have this night and here in the gospel, provisions for you in the wilderness. It came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobai, the son of Nahash, of Reba, of the children of Ammon, and Maker the son of Amiel of Lodabar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogallam. brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse, and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kind for David and for the people that were with him to eat. For they said, the people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness."

Here we just see this picture. David's being tried and persecuted, and the people are sticking with him, and they're going through this difficulty here. But we see how the Lord provided for David and the people in the wilderness. He kept giving them good things. He defeated the counsel of the wicked. He got the message, the good word to them. They heeded the word and they passed over.

And now in the wilderness, they're provided for with good things, a feast of fat things, of wines on the leaves, right? Good things there in the wilderness. And so I hope that you can see here that though we be hunted in the wilderness, though we're persecuted, and tried, and afflicted, and go through various trials and tribulations. These are all for our good.

They work patience for us. They work experience in that patience for us, and they're given to us to make us to see the hand of our God. That's not us doing it. We're not providing for ourselves. In spite of us, the Lord is providing for us and keeping us and blessing us with good things to get this word out to help those, our brethren, who are yet in darkness, that they too would hear and rejoice in that word and that word be made effectual to them to flee, to speedily pass over lest you be swallowed up. And how do you pass over? through faith, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him, believe Him that He's all your righteousness, that God the Father sent Him to save you from your sins, to put away your sins, to give you His Spirit and life and hope in Him so that you would walk by faith. You're not going to be perfect in yourselves. You're not going to be doing what you think you should do, but you're going to keep looking to Christ, and crying out to Him, and He's going to keep blessing you, and keeping you, and providing for you, that we would learn that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.