Let us continue with this study using the letter "p" seven times to give us some alliteration. I am thinking of providence, prevarication, preservation, punishment, protection, perfidy and provision. This shouldn't take more than two hours. Some of these points apply directly to David, while others are only remotely related. But in my sermon classification system, I have recorded this as a message about God. Because each of the points of the message tonight relate to the Lord.

As we have said several times, the Lord is God enough to take the sins of men and use them to accomplish His sovereign will. He is in no way corrupted by sin, nor by the sins of His creatures, but He uses them nevertheless. If we want to make God responsible for the sins in this chapter, we might as well make Him the cause of all sin because He created man, knowing that He would quickly sin. Of course this is unbiblical and unjust. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man."

So Hushai was in place to thwart the counsel of Ahithophel. Also, Zadok and Abiathar the Lord's priests were in a situation where they could be of service to David. As soon as Hushai's counsel was accepted, he sent word to the priests, who passed the message on to their sons, who were commissioned to carry that information to the retreating king. Through these events David was given just a bit of time to prepare himself for the unavoidable conflict. The secular man, might read this chapter, seeing nothing but the well-arranged details of men. But the child of God ought to be able to see the providential hand of God.

Jonathan and Ahimaaz safely escaped the city and made it to Enrogel. This was not a great distance, but it was outside the city walls. Enrogel was at the spot where the Brook Kidron met the Valley of Hinnom at the southeast corner of Jerusalem. There is a spring and a well there, which have been in use for centuries. It is called the "Fuller's Well," because there was a bustling laundry business there at some point. Eventually, the well was extended 125 into the solid rock, but we don't know how deep it was at this time. One of the things to remember is that wells are not very often the picturesque creations with the nice brick wall surrounding a 6 foot wide hole and the mechanism across it for winching up the bucket. Most wells are nothing but a hole just wide enough for a bucket tied to the end of a rope. Apparently at this time, the well wasn't well known, and it wasn't well developed, but it was large enough for two young men to climb into, and then to be covered. The men who were supposed to be watching the priests followed their sons, but lost them at Enrogel. I find it difficult to believe that they didn't search the area more closely. These men's protection - and ultimately the protection of David - was due to the providence of God.

The loyal woman who hid the couriers, then lied to the pursuers. She told them that they had hurried across the Kidron, heading toward the camp of David. That was the logical thing to do - it made perfect sense. Why would they spend a single moment under the shadow of the wall of Jerusalem?

Once again, providence ordained that a sin be used to accomplish God's will. But the Lord didn't authorize this sin. There is no way to condone this sin, and it shouldn't be used to excuse any of our sins. It might be imagined that this woman was a particularly wicked person, and truthfulness was never a part of her vocabulary. She was nothing but a "wench." The word "shiphchah" (shif-khaw') is used 63 times in God's word, but it is translated this way only once. The rest of the time it merely refers to a maid of some sort. This is not an especially bad women - in fact she may have been just the opposite.

Despite the sin, we have here one more step taken towards the protection of God's chosen vessel.

Notice the emphatic language of verse 22 - "Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan."

Remember that a great many things in David's life should remind us of the Lord Jesus. And as Christ Jesus made His High Priestly prayer there in John 17 He commented: "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost...." Then at his betrayal and arrest, He demanded that the disciples be let go.... He said, "I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none." David didn't loose a single man, woman or child.

"And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father."

It might be argued that the death of Ahithophel should not be called "punishment." David didn't swoop down and execute him. The priests didn't surreptitiously grab him and hold him or send him to Mahanaim for execution. He took his own life.

While that is true, it must be remembered Who it is who is sovereign over all things. It was by the command of God that this man die. Psalm 7:16 - "His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate." But again, the Lord is not responsible for the sinful aspects of suicide.

Incidentally, as do most Biblical names, "Ahithophel" has meaning. It is variously defined as either, "Brother of a fool," or "Brother of folly." There is absolutely nothing so foolish as for a lost man to take his own life - plunging himself into the very presence of the Judge of all sinners.

Mahanaim was on the eastern side of the Jordan. It was very important that David reach this site, because crossing the river could be treacherous. Particularly with the women and children, if Absalom had thought ahead, he could have kept his father from escaping, by using a relatively small force of men. But that was not God's will, and David now has some protection and breathing room.

This place has some history - honorable history. When Jacob was returning from Syria with this wives and their children, he sent word to his brother, Laban, that he was coming home. He had no idea how he would be treated, but he was drawn back to his family and the place of his birth. Nervously, he drove his cattle south and came to this spot, which he would have the privilege to name, and there he was met by a company of angels. "And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim." Actually, the name doesn't refer to the angels, but to the fact that he divided his family and possessions into two companies, hoping to save some of them from the wrath of his brother.

Later we are told that Mahanaim became one of the Levitical cities within the territory of Gad. This was probably one of the first communities that was occupied by Israel after the forty years in the wilderness. It appears to have remained faithful to David.

It speaks of deliberate treachery - a deliberate breach of trust. Absalom was in need of a military leader. If you'll remember Ahithophel said that he would lead the assault against David, if it was done that first night, but now a few days have passed, and Ahithophel has "passed away" as well. Absalom's choice for a new commander was Amasa. "Which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother."

This is a confusing statement when laid side-by-side with I Chronicles 2. In Chronicles we have the genealogy of the early people of Israel. "These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah... And Tamar his daughter in law bare him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five." And then we have some of the grandchildren listed, before we get to Nahshon and Boaz with Ruth. "And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite."

We know that David had two sisters - Zeruiah, who was the mother of Joab and Abishai. His second sister was Abigail. But we seem to have conflicting statement about with whom she had this son, Amasa. Several explanations might be offered, but we can't be sure of any of them. For example, Abigail may have been assaulted or seduced by Jether the Ishmealite, and then she married Ithra, who adopted and raised her son, Amasa. Another explanation is that Jether became a naturalized Israelite, and changed his name.

Whatever the explanation, it isn't pertinent to our point. The point is that this nephew of David perfidiously - treacherously - joined in the plot to kill his uncle. But then, was that any more treacherous than Absalom himself?

"And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness."

None of the people who brought food and supplies to David and his company, were compelled to do so. At least they weren't compelled by David. They were compelled by the unfelt hand of the Lord. And they were compelled by their own hearts, for one reason or another.

And what an interesting group these three were. Shobi was apparently the brother of the Ammonite king, who shamefully treated David's ambassadors. This man appears to have been ashamed of his family and his nation. This man was grateful for David's show of kindness towards him at the death of his father. Somehow he escaped the slaughter of the Ammonites at the hand of Joab and David. And now, he attempts to repair whatever remaining breach there had been between these families.

The second man was Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar. This was the same man who for years generously met the needs of Mephibosheth before David found him and brought him to Jerusalem. Here is someone whose name should be found in the lists of truly generous men. Perhaps his picture should be found in the dictionary beside the word "hospitality."

The last man mentioned here should be even more famous for his kindness and humility. When David returns to Jerusalem following the defeat of Absalom, Barzillai will be there again. "And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward? Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee. And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.... And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place."

Despite the dire and deadly circumstances of this chapter, there are seven points which warm our hearts. And if the truth be known, and we were as perceptive as we should be, probably in every set of dire and deadly circumstances, there are seven points which should bring glory to the name of the Lord. May we have the wisdom to see them even in our own lives, when our day of trouble comes.