How does Hushai's advice align with Proverbs 19:21 about human plans? Setting the Scene 2 Samuel 15–17 records Absalom’s coup against David. Two counselors emerge: Ahithophel, famed for razor-sharp counsel, and Hushai, a loyal friend David plants in Absalom’s court. David prays, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” (2 Samuel 15:31). What unfolds shows God answering that prayer. Hushai’s Counsel in 2 Samuel 17 • Ahithophel urges a swift, surgical strike: “Let me choose twelve thousand men and pursue David tonight” (v. 1). • Hushai counters: gather “all Israel from Dan to Beersheba… and you yourself lead them” (v. 11). • Absalom and the elders prefer Hushai’s plan. • Key note: “For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring disaster upon Absalom” (v. 14). Proverbs 19:21 Stated “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.” Connecting Hushai’s Advice to Proverbs 19:21 1. Two human plans clash—Ahithophel’s quick attack, Hushai’s delayed campaign. 2. God’s purpose stands above both. He uses Hushai to frustrate the plan that would have destroyed David. 3. The narrative explicitly attributes the outcome to divine sovereignty (2 Samuel 17:14), echoing Proverbs 19:21 word-for-word in historical form. Key Observations • Contrast of motives – Ahithophel: political expediency and personal vengeance (cf. 2 Samuel 17:1–4). – Hushai: loyalty to God’s anointed king and answered prayer (15:34–37). • God’s unseen hand – David prays; Hushai speaks; Absalom decides; yet God prevails (Psalm 33:10-11). • Outcome proves the proverb – Human schemes swirl, but God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) cannot fail. – Even “the hearts of kings are in His hand” (Proverbs 21:1). Implications for Believers Today • Make plans, yet yield them to God’s overruling purpose (James 4:13-15). • Pray specifically; God can redirect events through ordinary conversations. • Trust that apparent delays (Hushai’s slower strategy) may be God’s means of deliverance (Romans 8:28). • Stand with God’s anointed—today, the risen Christ—rather than with flashy but rebellious movements. Summary Truths • Hushai’s advice did not merely compete with Ahithophel’s; it fulfilled God’s plan. • Proverbs 19:21 moves from proverb to proof in 2 Samuel 17. • When human counsel collides, the LORD’s purpose quietly but decisively wins every time. |
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