II Samuel 17:7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.
Advice
The first thing this morning, I had a friend who asked me for advice. I’m grateful that he would ask me for advice, and I must tell you that there will be many times today that I will be asking others for advice. I ask for advice on a very regular basis. Advice is a very important aspect of one’s life and of good decision making. A wise person knows that he doesn’t know everything, and he knows whom to ask for advice.
In II Samuel 17 we find a man named Ahithophel who was a counselor to King David. We believe his granddaughter to have been Bathsheba, and it seems that Ahithophel had simmered in anger and a desire for revenge for many a year right under the nose of David. The moment that Absalom betrayed his father, Ahithophel saw his opportunity to seek revenge.
II Samuel 17 is all about advice that Ahithophel, a traitor, and Hushai, David’s plant in the rebel kingdom, gave to Absalom, David’s rebel son. Ahithophel gave Absalom some sound advice, and Hushai played his role by giving counter advice which actually served to save David’s life. It is interesting that Ahithophel gave sound advice to a bad end and Hushai gave poor advice but for a good reason. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he got his house in order then hanged himself.
There are two things that I am reminded of by this tragic story. First, the advice you give is an extension of yourself. When you give advice, you are giving away a piece of yourself. It is good to ask yourself what vice or virtue advises you as you advise someone else.
Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom is filled with the personal pronoun “I.” He said, “Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, that I will arise and pursue after David this night.” This was personal. Verse 2 says, “I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only.” This was personal and urgent. He wanted to pursue David that very night. He had been stewing on this for years, and now he had finally found his opportunity. Ahithophel had a vice that was advising him as he was advising Absalom. The advice you give is an extension of you. You can’t give any better advice than the character from which you give the advice.
Secondly, you are more than the advice you give. Ahithophel was so proud and vengeful that when his advice was shot down, he crashed right along with it. It is hard not to personalize the advice we give, but there comes a time one must cut the apron strings. At some point you have to give your advice and let it go. When someone else gives counter advice or questions your advice, it is often wise not to take it personally.
A wise decision is to know whom to ask for advice and to give advice well when you give it at all.