What can we learn about seeking God's guidance before making decisions? Setting the Scene • Absalom has usurped the throne and is plotting to kill his father, King David. • Two advisers step forward. Ahithophel calls for an immediate strike; Hushai, secretly loyal to David, urges delay and a massive show of force. • 2 Samuel 17:14 records that “the LORD had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel.” God is at work behind the curtain, overruling human plans. Key Verse “Then we will attack him wherever we find him, and we will fall on him as dew falls on the ground, and neither he nor any of the men with him will remain.” (2 Samuel 17:12) Observations from the Verse • “Wherever we find him” – a picture of self-confidence that assumes human planning can cover every contingency. • “We will fall on him as dew falls on the ground” – language of inevitability, yet it is merely human rhetoric. • “Neither he nor any of the men with him will remain” – absolute claims that ignore God’s sovereignty. Lessons on Seeking God’s Guidance • Human advice, no matter how impressive, is fallible. 2 Samuel 17:14 shows that God Himself “frustrated” Ahithophel’s plan. • David’s habit was to inquire of the LORD (1 Samuel 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19, 23). Absalom never does so, illustrating the danger of acting without divine direction. • Scripture urges us to trust God above clever strategies: – Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart… He will make your paths straight.” – Psalm 25:4-5: “Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths.” – James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” • The counsel we choose matters. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1). Hushai feared God; Ahithophel did not. • God’s sovereignty means He can override ungodly decisions, yet we are still accountable for seeking Him first. Consequences of Ignoring God’s Guidance • Ahithophel’s despair and suicide (2 Samuel 17:23) underscore the emptiness of wisdom detached from God. • Absalom’s defeat and death (2 Samuel 18:14-15) reveal the end of self-directed ambition. • Psalm 33:10-11: “The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations… but the plans of the LORD stand firm forever.” Putting It into Practice 1. Pause: Refuse to rush major choices. “Be still before the LORD” (Psalm 37:7). 2. Pray: Invite God’s direction specifically and expectantly. 3. Search Scripture: Let God’s revealed Word shape every decision. 4. Seek godly counsel: Choose advisers who themselves submit to the Lord (Proverbs 11:14). 5. Wait for confirmation: God often uses multiple indicators—His Word, inner peace (Philippians 4:6-7), and providential circumstances. 6. Obey promptly: Once His direction is clear, act in faith, trusting His wisdom over human calculations. God’s people are safest and most fruitful when they seek Him first, trust His sovereignty, and submit every plan to His perfect will. |
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