“When David reached the top of the ascent, where it was customary to worship God, Hushai the Arki came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head. David said to him, ‘If you go on with me, you will become a burden to me. But if you go back to the city and tell Avshalom, ‘King, I will be your servant; just as I was your father’s servant in the past, so I will now be your servant’ — then you will be able to frustrate Achitofel’s advice for me.'”-2 Samuel 15:32-34
When David and his grieving procession reached the peak of the Mount of Olives, he met a man called Hushai the Arkite.
It seems a place of worship had been set up on the mountain top.
Back then, folks didn’t restrict their worship activities to one main temple.
There were mini outdoor worship spots sprawled throughout the land.
The main sanctuary was in Gibeon.
But the people cared less.
Any homie with social clout went ahead and set up his own worship center right where he lived.
Now, Hushai was an old man and one of David’s closest friends.
He was heartbroken when he met the fleeing king.
His clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head to express his grief.
David told him, “Look, it’s better if you stay at the palace.”
There were two reasons for this order.
First, Hushai was too old to be waltzing around with David in the wilderness.
Second, he would be much more useful if he stayed behind and sided with Absalom.
That’s right.
David wanted Hushai to be a spy for him inside the palace.
He wouldn’t be operating alone either.
He would be working together with the two high priests, Tzadok and Evyatar, who would also stay behind.
Hushai would pass them info, they’d tell their sons, and the sons would take the message back to David.
So here’s the takeaway coming to me today.
Hushai and the two priests, Tzadok and Evyatar, were planted in enemy territory.
Yet they still served God’s anointed king.
Now, doesn’t that sound familiar?
We believers in Yeshua are also living in enemy territory.
We’re surrounded by a world that stands against the gospel and everything we represent.
Still, we are called to serve the King.
Sometimes openly.
And sometimes, like Hushai, Tzadok, and Evyatar, in quiet and strategic ways.
So don’t forget this.
You are in this world.
But you are not of it.
You have been called to serve a risen Master.
To be His eyes and ears here on earth.
And while you’re here?
You also have a chance to win over Absalom’s followers…
To help them shift their loyalty to the true and anointed Messiah.
I hope you’re seeing the metaphor.
See you next time.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Behold, I am sending you out
as sheep amid wolves,
so be wise as serpents
and innocent as doves.”
— Matthew 10:16
“We are therefore Messiah’s ambassadors,
as though God were making
his appeal through us.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:20
“If the world hates you,
know that it has hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world,
the world would love you as its own;
but because you are not of the world…
therefore the world hates you.”
— John 15:18–19
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN 2ND SAMUEL CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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