When Absalom revolted and claimed the throne, he recruited the service of Ahithophel (II Samuel 15:12). This caused David much distress (15:31). Ahithophel was the king’s counselor (I Chronicles 27:33), and highly respected for his wisdom: “the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the oracle of God” (II Samuel 16:23).

If Ahithophel was “David’s counselor” (15:12), we might ask why Absalom made a point of sending for Ahithophel, and why Ahithophel came and offered his service to Absalom. What motivated Ahithophel to change his allegiance?

It turns out that someone named Ahithophel is later listed as the father of Eliam, one of David’s mighty warriors (23:34); and earlier we were told that someone named Eliam was the father of Bathsheba (11:3). It is not certain that this was the same Ahithophel or the same Eliam. But if it was, that tells us something. It enables us to see that Ahithophel, as the grandfather of Bathsheba, might have felt deeply betrayed by David’s dishonoring of his granddaughter, and might therefore have been strongly motivated to urge that Absalom publicly dishonor his father David by taking his concubines (16:20-22) – thus fulfilling what the prophet Nathan had predicted would happen (12:11-12).

Ahithophel also recommended sending a brigade at once to find, defeat, and kill David – he even volunteered to lead it (17:1-3). When this latter advice was not followed, giving David sufficient time to escape, Ahithophel seems to have recognized that the rebellion would fail, and he went home, set his house in order, and hanged himself (17:23). Perhaps there is an allusion to Ahithophel in the psalms: “Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me” (Psalm 41:9) – a line later cited by Jesus in reference to Judas’ betrayal (John 13:18).

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It’s easy to understand the human desire to humiliate and destroy those who have hurt our family, O Lord: it is so much harder to long for their forgiveness and restoration. Yet we pray that you would forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us …

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