AHITOPHEL - BETRAYER

Time with Jesus - 26 Nov 2013

Hi all,

Today’s meditation looks at Ahitophel, the man who betrayed David. No doubt it was this man whom Jesus had in mind when he stated, “one of the twelve would betray Him”. In this sense, Ahitophel was the Old Testament “type" who foreshadowed Judas. We are told that every genuine Christian will be betrayed 4 times in his life-time by someone he trusted. 

To try and avoid this, we need to be very sure concerning the call of the individual to ministry. Dr A W Tozer recognised this over 60 years ago and wrote the following article concerning THE CALL TO THE MINISTRY. His article is included hereunder in italics in full. We trust you will find it useful in your Christian journey.

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER, as someone has pointed out, is a descendant not of the Greek orator but of the Hebrew prophet.

The differences between the orator and the prophet are many and radical; the chief being that the orator speaks for himself while the prophet speaks for God. The orator originates his message and is responsible to himself for its content. The prophet originates nothing but delivers the message he has received from God, who alone is responsible for it, the prophet being responsible to God for its delivery only. The prophet must hear the message clearly and deliver it faithfully and that is indeed a grave responsibility; but it is to God alone, not to men.

Ahitophel Hanged himself

It is a dubious compliment to a preacher to say that he is original. The very effort to be original has become a snare to many young men fresh out of seminary who feel that the old and tried ways are too dull for them. These reject the pure wheat of the Word and try to nourish their congregations on chaff of their own manufacture, golden chaff maybe, but chaff nevertheless that can never feed the soul.

I heard of one graduate of a theological school, who determined to follow his old professor’s advice and preach the Word only. His crowds were average. Then one day a cyclone hit the little town and he yielded to the temptation to preach on the topic “Why God Sent the Cyclone to Centerville.” The church was packed. This shook the young preacher and he went back to ask his professor for further advice in the light of what had happened. Should he continue to preach the Word to smaller crowds or try to fill his church by preaching sermons a bit more sensational? The old man did not change his mind. “If you preach the Word,” he told the inquirer, “you will always have a text. But if you wait for cyclones you will not have enough to go around.”

The true preacher is a man of God speaking to men; he is a man of heaven giving God’s witness on earth. Because he is a man of God, he can speak from God. He can decode the message he receives from heaven and deliver it in the language of earth.

The response earth gives to the message of heaven at any given time, varies with the moral conditions of those to whom it is addressed. The true messenger of God is not always successful as men judge success. The message delivered in power has sometimes returned to destroy the messenger, as witness the slain prophets of Israel in Old Testament times, and Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

The true minister is one not by his own choice, but by the sovereign commission of God. From a study of the Scriptures, one might conclude that the man God calls seldom or never surrenders to the call without considerable reluctance. The young man who rushes too eagerly into the pulpit, at first glance, seems to be unusually spiritual, but he may in fact only be revealing his lack of understanding of the sacred nature of the ministry.

The old rule, “Don’t preach if you can get out of it,” if correctly understood, is still a good one. The call of God comes with an insistence that will not be denied and can scarcely be resisted. Moses fought his call strenuously and lost to the compulsion of the Spirit within him; and the same may be said of many others in the Bible and since Bible times. Christian biography shows that many who later became great Christian leaders, at first tried earnestly to avoid the burden of the ministry; but I cannot offhand recall one single instance of a prophet’s having applied for the job. The true minister simply surrenders to the inward pressure and cries, “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”

While there is only one way to become a true preacher, unfortunately there are many doors into the pulpit. One is to be endowed with what is sometimes called a “good pulpit presence”. Many a tall Absalom whose commanding presence and sonorous voice mark him as a natural leader of men, is attempting to speak for God, when he has not been sent by God. His call is from the people, instead of from the Spirit and the results cannot but be disastrous.

Others have become ministers from a genuine but altogether human love for mankind. These have a strong sense of social obligation which they feel they can best discharge by entering the ministry. Of all wrong reasons for becoming a preacher, this would seem to be the most laudatory, but it is nevertheless not a spiritually valid reason, for it overlooks the sovereign right of the Holy Spirit to call whom He will.

Most surely the church has a service of compassion to render to the world, but her motives are not humanitarian. They are higher than this by as much as the new creation is higher than the old. It is inherent in the Christian spirit that the followers of Christ should wish to minister to the bodies as well as the souls of men. But the call to give God’s prophetic message to the world is something apart.

The call to witness and serve comes to every Christian; the call to be a Voice to mankind comes only to the man who has the Spirit’s gift and special enabling. We need not fewer men to show mercy, but we need more men who can hear the words of God and translate them into human speech.

David referred to his betrayal by Ahitophel in Psalm 55. You can almost feel David’s heartbreak over the betrayal. ¹² If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. ¹³ But it is you, one like myself, my companion, my close friend, ¹⁴ with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers. Psalm 55:12-14 TNIV

Jesus’ betrayal by Judas can almost be felt in David’s lament. Betrayed by a close friend is one of the worst experiences in Christianity. Phyllida and I have checked our own Christian journey and confirm that we have been betrayed on a number of occasions. It’s not the sort of experience we would recommend. All we can say is that in it and through it we matured in Jesus Christ!

Shalom

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 26 Nov 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
AHITOPHEL			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	BETRAYER
He had a reputation, for being very wise. And when it came to counsel, there surely “were no flies”, On what he’d said to David. He usually was right. But it was most unfortunate what he had said that night. His name “brother of foolishness” was surely rather apt. He always chose the “winning side” and thereby, he was trapped. He was Bathsheba’s grandfather, is what some scholars say. Perhaps that’s why he saw the king at any time of day? Had he been reliable? I guess he must have been. And since he was related, to David’s favourite queen, He must have had some influence on what the monarch said. No doubt this sort of impact would “turn King David’s” head. He would start to trust this man; this crafty Gilonite. And the king concluded, he “always” got things right. But he had one purpose. To have authority. To be David’s advisor. Get him to do what he, Said he should be doing. The power behind the throne, Is what he really wanted, all for his very own! So he befriended David. It easily was done. Because he was related to David’s wife and son. He gained a reputation, for often being right. Thus he always looked so good, within King David’s sight. And so their “friendship” blossomed. And very soon he knew, The King would do precisely what he told him to do! And so they had walked together and David loved him well. It really was a tragedy for bad Ahitophel. But it was insufficient. He wanted so much more. He joined himself with Absalom. He sort of “crossed the floor” And when the young pretender entered Jerusalem. Ahitophel had obviously taken sides with them. What this new king needed was getting some advice. Ahitophel said something that Absalom thought nice.  2 Sam 16:21 “Take your father’s concubines upon the palace roof. And there, before the people, give them the living proof, That you have taken over. Then take each one by force. Where everyone could see them, have sexual intercourse.” Absalom consented and soon he had had it done. He thought it was exciting and also lots of fun.			10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT	But what he didn’t realise, was it would take some time. He was still a strong young man quite early in his prime. When all of this was over, Absalom’s next move, Was still to be decided. What was it he’d approve? Ahitophel suggested, that almost straight away, Absalom should chase the King, without further delay. “Give me twelve thousand soldiers and I will run him down I will kill King David and you will get his crown!” Ahitophel’s suggestion was excellent and good. The “New King” would have done it as quickly as he could. But first he called for Hushai, the Arkite to advise, If this is what he ought to do and if the course was wise? Now Hushai still supported King David and so he, Spoke and said to Absalom, “That isn’t right for me. David is still powerful. You need a lot more men Otherwise he will return and take the crown again. So wait until your army is a far larger size. Send a call for extra troops; I think that would be wise.” So Absalom decided to simply hang around. It’s likely that the pleasure that Absalom had found, Was rather preferential to running off to war. The women had been fabulous. Perhaps he wanted more? So Absalom decided that he would rather stay. He’d resume the battle upon some other day. This would be disastrous; bad for Ahitophel. It sounded like the first stroke of this traitor’s own death knell. He realised that very soon, King David would return. And that when David saw him, his ire would surely burn. There were no other prospects. A most unpleasant death. Surely now was threatening, to snatch his final breath. He had no further comment. He knew what to do next. He’d better be untouchable when David’s ire was vexed. He saddled up his donkey and headed off for home. Suicide was better than waiting all alone, For David’s men to find him and give him to the King. Rather death by hanging. He wouldn’t feel a thing. He put his house in order. Took a rope and died. What a dreadful ending; committing suicide!               2 Sam 17:23 Jim Strickland Written 26th November 2012
			23 When Ahithophel saw that his advice hadn't been followed, he saddled his donkey, left, and went home to his own city. He gave instructions to his family. Then he hanged himself, died, and was buried in his father's tomb. 2 Samuel 17:23 GW
			14 A person's spirit can endure sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit? Proverbs 18:14 GW
			22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? Jeremiah 8:22 TNIV
			1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon Me, for the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to comfort the broken-hearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 2 He has sent Me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favour has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. 3 To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory. Isaiah 61:1-3 NLT
			28 Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
			35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. Acts 8:35 NLT
			3 He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds. Psalms 147:3 NLT