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Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

"For Each New Morning"

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
I think thee.

Prayer for Freedom from Fear

O Lord, I beseech you to deliver me, and all of your children, from the fear of the unknown future; from fear of failure; from fear of poverty; from fear of bereavement; from fear of loneliness; from fear of sickness and pain; from fear of age; from fear of death. Help us, O Father, by your grace to love and fear only you, and fill our hearts with cheerful courage and loving trust in you; through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

Community of Prayer

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be among the community of all who pray in the name of Christ this morning, and remain among us always.

(Additional prayers may be found at Prayers for All Occasions.)

God be with you 'til we meet again.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

2 Samuel 16:15-23

The Advice of Hushai and Ahithophel

Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. Then Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, went to Absalom and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

Absalom asked Hushai, "Is this the love you show your friend? Why didn't you go with your friend?"

Hushai said to Absalom, "No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel�his I will be, and I will remain with him. Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you."

Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should we do?"

Ahithophel answered, "Lie with your father's concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father's nostrils, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened." So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he lay with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice.

Notes on the Scripture

I know how difficult it is keeping all of these names straight. Ahithophel was one of David's top counselors, a man of great wisdom, who deserted David and sided with Absalom after Absalom entered Jerusalem. There will be a great deal more said about him in the next several lessons. He was a great asset to Absalom, simply as an advisor.

Hushai, similarly, was a man of great wisdom and had been a counselor to David, a member of his inner circle; he, however, had remained loyal. He rode out after David (with garments suitably torn and ashes in his hair), but David, relying on both his loyalty and his intelligence, sent him back to Jerusalem to spy and to "defeat the wisdom of Ahithophel".

In today's Scripture, Hushai puts David's wishes into effect, and professes loyalty to Absalom. In the meantime, Ahithophel advises Absalom to take his father's concubines as publicly as possible. Thus he proves his strength, not only by taking something that belonged to the king, but also by demonstrating a lack of concern at angering David.

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