Wednesday Bible Study: Pretzel Logic

Chapter 17 features David ' s spy Hushai giving what is purported to be bad advice to Absalom, which God causes Absalom to accept because God has evidently decided to give the kingdom back to David. Well okay but Ahithophel ' s advice is to attack with 12,000 men, whereas Hushai ' s advice is to attack with the entire army, which is evidently much larger. Why an attack with a larger force will fail, whereas an attack with a smaller force will succeed, is kind of hard to understand.Anyway Ahithophel thinks that Hushai ' s plan will fail, so he kills himself. There ' s a lot of detail about who is put in charge of what and the supplies somebody gives to David and whatnot. Don ' t worry, it all ends in the next chapter.17 Moreover Ahith ′ophel said to Ab′salom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue David tonight.2 I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged, and throw him into a panic; and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down the king only,3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man,[a] and all the people will be at peace. ”4 And the advice pleased Ab ′salom and all the elders of Israel.The Counsel of Hushai5 Then Ab ′salom said, “Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say.”6 And when Hushai came to Ab ′salom, Ab′salom said to him, “Thus has Ahith′ophel spoken; shall w...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs