God Versus the Wise, the Strong, the Great

2 Samuel 17: Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 16:12-13

 

What’s the difference between those who follow God and those who oppose Him? Does God bless His followers with amazing gifts, but remove gifts from rebels? Can a man be wonderfully wise one day, and after rebelling against God lose all wisdom?

 

Perhaps.

 

But sometimes after men rebel against Him, God prefers to leave a strong man with his strength or a wise man with His wisdom. God can defeat His opponents even when they remain strong. God is always stronger.

 

Ahithophel was considered wise. People respected his advice “like that of one who inquires of God” (2 Sam 16:23). And yet Ahithophel ended up taking his own life.

 

When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb. – 2 Sam. 17:23

 

Ahithophel had been David’s counselor. Now he was serving as Absalom’s counselor, opposing God’s anointed one. But other than his rebellion, what had changed? Had his counsel become foolish?

 

No. Ahithophel’s advice was still wise. God had not struck him with foolishness. Ahithophel had not suddenly become a moron. He still had all the power of wisdom that God had consistently blessed him with.

 

But God knew that Ahithophel’s world would fall apart if people stopped listening to him. So rather than taking away Ahithophel’s wisdom, God took away Ahithophel’s idol: men’s praise. And once his idol, his god, was gone, Ahithophel had nothing left to live for. The true God had defeated his idol, leaving Ahithophel with nothing. With nothing to live for, Ahithophel did the only thing his wisdom and logic allowed him to do: set his house in order and commit suicide. For God, defeating a rebellious strong man is as simple as defeating his idol.

 

Father, may I value nothing and no one above you. May there be nothing in my life so valuable to me that without it my life is meaningless – nothing and no one but You. You are my life. You must be my life! Everything in Jesus, Jesus everything. Jesus is the only one in the entire world worth giving my life for, worth giving my life to. May I not be like Ahithophel, seeking life and meaning in an idol that will ultimately suffer defeat at Your hands. May I put my confidence and hope only in You and in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Only with You is my life safe.