Hushai’s advice: How God works to achieve His purposes

Back in 1950s Hungary, my father was barred from entering university for political reasons. Every year for 15 years, Dad sat the entrance exam, but was rejected at the oral interview, which assessed a candidate’s ‘political reliability’. The interview always ended on the question whether Dad believed in God, to which he said yes and that was that. In the fifteenth year, the process started off no differently. The interviewers dismissed his good results in the entrance exam saying that, of course, they knew he was capable. Then the questioning began dredging up family history and so on. Knowing the routine by now, he was convinced that he was going to be barred again and, throwing caution to the wind, he ended up in an argument with his questioners. Oddly enough, Dad’s attitude impressed one of the interviewers so much that he said Dad would be accepted to university and added, ‘We’ll make a good Marxist out of you, yet!’. God is able to intervene and move people’s intentions and what appeals to them towards achieving His different purposes.

God’s way through human reasoning and action

I am reminded of this incident because something similar happens in our reading when Ahithophel’s and Hushai’s advice are compared. The former is astute in assessing David’s situation as desperate (2 Sam 17:2) and his plan is clear, decisive (‘tonight’; 2 Sam 17:1), involves a relatively small effort and would deal with the focus of opposition (David) rather than create a costly all-out war. It assumes that once the figurehead is dead, the rest will accept the new king (2 Sam 17:3). Hushai, of course, knows full well how deadly such a plan is to the exhausted David and his troops, so he does everything to stall an immediate attack. He plays up David’s ferocity (like a bear robbed of his cubs), craftiness (he will hide separately from the people) and fighting ability (‘expert in warfare’; 2 Sam 17:8-9) and suggests calling up all Israel to fight (2 Sam 17:11), something that will take time.

The appeal of Hushai’s advice and God at work

There is more than a hint of vanity in earlier descriptions of Absalom, the handsome darling of Israel (2 Sam 14:25-26; 15:1, 6). Thus, on a human level, we can understand why Hushai’s advice flatters the prince, since it assigns him a significant role in tackling his father. The bombastic language describing the army’s inevitable victory (2 Sam 17:11-13) would have pleased Israelites – what warrior would not fancy himself as a hero? By contrast, Ahithophel almost sounds like he is on a personal vendetta as he volunteers to deal with David himself. Not for the first time, one wonders what bitterness caused this advisor to change sides… Whatever the appeal of Hushai’s plan for Absalom and Israel, God works His purposes for David and in the process will answer his earlier prayer (2 Sam 15:31). For the first time since David’s flight, the narrator explicitly mentions the Lord’s intent to judge Absalom (2 Sam 17:14), no doubt due to his grasping for power and his immorality.

God can remove hurdles

There may be many situations where the odds are stacked against us to achieve what we hope for and what God leads us towards. It may be our lack of resources in ourselves, the antagonism of a boss whose goodwill we depend on, a relative or friend who could help but do not want to be put out. Circumstances, even when they involve the obstructing ways of people, however, are no obstacles for God. He is able to make friends out of our enemies (Prov 16:7) and remove the hurdles from our path if it is His will. When we face our challenges in life, like David, we need to depend on the Lord and remember that He is trustworthy to answer our prayers and lead us in His way.

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