Finding faith in unexpected places (2 Sam 15:13-29)

In my twenties, I was reading the Bible with a girl I met at an evening course. She was not a Christian but was interested to hear more and we used to sit in a local McDonalds reading through the Gospel of Mark. At the time I was looking for opportunities for Christian ministry and one week, I felt particularly dejected as door after door seemed to close in my face. When I explained this to my non-Christian friend, she looked at me and pointing upwards said, ‘Surely He is going to provide and make it happen.’ Sometimes encouragement comes from unexpected sources, even from people who have not made a commitment to God but have come to understand something of His goodness. In David’s story, we see a similar turn of events when a foreigner from Gath (a Philistine city) gives his allegiance to the fleeing king.

A dejected king

We might wonder why David leaves Jerusalem instead of making a stand when he hears of Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam 15:14), but it seems that the latter controlled the majority, so that resistance in the capital would have looked futile. David only has six hundred faithful men left, the same who have been with him from those early days when he fled from Saul (2 Sam 15:18 cf. 1 Sam 23:13; 25:13; 30:1,9). Nevertheless, David’s expectation of calamity and disaster (v.14) is perhaps also a sign that he is unsure whether God is on his side. Additionally, he may have been worried about meeting his son in direct confrontation for fear that Absalom might be hurt (cf. 2 Sam 18:5). Firth points out that the concubines left as caretakers in Jerusalem are possibly the Jebusite women that David took (2 Sam 5:13) as a symbol of his kingship in Jerusalem.[1] If so, then leaving them behind further expresses David’s uncertainty of his future as king.

Unexpected encouragement and the rekindling of faith

Into this defeatist and uncertain mood bursts Ittai’s words of commitment (2 Sam 15:21). David tries to discourage this foreigner of Gath from staying with him when there could be no advantage for the man (2 Sam 15:19-20) and tellingly refers to Absalom as king (v.19). However, Ittai pledges himself to David, much the same way as another foreigner, Ruth, did to Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17). It is a turning point in the king’s life who has been drifting away from God. For the last few chapters, the Lord seemed absent from the narrative, but now as David is reminded of those far-off days in the wilderness when he could only trust in the Lord’s faithfulness, something of that old faith is reawakened. When the priests come out of Jerusalem with the ark, he refuses to take this symbol of God’s presence with him (2 Sam 15:25). He knows well that God cannot be manipulated and refuses to claim the Lord’s support when he is uncertain of his standing. Yet, for the first time, there is an expression of hope, the possibility that God will reinstate him (v.25). He is willing to submit to the Lord’s negative verdict (2 Sam 15:26), but his rekindled faith leads him to take some practical steps in case the Lord is with him. Having the priests as the king’s ears in Absalom’s court and potential messengers to get news to him will indeed help his cause (2 Sam 15:27-28) and are actions of his renewed faith.

Recommitting ourselves to God

It is not uncommon even for Christians to drift from a close commitment to the Lord. Busy-ness may take over, prayer and regular time in God’s Word may fall by the wayside. For some, periods of plenty when everything seems to be going our way can weaken commitment because we are not thrown on the grace of God so much. The Lord, however, can sometimes bring uncertainty or a crisis into our life that forces us to reconsider our priorities and seek Him afresh. Even when our difficulty is due to our own faults, as to some extent David’s was, He is amazingly merciful to provide prompts to help us rekindle our trust in Him. As we are drawing close to Christmas, may we recommit our hearts to the One who became one of us.

---

[1] David G. Firth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Nottingham: Apollos, 2009), 456.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others.