Beginning of the End

When All Looks Dark, David Prays

As the priests turned back toward Jerusalem, a deep shadow fell over the people with David. Their king a fugitive, themselves outcasts, forsaken even by the ark of God—the future was dark! “So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. Then someone told David, saying, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’” Again David was forced to recognize the results of his own sin. The defection of Ahithophel, the most talented of political leaders, was prompted by revenge for the wrong to his granddaughter, Bathsheba. BOE 370.4

“And David said, ‘O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!’” Upon reaching the top of the mountain, the king bowed in prayer, casting the burden of his soul on God and humbly pleading for divine mercy. BOE 370.5

His prayer seemed to be answered at once. Hushai the Archite, a wise and able counselor and a faithful friend to David, now came to cast in his fortunes with the dethroned and fugitive king. As if by a divine enlightenment, David saw that this man was the one needed to serve the interests of the king in the capital’s councils. At David’s request, Hushai returned to Jerusalem to offer his services to Absalom and defeat the crafty counsel of Ahithophel. BOE 370.6

With this gleam of light in the darkness, the king and his followers continued down the eastern slope of Olivet, through a rocky and desolate wasteland toward the Jordan River. “Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera. ... And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. ... And Shimei said thus when he cursed: ‘Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!’” When David was prosperous, Shimei had not shown that he was disloyal. He had honored David on his throne, but now he cursed him in his humiliation. Inspired by Satan, he gave vent to his wrath on the man whom God had punished. BOE 371.1

David had not been guilty of wrong toward Saul or on any of his family. He had spent much of his life amid scenes of violence; but of all who have gone through such an ordeal, few indeed have been so little affected by its hardening, demoralizing influence as was David. BOE 371.2

David’s nephew, Abishai, could not listen patiently to Shimei’s insulting words. He exclaimed, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head.” But the king did not agree. “My son ... seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has ordered him. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day.” BOE 371.3