Moreover, Ahithophel said unto Absalom,
Let me now choose out twelve thousand men,
and I will arise and pursue after David this night.
So Ahithophel wants to kill David, okay?
Now you say, but wait a minute, brother Stuckey,
everybody's on this side fighting against David,
so it's normal he wants to kill David.
This is not normal, because notice verse 2,
And 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.
Ahithophel says, sign me up for the job where I get to kill David.
Not just I'll go to war in this battle,
he says, I want to personally kill David,
I will not kill anybody else.
I will just smite David only.
So Ahithophel's saying,
I'll just pass by other people I can kill and just go right after David.
Why does Ahithophel hate David so much?
Because when you listen to what he's saying, he hates David.
He wants to kill David.
You say, why?
Well, turn to 2 Samuel 11.
And look, this story might not have made sense to you,
but I'll show you why Ahithophel hates David so much,
and why he's full of enbyness and bitterness and strife and anger.
I want you to notice 2 Samuel 11 verse 2.
And this is the chapter where David commits adultery with Bathsheba.
2 Samuel 11 verse 2,
And it came to pass in an evening tide,
that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house,
and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself,
and this is Bathsheba,
and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
And David sent in and inquired after the woman,
and one said, is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam,
the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
So Bathsheba is married to Uriah,
but I want you to notice she's the daughter of Eliam.
Turn to 2 Samuel 23.
Eliam was the father of Bathsheba.
Well, who was the father of Eliam?
Notice what it says in 2 Samuel 23 verse 34.
2 Samuel 23 verse 34.
And if you want to write these things down if you're taking notes,
the first reference I gave you was 2 Samuel 11 3.
2 Samuel 11 3.
And now we're in 2 Samuel 23 verse 34.
Eliphelet, the son of Ahaspai, the son of the Maacathite,
Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, the Gileanite.
See, Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam,
and Eliam was the son of Ahithophel.
Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba.
Here's what you need to understand.
Ahithophel, and look, like I said, the Bible does not directly say,
that is what the Bible teaches him.
He was the grandfather of Bathsheba.
Let me give you my personal opinion, okay?
My personal opinion, I think Ahithophel liked Uriah.
I think Ahithophel, the reason why he's so angry and wants to kill David
is because he probably did not forgive David.
He probably liked Uriah.
He probably went out to eat with Uriah and Bathsheba.
That's his granddaughter.
He loves his granddaughter.
He probably loved Uriah, because Uriah was a great guy.
Uriah was an awesome guy.
He probably said, man, I am so happy my granddaughter
married a godly person.
He loved Uriah.
And then David stole Bathsheba from Uriah,
and then David killed Uriah.
And I bet you Ahithophel, never forgave.
There's no other reason for Ahithophel to hate David so much.
He obviously was bitter about it,
but I want you to understand something about this.
Nathan rebukes David in the next chapter.
And let me tell you something,
the pronouncement and the judgment given from God
is the fact that David will not die.
Now, when Ahithophel did not like that decision,
he is fighting against God now,
because God said, I'll forgive David.
I'll make a special exception.
He will not die.
The judgment was made,
and Ahithophel did not like the judgment about David.
Let me tell you something.
When there's a situation and it's dealt with
and a judgment is made, it is bound up in heaven.
God says, I will honor that judgment.
And if you walk away and say,
I do not agree with how it was handled,
then you're now fighting against God,
because God says he'll honor that decision.
And what is the end of it for Ahithophel?
We'll turn to 2 Samuel 17, verse 23.
2 Samuel 17, chapter 17, verse 23.
And look, if you have a different opinion, that's fine.
I think it's pretty clear Ahithophel hates David.
And I think the only logical explanation
is the fact that he was mad that David killed Uriah.
He probably never forgave him.
Look, here's the thing.
If Bathsheba is the grandson of Ahithophel,
I'm sure Ahithophel knew everything that happened.
Not everybody in the kingdom knew what happened.
But Ahithophel knew.
That's his granddaughter.
Probably he loved his, I'm sure he loved his granddaughter.
And I believe he loved and looked at Uriah as a grandson.
And he did not forgive David for what happened.
And guess what?
That bitterness Ahithophel had towards David,
who did it harm?
Did it harm David?
It harmed him.
2 Samuel 17, verse 23.
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed,
he saddled his ass and arose
and got him home to his house, to his city,
and put his household in order
and hanged himself and died
and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.
You see, Ahithophel was a pretty wise man.
And when his counsel was not followed,
he knew, I'm on the wrong side and I'm going to end up dead.
And he just took his own life.
He killed himself.
Now, I believe Ahithophel was saved.
I think he was just a man who was full of bitterness towards David.
And here's the thing.
Did Ahithophel have a right to be bitter?
Absolutely.
Of course.
Look, I sided with Ahithophel in that situation.
I don't side with David.
What David did was wrong.
I can understand why he's so mad.
I sided with Uriah in Ahithophel.
But it does not matter
because that bitterness did not destroy David.
It ends up with Ahithophel killing himself.