“And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15:31).
TEXT — 2 Samuel 15:28-31;17:14,23
Message
Qu Yuan served as a high-ranking minister and advisor to the State of Chu. He was known for his loyalty and wisdom. He counselled the king of Chu to resist the influence and expansion of the powerful State of Qin as the Chu kingdom faced internal corruption and external threats from neighbouring States. He advocated for alliances with other states to counter the rising power of Qin but the king often ignored his counsel. Frustrated, Qu Yuan fell into despair. Eventually, Qin forces conquered the capital of Chu. Upon hearing news of the fall of his beloved Chu, he decided to end his life. He waded into the Miluo River, holding a heavy stone and drowned himself.
Ahithophel was such a great and nationally famed counsellor to King David, whose counsel “…was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God” (2 Samuel 16:23). Sadly, he sided with Absalom, who mutinied against his father, David, and, by extension, against God because Israel was then a theocratic nation. Realising this inglorious treason while in exile, David prayed that God would “turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15:31). God answered and “had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel…” who later committed suicide.
We learn that our talents, resources, skills and competencies are only useful when we lay them down for divine use. Once anyone uses them against divine purpose, he is certain to lose everything, including even his own life, just like Ahithophel. Believers should also realise that evil and murderous counsels against them can be upturned through prayers. God watches over His children who have come to take refuge under His mighty name.
Thought for the day
Fighting God or His children results in calamitous end.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
