How does this verse connect to God's protection of His anointed? Setting the Scene “Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba—a multitude like the sand of the sea—be gathered to you, and that you yourself lead them into battle.” God Turns Strategy into Safeguard • Hushai’s counsel sounds impressive—assemble a vast army, let Absalom lead, make a show of strength. • Yet in reality it buys David time to escape, regroup, and avoid a surprise night attack (compare 17:1–3). • Verse 14 openly states why the plan carried the day: “For the LORD had determined to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.” God’s unseen hand protects His chosen king. Echoes of a Consistent Pattern • 1 Samuel 26:9—David himself once said, “Who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” God applies the same principle when David becomes the target. • Psalm 2:2–4—Nations rage, kings plot, yet “He who sits in the heavens laughs.” Human schemes cannot topple the one God installs. • 1 Chronicles 16:21–22—“Do not touch My anointed ones; do My prophets no harm.” The promise is not mere slogan but operating policy throughout Israel’s history. • Psalm 3 (written when David fled from Absalom) gives the inside view: “You, O LORD, are a shield about me… You strike all my enemies on the cheek.” Hushai’s advice becomes one more instance of that shielding. Foreshadowing the Greater Anointed • “Anointed” (Hebrew mashiach) points beyond David to the Messiah. • Acts 4:27–28 applies Psalm 2 to Jesus: earthly rulers gathered “against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed… to do what Your hand and purpose had predetermined.” • At the cross, the Father allowed plotting but still overturned it through resurrection, the ultimate vindication of His Anointed. Personal Encouragement Today • The same God who protected David and raised Jesus guards all who belong to Christ (John 10:28–29). • Human plans, even when clever and well-resourced, remain subject to divine veto (Proverbs 21:30). • When circumstances seem to favor opposition, remember 2 Samuel 17:11: what looks like momentum for the enemy may be the very means God uses to safeguard His own. |
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