David Escapes from Jerusalem
In this lesson we get a glimpse of the heart of a leader who seeks God in the midst of betrayal and uncertainty.
2 Samuel 15:19-37 NLT
19 Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. 20 You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you his unfailing love and faithfulness.”
21 But Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the Lord and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”
22 David replied, “All right, come with us.” So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.
23 Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.
24 Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city.
25 Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. 26 But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”
27 The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.
30 David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill. 31 When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”
32 When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. 33 But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden. 34 Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice. 35 Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace, 36 and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”
37 So David’s friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.
Examine the Scriptures
David Escapes from Jerusalem
2 Samuel 15:19-37 NLT
- At this point in the story King David is leaving Jerusalem with all his household and personal guards, except for the ten concubines he left behind to look after the palace.
2 Samuel 15:13-14 NLT
David Escapes from Jerusalem
13 A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”
14 “Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!” David urged his men. “Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.”
Scripture does not tell us how many people left with David, but we do know that the group included:
600 men from Gath (v. 18)
Along with the king’s bodyguard (v.18)
His personal servants and officials (v. 15-16)
Zadok and all the Levites (v.24)
Other loyal followers
All indications are that David plans to return to Jerusalem at some point in time.
2 Samuel 15:16 NLT
16 So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.
2 Samuel 15:25 NLT
… “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again.
1 Samuel 16:13 NLT
13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
2 Samuel 5:12 NLT
12 And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
19 Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. 20 You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you his unfailing love and faithfulness.”
- David urged Ittai and his kinsmen to return to Jerusalem.
21 But Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the Lord and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”
Ittai was a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile who arrived only recently.
Ittai may have seen David as the rightful and just leader of Israel.
Ittai displayed his loyalty to David by going into exile with David.
- Ittai must have seen something very special in David’s leadership and character to vow to go with David no matter what happens.
Later:
2 Samuel 18:1-2 NLT
18:1 David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them. 2 He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath.
David later appoints Ittai as commander of one-third of his army indicating his appreciation for Ittai’s loyalty.
22 David replied, “All right, come with us.” So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.
23 Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by.
David was a beloved leader, and his departure signaled not just a personal loss but a national crisis. The people’s weeping signifies deep sorrow, loyalty, and uncertainty about the future.
There was the potential for a radical, disastrous change in the leadership of Israel.
They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.
- The wilderness often symbolizes a place of testing, hardship, and isolation.
Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness, where He was tempted by Satan.
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years after their exodus from Egypt
For David, this was a return to the kind of hardship he had faced in earlier years while fleeing Saul.
24 Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city.
Zadok and Abiathar were chief priests.
- The presence of Zadok, Abiathar and the Levites underscores their loyalty to David as God’s chosen king.
25 Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city.
- David does not take the Ark with him. David knows that possession of the ark does not guarantee God’s blessing.
David believes that the Ark needs to stay in Jerusalem as a symbol of the Lord’s rule over the nation, no matter who the king might be. (2 Samuel 6)
2 Samuel 6:17 NLT
17 They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.
It was David, not the Lord who was going into exile.
“If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. 26 But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”
David understands the following Biblical principle:
Daniel 2:21 NLT
21 He controls the course of world events;
he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the scholars.
Romans 13:1 NLT
Respect for Authority
13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
- David is putting his life into the hands of the Lord.
27 The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you.”
More about this in verses 35-36
29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.
30 David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning.
Indicating his depth of despair.
And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.
The Mount of Olives was the location from which Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12).
31 When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”
Ahithophel was one of David’s advisors.
1 Chronicles 27:33 NLT
33 Ahithophel was the royal adviser…
- David now learned that his advisor Ahithophel had joined Absalom’s cause.
2 Samuel 15:12 NLT
12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh.
Don’t miss what is happening here!
32 When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him.
Hushai the Arkite was a loyal friend and advisor of King David.
1 Chronicles 27:33 NLT
33 Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.
While the Arkites were likely Canaanites by origin, Hushai was a trusted ally of David, suggesting that he had integrated into Israelite society and was a devoted supporter of the king.
Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. 33 But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden. 34 Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice.
David sends Hushai back to Jerusalem to act as a spy within Absalom’s court. He is tasked with countering the counsel of Ahithophel, Absalom’s chief advisor, whose advice was highly regarded. (More about this later in the story.)
- David sends Hushai back to Jerusalem to act as a spy within Absalom’s court.
35 Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace, 36 and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”
David is asking Hushai to tell him Absalom plans (through Ahimaaz and Jonathan).
- David is setting up a system of communication between himself and Jerusalem.
Refer back to verse 27.
27 The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you.”
37 So David’s friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.
