Compare Ahithophel's plan with God's guidance in Proverbs 3:5-6. What contrasts exist?

Setting the Scene

• Absalom’s coup forces David to flee (2 Samuel 15).

• Two counselors emerge: Ahithophel with Absalom, Hushai with David.

• Proverbs 3:5-6 offers timeless guidance that stands in stark contrast to Ahithophel’s approach.

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Ahithophel’s Strategy (2 Samuel 16:20 – 17:4, 14)

• “The advice of Ahithophel… was as if one consulted the word of God” (16:23).

• Plan: “Let me choose twelve thousand men and pursue David tonight. I will strike down the king alone” (17:1-2).

• Motives: swift victory, personal prestige, securing Absalom’s throne.

• Method: military genius, speed, element of surprise.

• Outcome: God “had determined to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel to bring disaster on Absalom” (17:14). Ahithophel ends his life in despair (17:23).

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God’s Wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight.”

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Key Contrasts

• Source of Confidence

– Ahithophel: his own insight, reputation, political savvy.

– Proverbs: wholehearted trust in the LORD, not personal intellect.

• Decision-Making Process

– Ahithophel: rapid, self-reliant calculation; God isn’t consulted.

– Proverbs: deliberate acknowledgment of God in “all your ways.”

• Motive & Goal

– Ahithophel: secure earthly power, eliminate a rival.

– Proverbs: walk a “straight” path designed by God for righteousness (cf. Psalm 23:3).

• Outcome

– Ahithophel: thwarted, ends in ruin (Jeremiah 17:5).

– Trust in the LORD: paths directed, success as God defines it (Psalm 37:5-6).

• Wisdom Type

– Ahithophel: “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:15).

– Proverbs: “from above, pure… peaceable” (James 3:17).

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Lessons for Today

• Brilliant strategy minus divine dependence is brittle (Psalm 127:1).

• God may override even “good” counsel when it opposes His purpose (1 Corinthians 1:19).

• Lasting guidance requires heart-level trust, daily acknowledgment, and a willingness to let God set both pace and path (Isaiah 55:8-9).