David did follow the counsel of the Lord. He crossed over the Jordan, and then gathered all his men together to prepare for the fight to come. This was a particularly difficult battle, for not only did David have to fight his own son, but he was also facing the entire army of Israel.
Yes, David’s son, Absalom, had all Israel on his side. Earlier Absalom had been advised from a counselor, “Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba —as numerous as the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle” (2 Samuel 17:11 NIV).
Doesn’t it seem at times that pornography and sexual impurity is a vast army? Like anytime you turn on the TV or use your smartphone or try to watch the news, there are just impure and base ads everywhere? Doesn’t it seem like the whole world has given into it, and it is coming after you to drag you down into it as well? This surely must have been what David was experiencing as he looked at the enemy, which was “as numerous as the sand on the seashore!”
But David knew the Lord was on his side, and what I’ve discovered in my life is that one person plus the Lord makes a majority. The Lord has plans for our victory of which we are not even aware.
For example, in this story, a man named “Hushai the Arkite” gave evil counsel to Absalom, which Absalom followed, instead of the good counsel of Ahithophel. Why did this happen? God’s Word provides us with the answer to that question: “Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.”
Question 3. Why did Absalom follow the bad counsel of Hushai instead of the good counsel of Ahithophel?
God had chosen David to be king, not Absalom. Absalom was attempting to usurp the throne, to overrule God’s choice and set up his own kingdom. David was walking with the Lord and looking to the Lord for victory, and following the Lord’s plans that were given to him.
Here is what happened next:
2 Samuel 18:6 (NIV) David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
Question 4. Where did the battle take place?