“Then Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok said, ‘Let me run now and bring news to the king that Adonai has judged in his favor by releasing him from his enemies.’”-2 Samuel 18:19
In verse 19, the High Priest’s son, Achima’atz, was so excited that the war was over and David had won.
He wants to rush off and tell David the good news, because he knows David is waiting anxiously.
But as the story goes on, it’s clear that while Ahimaaz knew the war was finished, he didn’t know Absalom was dead.
And Joab didn’t want him to go.
He wanted to send someone else, because he knew David might lash out and even kill the messenger in his fury.
To David, Absalom’s fate took priority over the outcome of the battle.
Ahimaaz was a loyal young man, however.
It was his job to carry news from Jerusalem straight to King David in Machanayim.
He was close to David, and the King trusted him to deliver important news, no matter what it might mean for him personally.
But Joab had different plans in mind.
Instead, he decided to send a man called a Cushi (or Cushite).
A Cushite was someone from Cush, or modern-day Africa.
They were also sometimes called Ethiopians.
This wasn’t a racial issue or anything.
I’m just making a statement of fact.
Now, Joab clearly trusted this Cushi to do the job safely.
Remember, Achima’atz wasn’t your average homie.
He was the High Priest’s son and very close to David.
Joab cared more about keeping Achima’atz safe than risking having an enraged David kill him when he got the news that Absalom had been slaughtered against his orders.
That’s why he decided to send the Cushi, a common soldier.
Achima’atz, however, was a persistent young bugger.
He was so determined that Joab let him go with the Cushite to bring the news to David.
Achima’atz was famous for his speed and even had a distinct running style that stood out from a distance.
As he approached Machanayim, the guard in the watchtower spotted him and shouted down to David.
Hoping for the best, David thought, “If it’s just one runner, it must be good news.”
Then the second runner appeared, and David told himself, “Since they’re coming separately, he must have good news too!”
David was sitting between the two gates of the city.
Back then, cities often had an outer gate and an inner gate for extra protection.
This scene reminds us of Eli, the old priest, who was also sitting at the same gate waiting for news about his sons who had gone off to battle.
However, once Eli got the bad news about his sons, he keeled over backward and died.
That wasn’t gonna happen to David.
But it didn’t matter.
The king was about to receive news that was just as devastating.
Achima’atz shows up first.
After properly greeting David, he blurts out the big news:
“The enemy has been defeated!”
David brushes that aside and cuts straight to the question burning in his heart:
“What about Absalom?”
Achima’atz stammers.
He says he saw a big commotion when Absalom was captured, but he doesn’t really know what happened.
David waves him off and turns to the Cushite.
The Cushite, thinking he’s bringing good news, gives it straight to David:
“May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you to harm you be as that young man is.”
Little does he know he’s just given David the worst possible news he could hear.
So what takeaway can we extract from this?
David’s story shows us that a victory isn’t truly a victory if it comes at the cost of someone we love.
And that’s exactly why it matters to share the gospel with the people closest to us.
When the final day of judgement comes, what good will it be if we gain entrance into heaven and the new Jerusalem…
But the ones we love most can’t join us?
Real joy is knowing we’ll be together with them in God’s presence forever.
Ya feel me?
Done.
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN 2 SAMUEL CHAPTER 19
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